Cat Jealousy & Possessiveness
Jealousy and possessiveness are common traits among cats. Cats
mark their living spaces and the people in their living space with scent
glands that are in their paws and around their whiskers. They do this because
of their possessive nature, and this is also commonly referred to as being
territorial. It may appear like affection when your cat rubs his face
against you but that is actually just your cat making sure that it's known
that you are one of his possessions! This shows how important his territory
(including you) are to him!
It is not uncommon for a cat to become very attached to one person in a
household in particular and basically ignore the other people in the house. It
is also not uncommon for a cat to react very negatively when a newcomer (such
as a baby and or another cat.) And this is a sign of a cat's jealousy. A
cat reacts in this way to newcomers because he is fearful of being replaced
by the new cute and cuddly member of the household! This is why when
you bring a new member into the household it's very important to give extra
attention and treats to your "old" cat. You don't want to
hurt his feelings.
If you understand your cats emotions you'll better be able to care for him or her. Take the time to learn about your cat and how he sees the world. It's easy to think that they see things just like we do. That they are little humans and when they are rubbing up against us they are telling us how much they love us. Well maybe it's not so bad to think that. But it is important to realize how they feel about another pet coming into the house especially. Remember when they react poorly to newcomers that they are only acting that way because they don't want to be replaced. Make sure your cat knows how much you care for him or her.
