Cats are confusing fluffy beasts, but we do Love them. You may have recently brought your Cat home or maybe you have had your cat for a while. Whatever the case, you now are thinking “My Cat Hates Me!”

There are many reasons you may think your cat hates you, however, I will guarantee you your cat does not hate you. They may just not trust you or like you very much, when you bring a cat into your home, you are not just learning about them, but they are learning about you.

If you have just brought your cat into your home you will want to give them time to adjust to you and the new space they are in. However, if you have had your cat for a while and still think it hates you, read on, hopefully, this will help put your mind at ease or at least explain your cat’s behavior.

Their tail is low.

Having their tail low or hidden is a sign that your cat is scared and they may be scared of you. Cats try to hide as they move around their environment. They are on the hunt for a safe place and if your cat doesn’t see you as safe they will show you by staying away from you and keeping their tail down.

If you notice your cat doing this to only you and no one else in the home it’s time to figure out what you did to scare your cat.

They keep hiding from you.

Another sign that you have scared your cat or that it doesn’t like you is if it’s always hiding from you. It could be you bring home strange smells every day or they associate you with something bad. Either way, your cat is not happy with you if they don’t want to be around you.

If you have just gotten your cat it is normal for a cat to hide from you for a while. Once they get used to you and their new home this behavior should stop. If your new cat is doing this try to make them as comfortable as possible and don’t force them to come to see you. Put food close to where they are and eventually move it to the place you want it to be.

They bite, hard.

Cats bit when they play. However, if your cat is biting you and drawing blood or leaving marks that don’t go away after a minute or so, they may be telling you they don’t want you around.

Cats show affection by biting and nipping at each other, so biting is not always a bad thing and should never be punished. If your cat is biting you hard you may want to look at what you were doing with the cat at the time. If you didn’t do anything to your cat you may want to then look at where the hard bite happened. They may not feel safe in that area of your home.

They walk away from you

Your cat may have a personality where it really just wants you to feed it and change the litter box. That is all they need you for and if they want to be petted they will come to find you. They are the type of cat that has given cats the reputation of owning humans and being Queens. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just how your cat is.

However, if your cat is always walking away from you and doesn’t stop to get petted ever, it may be a sign they don’t like you. This, of course, is a problem if you are the only human in the home, however, if they have bonded with another family member it may just be they are a one-person cat and that person is not you.

They hiss at you

Cats hiss when they feel threatened and are scared. If your cat is always hissing at you it may be time for you to find them a new home. Cats don’t hiss if they are comfortable in their environment. The occasional hiss is expected, however daily hissing is not.

You may also want to schedule a trip to the vet, this will rule out any health issues your cat may have. When cats don’t feel good they will either want to be around you a lot or want nothing to do with you. Find out if your cat is healthy before rehoming them.

Related Content: 10 Reasons Your Cat Doesn’t Like Toys

They love everyone, except you.

You picked up who you thought was an amazing cat only to find out that your cat did not pick you. Instead, they love everyone else and rub it in every day.

Cats do pick their humans and that chosen human can change when cats meet new humans. My male cat loved me so much. I was the only one he ever wanted, then he met my niece when she moved in with me. Now he glares at everyone when she is gone and spends the days she’s not home sad and depressed.

If you have other people in your home that your cat likes, be happy for your cat. If you really wanted the cat to be yours you may have to just go out and find yourself a second cat that will love you this time.

What could cause this behavior?

You have punished them for normal behavor

Your cat may no longer trust you if you punish them for behavior that is natural. You may get upset with your cat for something they do in the wild and that is not going to help your cat trust you, let alone like you.

Here are a few things cats do that they shouldn’t be punished for.

• Playful biting or licking
• Clawing at things
• Chewing on cords or other items
• Rubbing against you
• Attempting to climb you
• Running through the house
• Knocking things off high places
• Batting at you for attention
• Waking you up at night

There are other things that you shouldn’t punish a cat for. However, these are popular behaviors that cats do get punished for. Yes, these habits can be annoying or cause destruction, but punishing your cat for them, in the way we humans think of punishment is wrong.

Spanking your cat or spraying them with water will just make them scared of you and the area they are in when you do it. If you are upset that your cat is clawing at furniture or curtains you may want to look into getting them claw covers. Some people will tell you declawing is the answer, however that can also hurt your cat long-term and your relationship with them.

Instead of punishing them with spray or a smack on the behind, try getting them a scratching post, a larger cat tree so they can go higher, or some new toys. This should help redirect some energy and get your cat to like you again.

You have made a recent change to their environment

If you have recently moved or had a new member added to your home you may find your cat is avoiding you. When you move you bring your cat to a new space, it smells different and it will take time to get used to it. If you are planning a move with your cat, check out my post: Moving With Cats? 6 Helpful Tips to get you through it.

However, if you have added a new person or pet to your home, this may be the reason they are avoiding you. They may smell that person or animal on you and they don’t like it. The best thing to do is give them time to get used to the new smell. Eventually, they will calm down and love you again.

Something as simple as changing to new laundry detergent, cleaning supply, or perfume could also make your cat not want to be around you. Cats know things by scent and if they don’t recognize your scent, they won’t want to be around you.

You dress them up and make them pose for pictures

With the popularity of making your cat Instagram famous you may have started making them pose for pictures. Some cats love when you take their picture while others dislike it very much.

Both of my cats love it when I pull out my phone to take photos. Once they are over it, however, they will walk away from the camera and me. That is my signal that they are done.

Many people, however, want to dress up their cats and in doing so create an environment their cat may not like. Some cats love being dressed up and will still come to you for snuggles. Other cats hate having anything on them and will run away and hide when you do this.

If your cat hides from you when you try to make it look cute for the camera you may want to reconsider having a famous cat. Not everyone, after all, wants fame and fortune.

These are just a few ideas as to why your cat doesn’t trust you. Remember, they really don’t hate you, but they may not trust you from time to time.

If you are really concerned about your cat’s behavior, call your vet or find a local vet here and talk with them. They will be able to answer questions with answers that are specific to your cat and your situation.