Oooh oooh --- another crazy cat question!

[Goochina & Goochissimo]

Sorry, I've found you guys and now it's time to get all my many ?'s answered!!!!

Ok ... my cat. She's wierd. She is the sweetest cuddliest thing in the world. She sleeps either nestled in my hair or on my back every night. She cuddles with my big 50+ lb. dalmatian, and he licks her and cuddles right back. She is just so sweet -- good to my rough 6-yr-old son, good with my cat-hating mom and husband, just an all around good cat. My husband even torments her -- making her dance and do ridiculous things cat's hate.

BUT she has an evil streak. She hates... HATES my best friend. The cat will hiss at her if she walks by. She clawed the hell out of her once for no reason -- just tore into her. The cat absolutely can NOT be in the same room with this friend -- but she doesn't do this to anyone else.

Now last time I checked my friend wasn't demon-possessed. She doesn't have any cats or dogs at home that she be picking up the scent of, and she is ok with my friend's husband and child. My friend has never played with her, stepped on her, or anything. She has had cats and been around cats before and none of them hated her. But for my kitty, it was hate at first site!

Do your cats do this???

[yorkster]

Wow.......that is strange that she would single out just this ONE person.
My sisters cat is very mean to everyone except her and her hubby, and that is difficult, but makes a little more sense.

How long have you known this person? Animals can be very perceptive about people.
I really have no idea about this, and will be interested what other people have to say.
Maybe your friend wears some funky cologne or something??????

[wolflady]

Hi and welcome to Pet Talk. What a wierd situation there!! LOL LOL I was actually talking to a friend last night who was telling me about her mom's cat. She said that her mom's cat hates her and does just about the same thing your cat does with your friend. She says that she thinks that the cat associates her with a really bad memory. I can't remember what happened, but something seriously injured the cat, and she was the one that was around. So, she thinks her mom's cat associates her with something bad happening. She even said that the cat is acting that way toward one of her aunts that looks like her. Maybe your friend resembles a unpleasant person in your cats past? Where did you get your cat? Or maybe something happened to your cat when your friend was there? In any case, that's a very interesting question! I hope some other PTers have some other ideas because I'm curious too!
Welcome! I'd love to see some pics of this fascinating feline

[Ila]

Welcome to Pet Talk !! Sounds like your cat has been traumaed somehow to someone like your friend. Misty was mistreated by a person that came over to the house once and she just hates anyone with a deep voice now. She will hiss at them. We no longer have that person in our home but Misty will not forget that deep voice.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

My good friend had a cat once that HATED me. It never hissed at me but it would claw me all of the time. Whenever the cat would use the litter box my friend would laugh at her (please dont ask me why, i dont know) anyway the cat would finish it's business and run over to me and claw the mess out of me. Or if I sat too close to the bed while it was sitting on it it would run over and claw me I think everyone makes a lot of sence though, maybe it just associated me with a bad experience in its life.

[C.C.'s Mom]

My cat Pishi (RB ) never liked my husband. She never accepted him, always giving him 'the look', never letting him touch her.

My cat Eddy doesn't like other females. She only likes me, that's it. She hits my mom, she hisses at female friends - but she loves all men!

I always think, that cats see an aura or something, and it might be that your friend has an aura that doesn't suit her. This sounds very esotheric, but otherwise I can't explain it.

[Gio]

I had a cat (RB now but I still miss her a lot) who did that to whoever entered our house. She was very sweet and never attacked us but strangers, even relatives who were not mmy sisters, my parents and myself were a bit NO NO. The only other person she literally fell in love with was my sister's ex boyfrieds. With him she was as sweet as pie. I never understood why.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Welcome to Pet Talk!

[Goochina & Goochissimo]

Well, I've been friends with this friend for over 13 years. She's also a very "natural" type -- no perfumes or even makeup. If it was anything like a certain laundry detergent or shampoo that she's detecting, I'd think she'd pick it up on the whole family. I'm really puzzled.

We got the kitty when she was about 6 weeks old from a shelter. They had several kittens of the same litter that someone had brought in when their cat had babies. But maybe something bad did happen to her as a little kitten, who knows?

Otherwise, I can't explain it. The cat hasn't left my house since she was 6 weeks old -- purely indoor. So nothing too bad has happened to her, and if it had I don't know WHY she would associate it with this friend.

??? I guess the world may never know!

[sasvermont]

I would try having your friend give your cat some of her favorite food/treats and see if that will improve the relationship! We had a dog like that - hated my Uncle for some odd reason. Just my Uncle, no one else. My guess is that it is voice related - or maybe color/style of hair. Who will ever know? Good luck, keep us posted!

[wolflady]

Originally posted by sasvermont
I would try having your friend give your cat some of her favorite food/treats and see if that will improve the relationship! We had a dog like that - hated my Uncle for some odd reason. Just my Uncle, no one else. My guess is that it is voice related - or maybe color/style of hair. Who will ever know? Good luck, keep us posted!

What a good idea sasvermont! Maybe you could sway your cat's attitude toward your friend by training her to associate good things with your friend. Have your friend give your cat some treats every time she comes over, and when the cat starts acting positive around her...praise her a lot. It's worth a shot, eh? LOL

[wayne0214]

I have recently learned that a cat or a dog will associate resentment with someone, who only reminds them of a traumatic incident in their life. It makes little difference whether the person had anything to do with the unhappy experience or not, if they even remind them of the perpetrator, through appearance, whether it is a person or another pet, that is enough to cause them to sometimes react violently.

As far as correcting the confusion in the mind of a pet, perhaps if the suspected person could bring some goodies that the pet cannot refuse, perhaps this will be enough to heal the emotions.

........wayne

[purrley]

People emit odors whether they wear perfume, make up or whatever. This kitty just smells something she doesn't like - now I don't mean your friend has body odor just that there's a certain smell about her. I think the treat thing is a very good idea. Slowly introduce the treats and I'll bet soon your kitty will accept her.

maybe your cat is just jealous ?? I know about a cat that has the same strange habbit ... . No possible explanation too !!
When Sydney was just a kitten , he used to do that to my best friend too ; but now that's over !!!

[Lachesis]

Max hates my sister but he had a tramatic start over @ her house. He will hiss and claw at her if he isnt running away :/

Now my dog (who passed on about 7 years ago) hated this one friend of my dad's. She could detect him coming from 2 miles away.... she was THE nicest dog but hated him (he really was a evil person). As far as I know he never did anything to him...