Overheard my vet say cats don't actually get 'jealous' and it changed how I see my cats fighting

I was at the Animal Care Center in Portland last Tuesday waiting for my cat Milo's checkup and heard Dr. Harris tell someone that what looks like jealousy is really just resource guarding or anxiety. I always thought my two cats were jealous of each other when they hiss and block doorways. Now I'm looking at their squabbles differently like maybe I need more separate feeding stations or hiding spots. Has anyone else had their vet give them a totally different explanation for a behavior they thought they understood?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt51325d ago

labeling everything with one simple word instead of digging deeper" yeah that's it exactly. once I stopped calling it jealousy and started watching for who gets fed first and where the hiding spots are, it helped a ton. separate feeding stations and an extra litter box made my two stop blocking doorways for each other.

the_john25d ago

We do this with people too, labeling everything with one simple word instead of digging deeper.