Why do cats prefer approaching people who dislike them?
Cats have a mystical character. When cats step into a room and look around, they seem to like to approach humans who are the most afraid of cats and dislike cats for various reasons.
In the jealous eyes of cat lovers, the cat took the initiative to rub the person who dislikes cats, and it even ignored the panic expression on the person′s face, jumping directly onto his or her lap, and lay down leisurely.
The behavior of cats being especially fond of approaching people who don′t like them is due to the drastic difference between the social language of cats and that of humans.
In the human world, looking into each other’s eyes signals politeness, and it is also an expression of closeness and trust. However, in the world of cats, staring at each other intently is a pretty threatening behavior.
When cat lovers see a cat, they often gaze at it eagerly, and then make a variety of noises trying to attract its attention, and even take the initiative to approach it… In the cat′s eyes, these behaviors will automatically be converted into: “This guy is staring straight at me and making threatening noises, and he is even approaching me to start an attack!”
When cats are competing for territory, the head with higher status will intimidate them by staring at their opponents, while cats with lower status will avoid the opponent’s sight. If their eyes meet, it will be interpreted as intentional resistance, and would in turn arouse hostility between the two parties.
So when you look at the cat, it′s not surprising that the cat will immediately turn its head and look away or turn around and leave.
Cats are predators in nature, but they are also the prey of other large animals. You, who are large in size, are one of those huge creatures that are threatening to cats. In the cat’s eyes, your expression seems sly, your voice sounds evil, and keeping on staring at the cat will only make it feel very nervous!
Even domestic cats, which have already been used to living with humans and know in their hearts that humans will never attack them, may still intuitively walk to the person who understands the social rules of cats. That′s right, the person who neither likes cats nor looks at them.
Generally speaking, the parent-child relationship between the mother cat and the kitten is the only situation where the behavior of long-term gazing at each other can be approved. In this case, the “gaze” will be interpreted as an expression of love.
All in all, cats don’t like too much attention and like minding their own business quietly, so those who avoid looking at the cat will make it feel at ease and unstressed, and it would be more willing to take the initiative to go near the person.
So next time you see a cat enter, try to act in a more reserved manner. Maybe you will get to be the lucky one!
The cat-repelling instruction for those who are afraid of cats
If you are afraid of cats and want to keep a distance from them, here are some recommended ways for you:
In this way, the “cat repelling” effect can be achieved.
The cat summoning instruction for cat lovers
If you′re a cat lover, and want to have close interaction with them, we have some recommended moves.
Even if the cat takes the initiative to come up close out of curiosity, please keep your patience and restrict your enthusiasm from bursting out. Especially if you suddenly embrace the cat and start rubbing and sniffing it wildly, you will only horrify it. What’s worse, you might be blacklisted from then on!
If you want to get along with cats, please bear the 3 do-not principle in mind: do not stare, do not take the initiative, and do not force them. Let the cat take the initiative.
Interact with the cat only when it is willing to, and don′t force it to stay when it gets up and leaves. After several times of hanging and interacting, the cat will build up trust in you, gradually get used to your company, and may even take the initiative to come to you affectionately!
The bottom limit of social distance for stray cats
Like humans, cats also have limits in social distance. Especially with strangers, the further it stays away the better. If you keep approaching the cat, you will leave it no choice but to run away. Generally speaking, the bottom limit of the social distance for stray cats is 3 to 5 meters, but this distance will vary greatly for cats of different personalities. Some cats with higher alertness may even hide in bushes and escape as soon as they are spotted by humans.
As for people who feed them regularly, cats will be willing to shorten the bottom limit of the social distance. If you approach them slowly and patiently, chances are that you may shorten it to about 50 cm.
The bottom limit of social distance for domestic cats
The bottom limit of social distance for domestic cats is much shorter than that of stray cats. After all, they have long known that humans are harmless, and they can safely stay near them. Usually, the bottom limit of social distance when domestic cats meet for the first time is about 1 meter. After getting a little familiar with each other, it may even approach you and lie down next to you.
If the cat is unusually close to strangers and does not abide by the bottom limit of social distancing like general cats do, it is just because the cat mistook you for the wrong person and treats you as the kind person in its impression. At this time, enjoy this beautiful misunderstanding!
Any kind of animal needs to retain a self-space where it feels confident, safe and peaceful. The size of this space will vary in accordance with different environments, individual growth and the current physical health.
For humans, there are generally four types of social distance
The bottom limit of the social distance for stray cats can be within 300 cm, and domestic cats can be further shortened to less than 100 cm. This shows that cats have strong adaptability, being able to live the life of a solitary hunter in the wild, and can also comfortably enjoy the crowded group life.
Cats can adapt to group life
The cat is usually seen hunting and patrolling alone. This solitary lifestyle makes people mistakenly think that cats are antisocial animals that just want to live in isolation.
In fact, cats enjoy having companionship and can adapt to group lives. In an environment with sufficient food, cats that share a common social language can get along well with each other. Even in relatively treacherous environments like the grasslands, the lion, as the overlord of cats, can develop into a pride by hunting together.
The cat′s ability to adapt to changes in the environment, or to living alone or in groups, is a rare case in nature.
More:
What are You up to, Cat? 1: An in-depth introduction to everything about cats, from anatomy to behavior
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094QT46BP
What are You up to, Cat? 2: An in-depth introduction to everything about cats, from growth to moods
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095NXC848
