But a large portion of cat hate is rooted in the way that cats are tied to women / the feminine? Cats are associated with many of the same traits stereotypically assigned to women, as well as “feminine” ideas/things, which definitely has a lot to do with why it’s so much more okay, societally, to hate cats than it is to hate dogs.
(An experiment: Try saying “I hate cats” in mixed company. People will either agree with you, or shrug and move on. Now try saying “I hate dogs” in mixed company. The response will be wildly different.)
(Another experiment: Try to imagine the “Dogwoman” equivalent to “Catwoman”. It’s kind of hard to imagine, isn’t it? Why is that? What is it about the way society views cats that makes it easier to imagine a female character associated strongly with cats than it is to imagine a female character associated strongly with dogs?)
Like, you’re right that cats are not necessarily for everyone. And pretty much everyone – even cat people – will tell you that, and that it’s okay to think that. But no one ever says that about dogs. Why? Because dogs are associated with the masculine – they’re “man’s best friend”, they’re automatically assumed to be male, associated with male stereotypes like strength, the sun, etc. while cats are associated with female stereotypes like being slinky, lying, being “catty” (no pun intended), the moon, etc.
I’m sure someone could do a much more in-depth analysis of this than I can – it’s late and I’m honestly struggling for words, but I know I’ve seen a much better post on this that actually dug into the history of when cats became associated with the feminine and such. But I had to try because dismissing this out of hand is kind of… awful? I mean, I know it’s not the biggest deal in the entire world, but it’s still an example of misogyny and the way things are gendered / the way that things that are gendered as “feminine” are degraded and considered lesser and expendable, while things gendered as “masculine” are more valued.
(Other things: The plight of dogs euthanized in shelters is portrayed as much more serious than that of cats. Men will refuse to own cats because cats are “a woman thing”. Adoption fees for dogs are much higher than those of cats. Dogs in shelters are treated significantly better than cats in shelters (this one is based on personal observation). Adopting a dog is seen as a much bigger deal / much more of a responsibility than adopting a cat. It is (rightly, don’t get me wrong) immoral and in many places illegal to force your dog to live outside, but no one cares about people forcing their cats to live outside, despite cats being arguably in much greater danger than dogs. “Crazy cat lady” is a derogatory stereotype used against single women; “Crazy dog lady” isn’t a thing that exists. In that vein, a woman who lives for her cats is considered a bad person or else mentally ill, while someone (man or woman) who lives for their dog(s) is seen as an awesome, great person. Etc. etc… it goes on and on. Saying “cats just aren’t for everyone” doesn’t even remotely account for the differential in the way cats and dogs are treated in society – but the fact that cats are associated with women while dogs are associated with men absolutely does.)
By the way? Every cat I have ever had has come to me when I cried, has played with me, has clearly and openly loved me. The stereotype of cats as cold and aloof is just that: a stereotype. It is not true. If you show love to a cat, it will love you back. Period.
I have two kittens now, and both of them constantly want to be around me and spend time with me. They follow me from room to room. If they’re not right next to me, they’re usually nearby, hanging out in my orbit. They certainly don’t ignore me – especially not when my monster kitten is walking along the back of the couch specifically to come headbutt my forehead and beg for attention and love.
So can we stop with the cat hate (and the dismissal of misogyny) now please?