Why does the cat avoid the kitchen?

Our cat, Mancha, seems to have an aversion to our kitchen. I've started thinking that it's one of three things. Hypothesis 1: The cat avoids the kitchen because of the nasty fluorescent lighting. Hypothesis 2: The cat avoids the kitchen because of the ghost dog that lives downstairs. Hypothesis 3: The cat avoids the kitchen because the floor gives her vertigo.

I haven't decided if the floor is starting to grow on me or if the fluorescent lighting is just impairing my judgment.