Many people state that their cats are jealous when they carry out behaviors related to aggressiveness or possessiveness towards a third party, whether we are talking about a feline, a dog or a human. However, is it true that cats are jealous or are we facing another form of humanization?
In this article on our site we will reveal if cats are jealous, how to identify jealous behavior in this species and what to do when faced with a behavior that we consider inappropriate, don't miss it!
Jealousy in cats
To begin with, we must ask ourselves if it is correct to say that cats are jealous, since "jealousy" is emotions and feelings that until recently they were attributed solely to the human being. But if we dig a little deeper into what jealousy really is, we understand that it is an adaptive emotional response important in herd animals.
However, although the domestic feline (Felis silvestris catus) is a solitary animal, domestication has allowed the species to receive important advantages by participating in social dynamics, aside from those it maintains during reproduction, such as living with the human being, which provides it with food, shelter and care. Or with other domestic animals, which become an important source of enrichment.
In this way, the cat acquires a person or animal as " reference figure" with which it relates, socializes and carries perform the daily interactionsTechnically, the reference figure is known as a "valued social partner" and, as we have mentioned, it can be another cat, a dog or a human being. It is, in short, a social figure with which the cat feels safe, thus being able to be the cat's favorite person. On the contrary, the " social rival" is the figure that stands between the two and before which he can show what we interpret as jealous behavior, it is say, rejection and aggressiveness
However, although it is more common to talk about jealousy in dogs, there are studies that use this term[1] [2] (although of course much discussed), there is no publication of clinical ethology in domestic felines, so it would be a very imprecise term even today.
Still, many owners say that their animals experience jealousy. In fact, a study that collected the behaviors of various domestic animals pointed out the similarity between them, also evidencing the existence of secondary emotions in animals that are not primates [3]
Symptoms of a jealous cat
Without scientific studies that can support the existence of jealousy in domestic felines, it is difficult to find a pattern of behavior that can alert us to the appearance of jealousy in cats, however, if we look at those frequent behaviors in dogs or horses, we highlight the following.
The jealous cat and his behavior
- The cat seeks the attention of the "reference figure" regularly.
- Pay attention to the socialization of the "reference figure" and the "social rival".
- Interrupts the relationship between the "reference figure" and the "social rival".
- Gives negative calming signals or even shows aggressiveness towards the "social rival".
Why are cats jealous?
What we can perceive as jealousy in cats may actually be various behavioral problems caused by a poor socialization of the puppy cat, the appearance of fears due to negative experiences or territoriality, among others. But, assuming that cats are jealous, below we will talk in more detail about the frequent situations that can cause cats to show "jealousy" to a third party and what should we do:
- Cat Jealous of Baby: Pregnancy and the birth of a baby leads to a significant loss of attention from the "valued social partner "In addition, many parents often scold their felines when they approach the newborn with curiosity, which often leads to a negative association with the baby. It is essential to avoid punishment, fights or shouting on these occasions.
- Cat jealous of the couple: many people notice that the cat is jealous of the boyfriend or girlfriend, but in this case we talk of a situation that usually causes a certain "funny" so they unconsciously encourage it, something not only not recommended, but even dangerous.
- Cat jealous of another cat: We have previously explained that cats are solitary animals, but you should also know that they are very territorial. For this reason, the adaptation of a new individual in the home is usually complicated when one of the felines is in its adult stage. Different negative behaviors may appear such as aggressiveness, marking surfaces, fear or depression.
- Cat jealous of a dog: Especially in cats that have not been socialized with dogs in their early stages, adopting a canine is often cause a lot of stress, because the lack of knowledge of the body language typical of this species added to its large size causes, once again, fear, depression or aggressiveness among other behavioral problems.
Now we know how to identify the causes and symptoms of "jealousy in cats", however, what should we do when they occur? In the next section we will talk about it.
How to deal with a jealous cat?
Many people don't know what to do with a jealous cat, is it your case too? To begin with, especially if we are talking about a cat jealous of a baby, it will be essential to take the relevant safety measures to prevent the cat from scratching the little one. We will prevent the feline from having access to the baby's room.
In milder cats we can try to work with the cat ourselves, trying to positiveize the presence of the "social rival", making its appearance translate as pleasant experiencesWe can use tasty treats, caresses or kind words. It is also possible to apply calming pheromones to improve their well-being through applicators or collars. In the event that it gets upset, we will try to calm the jealous cat by leaving it alone, thus providing calm and security.
However, in the most serious cases, it will be essential to go to a veterinarian specialized in ethology, the social figure of reference that can help us diagnose a behavior problem in the cat, offer management guidelines and even perform behavior modification sessions.
