It is said that Ancient Egyptians worshiped cats, and if so, they certainly may have been jealous gods. Cats are not inherently jealous creatures – no more than humans are – but if they feel as if an important relationship is being intruded upon, they can and will become jealous. A new pet, a new child, a new job or a new relationship may all be causes of your cat feeling as if they are being neglected. In some cases, the cat is merely bored and angry with you- as in the case of a new job when you’re suddenly not around very much, and sometimes it is a pure case of being visited by the green eyed monster- such as when you start cuddling up with your partner or spouse instead of the cat.
How can you tell if a cat is jealous? If the animal is outgoing by nature, it will probably let you know that it’s upset. It may hiss or act aggressively toward the party it objects to. It might start spraying to mark its territory. (Note: Spraying usually ends up on all the wall; urination on the floor. One is psychological, one is often physical/medical in nature.) Cats that are quieter in nature may stop eating, have litter box issues, or start acting needier and more attention-seeking than normal.
If your cat is jealous, there is one main solution: make sure that you’re spending time with the cat. It’s easy to get all wrapped up in our lives and forget how much of our cats’ lives revolve around us and our schedule. Ensure that the cat is getting enough attention and that you’ve not taken away something important- such as moving their bed to a different room of the house, no longer allowing them in your bedroom, etc.
