As with humans, cats can be jealous and very possessive of their guardians. Although some people see jealousy as a demonstration of love, the truth is that a possessive cat can be a risk to himself, his guardians and the other people around you. Many times we see that a possessive feline becomes aggressive or hides when visitors arrive, or when a new family member is not properly introduced before entering their territory, which makes a he althy coexistence in the home impossible.
Do you feel that your cat is jealous and does not want to share your attention with others? So, we invite you to continue reading this article on our site to find out what to do if your cat is very possessive of you.
Why are cats possessive of their owners?
To answer this question we can think of human behavior itself. When a person is jealous of someone, it is usually a sign that they are afraid of losing their attentionor being replaced by someone else, by a work or for a pet. This means that the arrival of a new individual is not seen as an opportunity to share new and better moments, but as a possible threat to the stable relationship that existed before this arrival. This fear of losing causes one person to become possessive in relation to the other, rejecting the possibility of sharing it with other individuals.
Like humans, cats can be possessive of their guardians, not wanting to share their affection and fun times with other individuals. However, the feeling of jealousy as such is typical of humans, in the animal world this behavior is defined as protection of resources because they protect what they consider to be of your property. Why? First, because felines cling to a routine as a way to preserve their well-being and avoid dangerous or unpleasant situations. A cat's routine includes not only its habits, environment and schedules, but also the people and animals that make up its environment If a cat is used to living alone with his guardian, can be very "jealous" with the arrival of a new kitten or a new person to the family, and we say jealous in quotes because the animal does not feel jealousy as we humans understand it. As we said, the possibility that a new individual alters the stability of its territory generates a natural rejection in cats. Not because of evil or lack of character, but because of a survival instinct inherent in all species. In this way, it is not that the animal feels jealous as such of other people or animals, it understands that its guardian is its resource, it wants its attention and affection only for itself, and to maintain it it has the need to defend it.
Resource protection occurs, above all, with cats that have not been properly socialized and, therefore, have not had the opportunity to learn to relate positively with other individuals, with their toys and accessories, and also with their own territory. When they are suddenly exposed to coexistence with an unknown being, without a previous introduction, they will feel that their space is being invaded and they will immediately reject the presence of this new family member.
On the other hand, a cat may feel left out if its guardian stops paying attention to it to focus more on another feline or another person. Unfortunately, this behavior is very common in couples who decide to have a child. As a child requires a lot of care and requires constant attention from their parents, it is common for guardians to reduce the time they spend with their kittens. So, the cat relates the arrival of this unknown individual with a break in the stable relationship that he had with his human, which generates a significant rejection. For this reason, we recommend consulting the article on "Coexistence between the cat and the baby" to learn how to carry out a correct introduction.
How to recognize a possessive cat?
Cats mostly use their body language to express their feelings and perceptions. Therefore, by having protection of resources or feeling possessive of their guardians, they will show these states of mind through their postures and behavior. To know if your cat is possessive of you, you can pay attention to the following signs:
- Mood Alterations: the cat may be depressed when feeling abandoned by its guardians, or develop a certain hyperactivity to capture the attention of your humans and invite them to play.
- Behavior problems: a possessive cat with its owner may be aggressivewith other people or animals, and explicitly express their rejection. If you have visitors and your cat is possessive of you, he may also hide and refuse to come out until strangers leave, for example. On the other hand, if you abruptly introduce a new member into the household, your kitty may be more irritated or anxious , spend a lot of time hiding or isolate himself from living together, lose interest in their toys, following their guardians around the home, meowing excessively, being aggressive towards a new animal, etc. To prevent this from happening, don't miss the article on "How to introduce your cat to another cat". Likewise, if it already happens, the tips in the post will also help you reverse the situation and restore stability to your possessive feline.
What to do if my cat is very possessive of me?
When we talk about a possessive cat, we must follow the same basic rule that we use for diseases: prevention is better than cure. If you want to prevent your cat from being possessive of you and his territory, it is essential that you socialize him early. During their childhood, kittens form their notions of coexistence and their character is more flexible, which facilitates their education. For this reason, the ideal is to socialize your kitty in his first months of life, after completing his first cycle of vaccination and deworming. However, if you adopted an adult kitten, you can also count on our tips on how to socialize an adult cat.
If you decide to adopt a new kitten, it is essential that you prepare your cat for his arrival and present them correctly before imposing a daily coexistence on them, as we said in the previous section. It is also essential that you prepare your home to receive your new member. Thus, the new cat must have its own toys, water bowl, feeder and sandbox, with its own space where it feels safe to develop and adapt to its new home. Remember to make no difference in the tract you give your cats: spend equal time playing with both of them and reward both for good behavior.
On the other hand, if you intend to start living with another person, or if you decide to have a child, you must correctly introduce your feline to the new members. In addition, it is crucial that you don't stop playing and giving affection to your cat for the arrival of a new family member. We know that a child is an unconditional love that deserves all our dedication and needs a lot of care to guarantee their he alth, well-being and education. However, our kittens must also feel part of the new family, and they do not deserve to be away from the happiness and love that the arrival of a baby at home or the formation of a new couple means. Therefore, always remember to dedicate your time to creating and enjoying quality moments with your animals.
If you notice that your cat is becoming aggressive and continues to be excessively possessive of you, you should go to a veterinarian specializing in feline ethology By On the one hand, it will be important to rule out any pathological cause that may be causing alterations in the behavior of your cat; on the other, it will be essential to have the guidance of an ethologist to establish specific guidelines in the treatment of your cat's problems.
