Can cats get jealous????

Question

My cat is always attacking my daughter, and I think its because my cat is jealous of my daughter...When my daughter is laying in my bed watching TV the cat will jump up and attack her, (attack her meaning bites her legs,arms,and feet ) everytime my daughter goes in and out my room the cat will attack her, oh..and when she's eating in the kitchen the cat will attack her...Its frustrating because she LOVES the cat and has ALWAYS treated the cat kindly and has never did anything to hurt the cat...... my cat is 8 months and my daughter is 5 years old ..she just sits and cries after she has been attacked and when I try to punish the cat she runs and hides..I've had this cat since it was born

Thank You guys for your response's.. I will try spraying the cat with a water bottle and I will also teach my daughter to do the same, And I keep my cats bowl with food so I know its not a hunger problem


Also, I have gotten really upset with Precious <---(cats name) because of the attacks ....To see my daughter sit and cry would really upset me so I have an attitude towards Precious and I know thats not right....Now that I'm typin this I feel even worse But I'm a mother first and then a pet owner so its only natural for me to feel this way ...

Also, no I havnt changed ( soap, lotion, ect) anything about my daughter ..the only thing is I got a new bedroom set and my daughter STAYS in my room
she watches TV, does her homework and sleeps in my room I MEAN SHE COMPLETELY has taken over my bedroom..and thats when Precious started with the biting

Answer 1

Yes, cats are not only jealous but they are possessive and it sounds like the cat has decided that you are its private property and that your daughter is the interloper for some reason.

Hate to say this but what about bribery? Your daughter could be the only one to offer the cat treats and hopefully the cat will learn to accept your daughter as a means to a treat. Make sure that you stand close to intervene in case of attack, and plan on moving quickly. Cats learn fast and should associate the treat with you daughter only. Hopefully she will succeed in becoming the cat's best friend.

I do have a question though, have you changed anything of your daughter's like bath soap or shampoo?

Answer 2

Yes. Cats choose the owner, not the owner choosing the cat. You have bonded with your pet, and your daughter is the "other person" All you can do is teach your can to not harm your daughter with a series of behavor modifications, when she attacks have a wistle or a bottle with some rocks in it, shake it when she is doing what she shouldnt but make sure you dont wait to long, you have 20 seconds so that she can associate the crime with the punnishment. When you hit an animal they fear you, not the act they do, so you are getting no where but animal crulety. Make sure that you do not hit, kick, or throw things. Another thing you can do is squirt the cat with water. ONLY water, nothing mixed. Show your daughter these tricks too, so that you dont have to shadow her all the time, it will help, it will take time, good luck to you.

Answer 3

Yes, cats get jealous and possessive. My daughter's cat treats me in the same way your daughter is being treated. I love animals and have had cats and dogs through the years. But I have never meet a cat like Oscar. The spraying with water is a good suggestion until, hopefully the cat learns to behave around your daughter. However, I am sure you know no situation can be Forced with a cat.

Answer 4

Sure a cat can get jealous, maybe moreso than any other domesticated pet (and I've owned LOTS of different pets). My cats even get jealous of the 9 foot snake and will taunt it! Mind you the reptile wins in these instances...they don't care, the taunting continues.

Now, all this being said, this is an 8 month old cat...this is the playful years of its life! Playtime for a cat is often very rough and tumble stuff. Its not ridiculous for 2 cats to try and rip each others belly's open in one moment and be sleeping in a pile of fur together the next. It's quite possible that the cat loves your daughter and just wants to prowl and play with her. I've had cats that LOVED to sneak up and bite the hell out of my ankles as part of their daily work out regime (honestly I helped train him in human hunting and would hunt him as well). Cat still loved hanging out on my lap when things were quiet.

My advice would be to get another cat about the same age...if its jealous, believe me the new cat will be the target of aggression and they'll work it out just fine. If its just a rough playing kitty, the new one will defend itself just fine and dig the playtime too. To deter the human hunting tendancies, certainly use any means you have to to keep it from hurting your daughter (presuming that it is actually hurting her and not play biting etc)...water guns, yelling, loud noises pots and pans, stern discussions by the scruff of the neck...etc

good luck!

Answer 5

I don't believe a cat feel will feel jealous towards a human being it's known its entire life. Eight months is young for a cat; they are technically still kittens until they're a year old, and this is typical kitten behavior. She WILL outgrow this, but in the meantime, arm your daughter with a squirt bottle filled with plain water. If you can teach your daughter to hiss loudly at your cat, even better; kittens often respond better to their own language than ours.
Be sure to provide your kitten with plenty of toys that she can use for an outlet for rough play, especially catnip-infused ones; a cat tree or perch will also provide a great deal of entertainment.

Answer 6

I don't think your kitten is jealous of your daughter. I think the kitten just wants to play!You don't say your kittens name.You say you treat the kitten kindly but not kind enough to call her by name. I get the felling you don't like the kitten. At 8 months it's time to be spayed or neutered. Please just a little spray of water for the kitten.I don't know what you are doing to punish her but a little squirt of water and simply say "No!" Unless you can learn to like the cat a little better( it's way to obvious you don't like or understand the cat.) and know that the cat is just a kitten wanting to play I'd find her a new home. My cat's name is Mia. I love cats. I've owned cats all of my life.

Answer 7

cats certainly are jealous creatures - i have 3, and when im petting one (i mean really i only have two hands!) the other 2 get seriously jealous and will attack the one im petting. as for your cat being jealous of your daughter, forsure! it definitely doesnt sound like your daughter did anything to the cat. call your vet and see if they have any disciplinary suggestions. most vets usually reccommend a squirting water bottle or something (no harm to cats they just dont enjoy getting splashed in the face with water haha) instead of locking them into a room or something (slightly cruel). see what works for you but hopefully he'll get over it.

Answer 8

Cats are very territorial inspite of their proprietors. Cats take approximately 2 weeks to settle right into a sparkling enviroment your old cat won't take kindly to this. They quickly quiet down yet their character transformations some what. Cats love their human mothers and dads.

Answer 9

Yes, cats can be jealous. I must tell you that my cat attacks when he is slightly hungry, though. Try feeding him more when he is in a naughty mood, but not immediately, because he must not be rewarded for attacking. Also, 6-12 months kittens are very naughty, that stops gradually as they get older. But you must also not let the cat attack her, he must not learn he is higher in hierarchy than her.

Answer 10

Yes cats can get jelous! They will only get jelous if you are not giving them a lot of attention. Cats love to have attention. They love to spend time with people but if you are spending less time with your act then she is getting a little jelous,angry and upset. You need to give a cat a lot of attention!