As a cat lover, it's hard for me to understand when people say they don't like or hate cats. Cats, cat lovers, and the whole cat community have a negative stigma attached to them. Some of it stems from stereotypes about cats such as their aggressiveness, and that many people are allergic to them. Although I might have met an aggressive cat once or twice, the truth is that most cats just mirror how you treat them, and the environment they have grown up in. What I can't stand to hear:

Cats are gross.

While cats may have some of the dirtiest mouths in terms of bacteria, cats are actually some of the cleanest domesticated animals. Kittens are born with an innate sense of cleanliness. As soon as they are aware of their bodily functions, they begin cleaning themselves around three times a day. Cats very rarely smell or emit unpleasant odors and are self-grooming animals. If your cat stinks, chances are it's because your pet is unhappy and unwilling to clean itself because of its condition.

Cats are stupid.

Unlike dogs, cats are wired to maintain their independence, even in domestication. With their independence, cats generally won't bother you unless it's dinner time. Although, some cats love their human owners and come to them when called, or even respond with a series of meows. Meowing is a cat's form of communication to a human; cats have their own form of communication with each other that doesn't involve meowing. If your cat moves its ears back when talking to it, chances are your cat understands that you are talking to it, but it doesn't care. In that case, you can argue that cats are smarter than dogs because they choose whether or not they want to listen to their humans, whereas dogs, if properly trained, will always obey their owner. The argument here is that cats can make their own decisions which is a unique function of the brain.

Cats don't do anything

I can vouch for this one because there are days when my cats don't move from their favorite sleeping spot. However, if I'm going to show off how cool my cats are, I wake them up and they're always ready to show their true colors. My cat Belle, for example, loves the sound of thin paper being crinkled up into a ball. Throw that ball of paper down the hallway and she'll run after it, and even bring the paper ball back to you so you can throw it again. My other cat Charlie (who can sometimes be a butt) is the housekeeper. If it's summertime and we have an infestation of crickets in our basement, Charlie has got you covered. He once captured a mouse, without killing it, so we could return it to the outside. He won't sleep until he knows his property is clear of all insects, rodents, or even other cats. He begs (by meowing incessantly and staring you in the eyes) to go outside every day so he can spray the openings in the fence to let the neighborhood cats know that this is his territory. He chases squirrels and rabbits out of the yard as well. He rarely sleeps.

My cats do a lot of things. They constantly need attention, belly rubs, or just someone to look at them and say "what's up buddy?" They do tricks and make cute noises, and all of my cats (including my sister's and my brother's) purr very loudly, an indication that they're happy.

Cats are evil and trying to kill you

This may be an extreme for the people who dislike cats, but I have heard this more than once. My cat Charlie, sure, maybe he is a little evil, and wants build a barricade in my backyard so that he can claim it for his own. Is he trying to kill me? No. Charlie knows that if he killed me or my parents, he wouldn't get fed. He's such a cuddle monster sometimes, and I believe he knows that he'd be extremely lonely without his humans. My cat Belle is a saint. She is so sweet, kind, gentle, and friendly that if she ever decided to kill you, she would have done it already.

Cats are bad for the environment since they prey on innocent animals.

If your cat is domesticated, when you let it out, it's not going to be a good hunter and kill those beautiful cardinals or black squirrels.

Cats are like dogs in that they must be trained to act how you want them to act. If you don't pay attention to your cat or if it doesn't get told 'no' every once in a while, you will experience behavior issues. There is nothing evil about these majestic creatures. Next time you hear someone say they hate cats, remember that it is completely in their head.