Melissa Joan Hart Didn't Like Salem the Cat! Sabrina the Teenage Witch Star Says She's "a Dog Person"

However, Carolina Rhea (who played Aunt Hilda) was big fan of black felines on set of hit show

Sabrina Spellman and Salem Saberhagen had some of the best girl-to-cat bantering of all time.

But in real life, Sabrina the Teenage Witch's Melissa Joan Hart wasn't a fan her black cat costar. (Given that the black feline moved his mouth and spoke on cue, he was clearly a robotic creation of sorts. However, he had a number of live stand-ins throughout the show's run from 1996 to 2003.)

Hart made this startling Salem confession at a launch party for her book Melissa Explains It All held Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Monkey Bar, telling Vulture, "I'm a dog person."

"Being around that Salem cat too much…the set was covered in cat food," the 37-year-old actress recalled. "So yeah, I can't do cats anymore."

Fortunately for all the Salem stand-ins, Caroline Rhea (aka Aunt Hilda) is a cat person! In fact, the comic turned up to Hart's book launch wearing a sweater with a black cat on it.

"It's ridiculous, but I'm still drawn to things with black cats on them, I don't know why," she said. "I was always the one who had to be mean to the cats, and I'm the one who, like, loves the cats the most! I'd always be petting them."

Well, it's good to know the biggest feline stars of the '90s got some love on set. But in Hart's defense, black cats are cool and all, but can't we all agree that dogs rule?