So cats identity people based on smells produced by body chemistry. I'm wondering if anyone noticed their cats acting different towards them with the changes made by HRT and were the changes in behavior good or bad?
I had a dog stare at me like I was literally the most bizarre thing it's ever seen before.
The thing is, though, the smells don't change all at once, they change very slowly over months and months and months. So maybe they can notice that there's a difference, but they'll still recognize them as you because they've been there through the entire process.
If, however, you go away for a while, they might not recognize you at first.
It's a similar phenomenon to how transition works with friends... those who are there through the whole thing will tell you that you don't look much different, where those who haven't seen you since before transition might not even recognize you.
My roommate's cats did admittedly give me some extended stares whenever I went out in "girl mode," but they still recognized me.
After about 11 months of HRT, though, I had to move away, and I didn't come back until I was full-time. Up until when I moved, despite being on HRT for almost a year, my roommate's cats never seemed to notice. They consistently snuggled up and begged for attention from the both of us about equally as much. When I came back as a girl 5 months later, it took them a half-hour or so to warm up to me again. (They're really nice cats, though, so it never takes her long.)
Have to say not a issue.
Maybe due to the long puberty time frame?
My neighbours' cats have all been just fine with me, they have known me for years and I take care of them time to time.
I have a dog, and I think that the transition was so gradual he never noticed. Then again, we are together 24/7 as I work from home. Even the FFS didn't faze him. He only takes notice when he sees me get dressed to go out, but because he doesn't want to be left behind.
On the other hand, before I started to transition I had a few instances where a dog would greet me and an owner would say, "wow. usually she doesn't respond to men at all." I should have listened.
Nope. I was honestly worried about it, but not one of my cats (and there have been five in a position to judge) have seemed like they noticed anything. Either not much changed in the personal scent they care about, or they're not very observant cats. :)
Animals aren't keyed into the difference in human gender pheromones, only feline pheromones. Compared to dogs I don't know how strong the smell sense is for cats anyway, but they usually don't care about anything as long as you feed them. If you start wearing strong perfume they might object though.
Really with cats, I think the change is so gradual they would never notice. Bt interesting fact about cats though, they have a Jacobsons organ like a snake that is connected to their olfactory system and they pick up a lot more chemical differences than I think even dogs.