On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 19:50:03 GMT, "Governor George Liquor"
wrote:

I've always wondered about this, but the rash of negative postings over the
last day or two (the Clay Aiken quote, the Portland trapper, et cetera) has
prodded me into posting. Why is it, or what is it about them, that elicits
such strongly negative reactions from those that don't like cats?

I've had Jack for nine months now, and Rizzo for almost six, and in that
time I've been, at times, insufferable (though no more so than a new parent
or grandparent) about showing picutres of and talking about them. Most
people are interested, and some are bemused. A significant minority has
expressed with great virtiol how much they hate cats. These are otherwise
rational, or even enlightened, people, but when I mention my cats I get a
viscerally negative reaction. Some have even told me with disturbing
enthusaism how they like to physically abuse cats. In my own experience,
people that don't like dogs or other domestic animals may just grimace or
grunt, or ingore the subject. People that say they "hate" dogs usually
suffered through having a loud or destructive dog nearby, and generally
don't mean dogs actual, physical harm. Cat haters seem to delight in
recounting the individual tortures they've visited on hapless cats. A
recent local instance where a dog was physically abused garnered much
greater television coverage, police response, and citizen outrage than two
more gruesome instances of cat abuse combined.

IMHO -- it is because dogs slobber and poop -- because cats scratch and poop --
I had a neighbor who said cats gave her the "creeps" because of their eyes. I figured
she felt they could see through her pretenses. I'll bet most of them
never think of who had to clean up after them when they were babies.
Then again there are people who don't like babies. As for those who
torture animals, well, I think they are mental cases that have not as
yet been diagnosed.