You come home after a hectic day only to find out your girlfriend and your cat are not getting along with each other – your lovemate complains of facing attacks by your kitty, and your cat clearly shows signs that it does not like your girlfriend. And here you are, thinking what could have gone wrong? Why does my cat hate my girlfriend?
Well – good news! You can control the situation. Average news: it takes time.
Why Does My Cat Hate My Girlfriend?
If your girlfriend has moved into your home, your cat might not welcome the new member out of stress and shock, mainly because of its territorial nature and the diversion of your attention.
If a new person suddenly invades the territory marked by your kitty, it will naturally tend to resist it. For instance, if you change the room where your feline pal sleeps, it will be no less than an upsetting moment for your cat – eventually, it will start hissing more often and try to make aggressive moves on the invader, in your case, your girlfriend. If such an environment persists, it can lead to your cat being afraid of strangers.
Similarly, if your cat is an attention seeker, such as the Chocolate Point Siamese, it will strike your cat like a lightning bolt if you divide your love between it and your girlfriend. The time and energy you spend cuddling and fondling your kitty will no longer be the same as earlier. Resultantly, it will become jealous of your girlfriend and start behaving aggressively.
How to Make My Cat Like My Girlfriend?
Knowing the basic reason, you can surely get your cat to like the new person at home in several ways. But before we delve into those, know that it takes time.
1. Let the Scent Do the Job
Before you decide to move your girlfriend home, try to introduce her scent to your cat first. This can reduce its territorial behavior, particularly against your lady. Being familiar with the smell, it might not become hyper if your girlfriend tries to invade your feline’s territory.
Get your girlfriend’s accessories such as the handbag, socks, shirt, or even mobile phone, and let your cat smell it and spend some time with it. Do the exercise a couple of days before your girlfriend moves in.
2. Take Your Cat With You On Dates
Instead of introducing your girlfriend to your cat at home, it is a far better idea to do it somewhere else. To do this, consider taking your cat with you when you go for dinner. Yes, this can be a bit difficult job, and your pet might be invading your privacy and lovely moments, but you have to make sure that your girlfriend and your cat both meet and understand each other well to keep the possibilities of hatred at a minimum.
3. Do Not Disturb Your Cat’s Routine
It is in your best interest not to have any sort of impact on your cat due to your girlfriend’s stay at your home. For instance, she must get to sleep, eat, cuddle, and exercise on time. Any disturbance in those activities can force a negative impression on your cat’s mind about your girlfriend. Consequently, it will be stressed out and develop bad feelings about your girl.
4. Keep Your Cat Busy
By keeping your cat busy, although temporarily, you can make her forget about the invasion of her territory and exclusive attention. You can offer your cat various interactive toys. Additionally, cat trees and providing window perches for viewing outside can also help a lot.
However, note that it is no replacement for you being involved with your cat, such as going for a walk and playing with it.
5. Let Your Girlfriend Be the Chef!
Although there exists no proof that feeding a cat can lead to a more affectionate relationship, doing so can certainly play an important role in breaking the ice. If your girlfriend serves your kitty its meals or puts the morsels in its mouth, the cat will know that the lady is someone special – she is not a threat.
Though you might not be able to forge a good relationship between your two loves this way, you will surely introduce them to one another in a good, caring way that will tame down the cat considerably.
6. Make Your Girlfriend a ‘Nice Lady’
One of the reasons why your cat fails to like your girlfriend is that it is simply afraid of her. Your girlfriend might be presenting body language without knowing that it may make your cat feel unsafe. For instance, direct eye contact can cause a problem. Similarly, approaching a cat to hug it, especially by pushing it to the corner, can make things worse.
Your girlfriend needs to keep calm and must not force unnecessary interactions and contact with your cat until the relationship becomes ‘friendly’ and your cat accepts her like her mama.
7. Use Treats Strategically
It is a straightforward job: whenever your cat acts nicely towards your girlfriend, offer it a delicious cat treat. This should help build a good relationship between your girlfriend and your kitty; nevertheless, note that not all cats are motivated by food.
Hence, the chances of success of this trick are not guaranteed. Similarly, it would help if you never feed your cat too many treats, or it might lead to unnecessary obesity.
How Long Will It Take for My Cat to Adjust With My Girlfriend?
Generally, cats take anywhere between one to six months to get used to a new person in the home. By following the tips above, you might be able to accelerate your cat’s adjustment process, but it will eventually give in to the new reality.
Similarly, each cat has a different personality and behavior. Not all cats welcome a new person into the home very quickly. Some might take even beyond six months to do so, while others may accept the incoming person as their own on the very first day.
Why Does My Cat Hate My Girlfriend? Final Words
Your cat hates your girlfriend because of the feline traits of being territorial and hungry for the owner’s attention. But fortunately, you can calm down the situation by playing certain tricks. Since it takes time, you need to be patient and keep working day and night to forge a good, long-lasting bonhomie between your pet and your soulmate.