The feline PR crisis: Debunking Hollywood’s cat hate
Cats have been getting a bad rap this year—bad for cats everywhere (not that they care, of course) and terrible for lovers of the feline species like myself. Although beloved by the internet and meme culture, cats remain only second in pet preference to man’s best friend, the dog.
And apparently, a lot of bigshot Hollywood celebrities have agreed with this sentiment in the big year of 2026, namely: Grammy award-winning rapper Doechii, Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley, and actor-slash-internet boyfriend Paul Mescal.
The hatred toward cats
In early March, Doechii wrote a seemingly unprompted post on Threads, sharing her feelings of abhorrence for the animal: “People act like it’s a crime to dislike cats when they genuinely aren’t friendly animals,” which she ends with, “Y’all be scratched and beat tf up by your own animals I can’t lmaooo.”
Later in the same week, a Jessie Buckley interview had resurfaced, where she mentioned that “cats are mean,” while gleefully talking about the ultimatum she gave to her husband—of making him choose between her and his pet cat.
“I won,” she laughed. Paul Mescal laughed along with her story and added, “Fuck cats, honestly.”
But the straw that broke the camel’s (it’s me, I’m the camel) back is a bold proclamation from actor Oscar Isaac during his Vanity Fair lie detector interview with “Beef” season 2 co-star Carey Mulligan.
“I hate cats,” he admitted after being asked about working with them. “They’re stupid—people who love cats!”
Both Isaac and Buckley retracted their bold statements later on, saying that they “actually love cats,” but their previous declarations seemed to be a little too candid and convincing to be lies.
And so the questions that beg to be asked are: One, why do people love to hate cats, and two, what is it about cats that is so misunderstood?
A history of bad PR
As expected, the internet did not take this big feline PR crisis lightly. After these celebrities’ disdain for cats made headlines, a handful of thinkpieces and social media posts emerged on Instagram and TikTok, claiming an undeniable connection between cat hate and misogyny.
Bias against cats dates as early as the 12th century, in medieval Europe specifically, when they were associated with witchcraft and Satanism. Cats were believed to be “familiars” that assisted witches, and were often executed alongside the women accused of witchcraft.
Musician and fellow cat lover Mitski, who recently released an album with visuals centered around the animal, puts it best in an interview she did for The Current: “I thought about cats and how often there are people, especially dog people, who don’t like cats because they think cats are mean, when actually, I think the layer below that is that cats just aren’t obedient. It’s not in their language or mentality to follow commands.”
She continues, “Cats are demonized for that in a similar way that I think a lot of women maybe are misunderstood for that quality—just because we might not be exactly what women are supposed to be in patriarchy, just because maybe we don’t, I don’t know, follow certain narratives that are expected of women. Maybe because we’re not obedient, we are thought of as bad.”
Given cats’ long, intertwined history with vilified women, the link between the two is unquestionable. After all, it is no coincidence that dogs are called “man’s best friend,” despite being responsible for multiple human deaths annually, and yet, cats are the ones often dubbed “evil.”
Is it necessarily sexist to hate cats? No. But the language we use around cats and the people who love them (cold, aloof, untrustworthy, too much) has a way of rhyming uncomfortably with the language used to dismiss women who don’t perform warmth on demand.
Actually, you’re wrong
So let’s set the record straight. Cats are not evil. They’re just severely misunderstood—and the large number of Hollywood films and media portraying them as the bad guys certainly don’t help.
Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about cats, and what actually rings true.
Myth: Cats are mean.
Reality: Cats have boundaries, which is not the same thing as meanness. A cat that walks away from you is communicating its boundaries clearly and without drama. If anything, we could take notes.
Myth: Cats don’t love their owners.
Reality: Cats are simply more selective about how they show affection. Studies have found that cats form secure attachments to their owners, similar to dogs and even human infants. They just express it differently: in slow blinks, proximity, the occasional headbutt to your nose at 6 a.m.
Myth: Cats are antisocial.
Reality: Cats are independently social, which is a very different thing. They tend to prefer quality over quantity, forming a deep bond with one or two of their favorite humans rather than showing enthusiasm for every stranger who walks in the door. Again, relatable.
Myth: Cats can’t be trained.
Reality: Cats can absolutely be trained. They learn their names, respond to cues, and can be taught tricks. They simply require motivation (usually food) and an acknowledgment that they are doing you a favor.
Myth: Cats were forced into domestication.
Reality: Cats domesticated themselves. Around 10,000 years ago, wildcats started hanging around early human agricultural settlements because of the rodents attracted to grain stores. They basically showed up, decided the arrangement worked for them, and stayed. Cats chose us, which makes the “they don’t really like people” argument pretty hard to sustain.
Converting the haters
Despite the recent Hollywood hate for cats, the rest of the world is definitely catching up on how amazing this species is—cat memes and silly cat videos still reigning supreme on the internet and all.
Even some former celebrity cat haters are seeing the light. Lupita Nyong’o adopted her own cat after working with one in the 2024 film “A Quiet Place: Day One.” Recent Oscar nominee Wagner Moura talked about finally connecting with his pet cat after it sat down and purred on his chest during a particularly sad day. If you know anything about cats, it is about the highest honor they can bestow on a person.
Cats, for their part, have not commented. They never do. And if you’re lucky enough to have been chosen by one, you already know that’s reason enough, and no celebrity hot take could ever touch that.
Best damn animal in the world. But you didn’t hear it from me.
******
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