Face It, Cats Don’t Like You

I often liken cats and the general feline species to a cheerleader I once knew in junior high school who often gave you this sarcastic look that either meant she hated you or wanted you to go away. Thats because, lets face it, cats dont like you. And when I say you it means all of you. Because while we all think the cats we cherish are just funny or quirky or aloof; the reality is theyre just putting up with us until the mother ship arrives and they can finally tell us all what they really think. Talk to the cat lovers and they will write off what I like to call the catitutde to a bunch of human traits that cats dont even have. Cats are adorably-egotistical, some will say. Cats are lovable balls of fur and fury, others have said. Cats love their owners, but are very protective in the company of strangers&thus their constant scratching and hissing. Face it, cats dont like any of us. People joke that cats could be from another planet and Im not altogether convinced they arent. Landing here on Earth during Egyptian times, they quickly assimilated themselves and became (what the History books claim) the most beloved pets of the Egyptian times. Evidenced, by of course, all those pictographs that prominently featured cats wearing classic Egyptian head garb. I know people who liken cats in Egypt to Jerry Lewis in France. (KnowwhatImean?) Dogs are dopey and lovable. Theyre also kind of stupid. But, dont we (as a culture) love dopey stupid people? Dont we embrace the stupid? Look at the covers of mainstream magazines and tell me who were following around (cough, Britney, cough) and then tell me we dont love our stupid folks. Same goes for the dogs  with a vocabulary that doesnt exceed that of a two year old child, we can pretty much love our dogs and not worry about them reprogramming the alarm code for our home and then accidentally (ahem) calling the police on us. Cats? Not so much. You often hear the stories of cats dialing 911. Of cats saving their owners from an untimely death. Of cats smartly and quickly dealing with tragic and dangerous situations. My dog sleeps in his own poop. Bring up a list of all the other pets we have, from guinea pigs and mice to birds and fish&and throw a cat in there for good measure. And at the end of the day when you look at the entire list&its like looking at a list of countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, France, Italy and Iraq. Can you guess which animal is like Iraq? Cough, cat, cough. The cat lovers and naysayers will defend cats to the bitter end. They will recount the stories of love and cuddling and scratch posts. They will say, Well if cats dont like me then why would they save me in dangerous and life-threatening situations? The cat avoiders will respond to that by saying that cats are just keeping us all alive so that someday we can become their slaves, much like the Egyptians. Maybe 2012 is what theyre waiting for. But I dont have time for conspiracy theories and alien jokes. I dont have time for any of it because I have come to accept the fact that cats just dont like me. Or you. Or anyone. Theyre pretending they like us just so they can use us until they no longer need us. Like that junior high school cheerleader. A hex on you, mlady.