Do Cats Get Jealous – 7 Signs Explaining Your Cats Attitude

You came back home happy after a good day at work. You decided to have some fun with your cute feline; out of the blues, something else caught your attention. This made you neglect your cat for a while. But you observed your cat was acting strangely because you neglected him for a couple of hours. You and your cat seem to share a particular sort of connection that is difficult to describe. But this singular action of your cat makes you wonder; do cats get jealous?

Yes, cats do get jealous. Cats express jealousy through anger, fighting, aloofness, and dominating behaviors to other pets and humans. Frequent exclusion will trigger jealousy in cats.

In this article, we will discuss signs to watch out for to know a cat is jealous. We’ll also supply answers to various frequently asked questions about cats and jealousy. Stay glued to your screen as we explore different reasons why cats get jealous.

How Can You Tell If A Cat Is Jealous

Cats are not so easy to understand. The reason for this is not far-fetched. Cats are aloof and quiet by nature. A person needs to be overly observant to understand them fully.

When a cat is angry or happy, they give off subtle signs. So it is now up to you to know what those signs mean. We will examine seven common signs cats express to show they are jealous. The signs include:

● They become aggressive

● Unusual clingy behavior

● Scratching

● Using the floor instead of the litter box

● Hiding

● Not making eye contact

● Hissing and howling

Let’s jump into each of these signs in more detail so you can see just how they can impact your cats behavior over time.

They Become Aggressive

Cats become aggressive for different reasons. Jealousy is a big part of the core reasons they become aggressive. This is especially true if there are multiple cats in your home.

For example, if you have two cats in your home, the two cats may suddenly become jealous of each other to the extent of developing a hatred for themselves.

As you know, hatred breeds violence. The older cat is usually the more aggressive one. He might engage in some destructive behaviors around the home. By being aggressive, they show dominance over other cats and the environment.

Unusual Clingy Behavior

Another subtle way cats express jealousy is by being unusually clingy. We quite know it is not uncommon for a jealous partner in a real human relationship to become clingy.

In the same sense, when cats are jealous, they become unusually clingy. If you own a cat and you aren’t giving him the required attention as before, he might become clingy trying to win your attention. So, unusual clingy behavior is another sign of jealousy to watch out for in cats.

Scratching

Cats have different personality traits. When they are jealous, these traits come to the fore. Scratching in cats can either result from jealousy, miscommunication, or it can simply be a learned behavior.

Cats might scratch when you try to change their position or even move them. Scratching is a way they register their unhappiness. If not quickly checked, excessive scratching could damage a lot of household items.

To deal with the scratching issue in cats, you may consider getting a scratching box.

Using The Floor Instead Of The Litter Box

Cats are clean by default. They are wired to keep their living environment clean. We love them because of this. On the flip side, when cats are unhappy or jealous, they might register their displeasure by defecating on the floor instead of the litter box.

Without a doubt, it can be so frustrating when cats use the floor instead of the litter box because we know them to be very clean.

Cats might not use the litter to spite their owners, but you should be on guard; not using the litter box could be a pointer to other serious illnesses. When you observe any strange behavior from your cat, take him to the vet for a medical checkup.

Hiding

Hiding is another classic behavior cats exhibit when they are jealous. The hiding would be more glaring if your feline is known to be quiet by nature before turning jealous.

Apart from hiding from everyone, some jealous cats also abandon their meals. You can manage this unruly behavior of your cat by sticking to the normal routines you have with your cat. Different things might be responsible for the jealous nature of your cat.

The most common reason they get jealous is when their owner pays more attention to other pets. You should endeavor to make your cat feel loved at all times by giving him the required attention.

Not Making Eye Contact

Many cats are naturally shy because of their nature. They find it hard to make eye contact with strangers and even their owners at times. If your cat suddenly stops making eye contact, it might be as a result of jealousy.

A lot of cats also feel threatened when we look directly into their eyes. We also observed that cats that lack proper socialization tend to get more jealous.

They usually find it hard to make eye contact with people. On the other hand, if your cat is not timid, he can sometimes make aggressive eye contact when jealous.

Hissing And Growling

Hissing and growling are some of the classic signs of a jealous cat. When a cat is jealous, he may start to growl and hiss at everything. A cat that growls and hisses when being jealous is likely to be aggressive.

Often, hissing and growling are considered warning signs in cats before they launch aggression. Experts concluded that a cat is likely to hiss or growl when they feel threatened or scared.

The bottom line is that whenever you observe your cat hissing intermittently, know something is entirely wrong with your cat.

Do Cats Get Jealous Of Significant Others

Yes, they do! When you neglect your cat for your significant other, your cat might become very jealous. He might become suddenly clingy by attempting to sit on your laps.

