Are Cats Naturally Jealous Animals?

Do Cats Feel Jealous?

Cats are unique, independent, self-confident, self-possessed animals. Those who have these felines in life often say that they are the ones who choose their “owners,” and they are sincere animals. Anyone who doesn’t know can even say that cats are detached and unsentimental animals, unlike puppies.

There are even several memes on the web making comparisons between dogs and cats, focusing on the temperament of each species.

But whoever loves kitties can guarantee that they are kind and affectionate. And we demonstrate their feelings.

Incidentally, they ensure that cats feel jealous, yes, whether with other humans or even with other cats.

The Normal Feline Behavior

First, we need to remember that Jealousy is a typically human emotion, so we may be misusing the term to define an animal’s behavior with other explanations.

Studies relate Jealousy (or a more appropriate term) to dogs, but it does not apply to cats. Still, some behaviors can lead us to think that this is a feeling.

This is due to the fact that, although domestic cats are solitary animals, domestication itself meant that they chose a person (or even another animal) as a reference.

They tend to elect their humans as their favorite individuals for obvious reasons: we feed, care for, protect, and socially interact with them, especially these days, in which the tutor-pet relationship creates more bonds than in the past.

Our Pets are our Children.

Considering the way we treat our “furry children,” it is to be expected that cats will see us as “their humans,” contrasting that relationship with some other individual (human or not) who represents their social rival, with behaviors such as rejection and aggressiveness) that may lead us to think that this is Jealousy. But is it?

Is it Really Jealousy?

Well, there is no way to analyze the aggressive cat’s behavior and say that it is Jealousy, so there are possible attitudes typical of “jealous cats.”

Demonstrating aggression with the “rival,” seeking frequent attention from your “favorite human,” showing exacerbated interest, or negatively interfering with the socialization between the human and the “rival” may be signs that there is a problem.

However, this could be true if we were talking about puppies since, like cats, these actions can suggest various behavioral problems, and territoriality is one of the main ones.

There are several causes for behavioral changes (for the worse) in cats concerning the person they have as a reference. Changes such as the arrival of a new baby, which, in addition to representing a significant loss of attention. It can be worse if parents struggle with the animal to protect the newborn. It can make the cat associate this bad experience with the baby.

In that case, it is interesting to include your “feline child” in the routine. Just redouble your attention so that your cat does not scratch your baby or manage to materialize the aggression somehow.

But never – never even! – be aggressive with the kitty cat

Territoriality Might be the Issue

If your cat exhibits aggressive behavior with another cat, be aware that the cause may be territoriality.

Anyone who has ever witnessed a catfight during the early hours of the morning knows precisely what that means.

This happens mostly with older cats or with those who did not have good socialization when young kitties. It would be best if you prepared the cat. Also, the environment, and even yourself for the arrival of a new animal.

Try to maintain and respect the individuality of each one. A good way out is training if common measures are not taking effect.

If the problem is with a puppy, know that it can happen (especially if it’s cats that weren’t socialized with puppies when they were little), but it’s good to know that it’s not the nature of cats to hate puppies and vice versa.

Ideally, it would be best to respect differences in sizes and temperaments and never expect them to look similar. Older puppies usually stress the cats and arouse fear, but more hair their size than because they are puppies.

How should we act?

First of all, concerning rivalries with other cats, puppies, or humans: Try to take safety measures to avoid more serious problems. Try to validate the importance of your pet.

Even as a routine change, try not to alter it much, as cats generally do not like sudden changes.

Also, try to create the idea of positivity in the relationship with possible “rivals”. For example, their presence is a positive experience. Finally, try to respect the space of the animal. If he is not comfortable with a situation, never force him to have any interaction, do not put on your lap, or fiddle too much with him, for all this may irritate them.

If you need to invest in more robust attitudes, look for a coach or an animal trainer to harmonize the relationship between animals and humans within the same space.

It is also a good idea to seek out your veterinarian, as substances influence animals’ social and reproductive behavior: pheromones. These compounds help a lot to control aggression, especially if cats feel “jealous.”

The Best Remedy is Prevention

A reasonably suitable natural pheromone is catnip (or catnip). It is an excellent relaxant and also acts as a repellent for insect bites. Keeping your cat’s health up to date is also important, with quality food, regular veterinary consultations, vaccinations, and other measures. Often, their behavior may change due to health issues, so the veterinarian should be visited frequently.

Be that as it may, having an animal is like having a child. It takes work, it requires care, it takes a lot of patience. Above all, a lot of love and respect. If your cats feel jealous, we should consider their feelings, even if they don’t have the same dynamics as ours. Remember that because they are “irrational,” they do not calculate or premeditate their attitudes. It is up to us, their human guardians, to ensure that they have the proper treatment to feel good, and happy.