If your cat is the aggressive type, he may start biting and scratching your body. By doing this, he’s trying to pass you a message like: Hey buddy! I want some attention too! Such an action from your cat can be very frustrating!

We can not blame them for such actions; they are territorial by nature. They don’t want any significant other to take up their space. A jealous cat can be very destructive, so it is paramount for you to find ways to stop this unruly behavior of your cat.

To stop this jealous behavior, you should find out why your feline feels jealous after finding out why you would be better able to help him.

Do Cats Get Jealous Of Their Siblings

Cats get jealous of their siblings; it is quite common for them. From our findings, cat siblings tend to get along better than bringing an unknown cat into the home.

Although cat siblings get along, they still become jealous of themselves. This can happen if you are giving undue attention to one over the other. Cats share some similarities with humans; unfortunately, jealousy is part of those attributes.

Furthermore, cat siblings have different personalities, which may affect the way they get along. Cats are domineering and territorial. They often fight to protect the territory they believe is theirs. It is also common for the other siblings to be jealous of the authoritative one.

Do Cats Get Jealous Of Phones

Cats are very jealous when their owners get on the phone. Cats are the kind of pets that hate anything that would compete with the love and attention they get from their owners.

Cats, by default, are very smart. If you’re on a phone call with your feline alone in the room and he observes you talking, he would become jealous because you ain’t giving him the needed time and attention.

To deal with this jealousy, it is quite common for cats to sit on their owners’ laps while on a phone call. Cats owners are fond of unknowingly stroking their felines while on call, thereby reinforcing this jealousy-induced behavior of cats.

One way to prevent your cat from disturbing you while on a phone call is to distract him with a toy.

Do Cats Get Jealous Of Kittens

Cats certainly get jealous of new kittens, especially when they feel they ain’t getting the attention and care they are used to. It is not uncommon for a cat owner to get a kitten to be a companion to the older cat.

As we pointed out earlier, cats naturally form their hierarchy. Therefore, an older cat might see a kitten as a threat. The older cat might become jealous because the kitten is getting all the attention.

On the positive side, the jealousy of an older cat is often short-lived. As time goes on, the older cat would accept the kitten as part of the family. When there is a new kitten with an older cat around the house, the relationship between the two might be cold initially, but it usually ends well.

Do Cats Get Jealous Of A New Cat

Cats get jealous of a new cat, mainly if the new cat is an entirely different breed. We are all aware that cats are not as social as some other pets. But Scientists observed that cats are very social among their groups.

Cat groups consist of cats that belong to the same family. Thus, any new cat that doesn’t belong to their family group is viewed as a threat. Jealousy breeds if you then decide to give special attention to the new cat over the older one.

Cats are sort of pet that is not looking for new companions. They are just cool on their own. They love and cherish their privacy. We should not blame them for this behavior; it’s just normal for them.

You can watch out for some signs to know whether your feline can tolerate another cat in the house. We observed that playful cats tend to get along with other cats.

Are Cats Jealous Of Their Owners

The answer to this question depends on how much attention the owner is giving to his cat. If a cat owner is spending enough quality time with his cat, a cat has no reason to be jealous.

But if otherwise is the case, a cat can become jealous. If you own a feline, you should know they understand what is going on around them. If you previously used to spend enough time with your cat showing him care and attention, you found a new job gulping a lot of your time.

Because of this scenario, a dog can become jealous or even resentful in extreme cases! A seemingly playful cat might start to sulk when you are around. Another common sign is that he may become aggressive towards you, biting your fingers or even swatting at you.

How Do I Stop My Cat From Being Jealous

One of the most effective ways to stop your cat from being jealous is not to reward his jealousy-induced actions. Not rewarding his actions means standing up to him or not giving in to his demands when expressing jealous actions.

If your cat is not the aggressive type, you can easily distract him with a toy or move him entirely to a new location. But if your dog is the aggressive type, some practical steps need to be taken to stop your cat from being jealous. These steps include:

● If your cat expresses jealousy and clingy behavior by suddenly jumping on you, don’t pet him or rub his back; let him fall back to the floor.

● Offer your feline some treats to encourage nonaggressive behavior.

● Refrain from giving your cat catnips

● If the jealousy-induced aggression of your cat is getting worse by the day, you should schedule a meeting with a vet.

One other thing that could be done to deal with jealousy in cats is that owners of cats should subtly affirm the dominance and hierarchy of their felines if territorial issues are the cause of undue jealousy.

A simple, practical step to follow in this aspect is to feed the older cat before the younger one. This practically drives a mental message to the older cat’s head that he’s still the boss!