claim: cat can be jealous

Question

Cat can get jealous and present aggressive behaviors when their resources are spilt by newcomers or receive a lack of attention from the owner. Jealousy can be defined as an emotion of insecurity.

https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/do-cats-get-jealous

Comments

Cats have a very wide range of emotions, including jealousy, so this claim is true. Along with feeling love for their owners, cats can also feel jealous of other pets or people. Similar to humans, when cats find “their person” they grow a strong bond with them. So, if another cat impedes on their territory, or interacts with their human, the feline companion can become hostile. For instance, some cats dislike when their owners have another cat’s scent on them. But felines all have different personalities, and some get more “jealous” than others.

Based on an article by PetMD, many animal behaviorists agree that cats “do show a form of jealousy,” but that it is different from the way that humans feel envy. For humans, envy is when we feel resentful of someone else, maybe because their lives appear more glamorous, they have better belongings, and so on. While humans may become more reserved when they’re jealous of a person or of a relationship, jealousy in cats “presents as aggression.”

Cats have egos, and they don’t like their status to be shaken. When they sense another cat trying to take control, they react harshly. This form of jealousy is somewhat similar to our own, but felt in a different way. According to Kinship, another sign of jealousy could be destruction, such as knocking over objects or biting. Additionally, as stated by Cats.com, kitties can “get jealous of other cats’ meals.”

Overall, it’s important to show your cat lots of affection so they don’t feel left out, and take out their anger on you or other pets. However, since jealousy is such a complex emotion, it can be difficult to understand to what extent cats may experience it.

Sources;
https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/do-cats-get-jealous

https://www.kinship.com/cat-behavior/jealousy-in-cats#:~:text=Some%20jealous%20cats%20never%20behave,what%20you%20are%20working%20on.

https://cats.com/do-cats-get-jealous-of-other-cats

Answer 1

True. According to an article by Spruce Cats, cats can indeed get jealous. You can tell if a cat is jealous if they show signs of hissing, swatting, growling, excessive scratching or biting, and urinating outside the litter box. Although these can be signs of something else if done individually, a cat will do these things if in front of the thing they are jealous. 

https://www.thesprucepets.com/do-cats-get-jealous-553907

Comments

Nice job adding a rating and then providing supporting evidence and a detailed explanation. Great work.

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This was a great and quick fact-check. I appreciate that you got straight to the point and included a list of behaviors to look out for in addition to the source you provided as well. This was quick and easy to read, I appreciate this fact-check.

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Great job I think you did a great job going into detail on the ways that a person can tell if a cat is jealous your description on the ways a cat shows signs is nice.

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I loved this response... but to be honest, I think it's partially because the claim turns out to be true. I believe it would be helpful to talk about biological or scientific reasons why this is true. You listed signs of jealousy, but it would be interesting ti see if there are specific hormones or brain responses that can prove this claim as well.

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I think this is a great fact-check. I like the examples you used of cats getting jealous, and also thought that you used a good source to back up your ideas.

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Thank you for expanding on this claim with justifying evidence. I think its important to expand on the specific behaviors and reasons why cats exhibit jealous behavior. In addition to this explanation, the source you used was good and I think while this claim is situational, it provides good insight to cat owners.

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This is a great way of further backing up the source. You used another article that's reviews cat's jealousy actions, and backed it up with details stated from the article. You did only use one other source, are there any other articles or data that would also back it up with further evidence?

Answer 2

This claim is true. An article by Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-modern-heart/202202/do-cats-get-jealous) cites a 2020 study conducted by Benoit Bucher et al. at Kyoto University that determined whether a “primitive form of jealousy can be observed in domesticated cats”, based on behavioral study (https://www.uco.es/ucopress/ojs/index.php/pet/article/view/12176). The study involved introducing “social rivals” such as pillows or toys and paying more attention to this new rival than the cat. Based on multiple trials, while cats showed little distress, they did form a significant bond with their owner. 

However, cats express more volatile and visible forms of jealousy when those social rivals are other cats, as evidenced by an article by petMD (https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/do-cats-get-jealous), which suggests that “cats can become jealous and stressed for several different reasons that have to do with being insecure in some way. Insecurities can arise anytime there are big changes in a household and your cat doesn’t feel in control”, and stresses that close proximity, territory disputes, attention, and hogging of resources are cause for jealousy and aggression. 

Comments

I like the three sources that you used to back up your statement. However, I am curious why you used PETMD and psychology today as sources. From what it seems they are not that reliable of sources. I understand they can be truthful but not always.

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Very good fact-check! You included multiple sources to the evidence of the claim and gave a great explanation to where it came from. Next time I would look for the strongest, most credible sources you can find.

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This was a great fact check. I liked that you found a lot of sources instead of going off of just one. I think possibly finding more credible sources would help prove it, but the sources you found definitely seem reliable.

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Good fact-check. Using expiremental data to debunk a scientific cliam is the best way to do so. I love how you used multiple sources and data that prove the truth behind your fact-check

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I think you did a great job fact-checking and including multiple sources. I believe that PetMD has been debunked as not a reputable source, but other than that I think this was good.

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Thank you for the thorough fact-check. I appreciate you including numerous different resources and ones that hold substantial credibility. However, I would have liked to see the "primitive forms of jealousy in domesticated cats" listed.

Answer 3

This claim has yet to be proven true.

In a study referenced in Psychology Today, conducted by the Pet Behaviour Science Journal, researchers found that although cats clearly form a connection with their owners, cats did not show the negative emotions or behaviors found in dogs and human infants through similar paradigms.

Unlike human infants, cats did not show stress-related behaviors. There was altogether no indication that they were distressed, which is a key aspect of jealousy.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-modern-heart/202202/do-cats-get-jealous

https://www.uco.es/ucopress/ojs/index.php/pet/article/view/12176

Comments

I like how you used sources. However, what made you decide on psychology today? What makes them the most credible on this topic? However, I do agree with your fact-check. I wonder if there are any more sources related explicitly to cats you can use.

Answer 4

Yes, according to Catalogical.com, cats can become jealous if they feel as though their territory is being invaded. Jealousy may arise if a cat witnesses another cat, dog or other animal receiving more attention from their owner, than the cat itself. Also, if the owner is paying more attention to another human, the cat may also develop a sense of jealousy. Feline jealousy may vary depending on the type of "cat's personality and temper." The cat may become insecure due to this jealousy developed from a lack of bonding, socialization and attention. Aggression, depression and fawning of the cat are all possible reactions from this jealousy. If a cat feels a lack of attention and the owner is having a difficult time keeping up with entertaining the feline, toys and play houses may help.

https://www.catological.com/can-cats-get-jealous/

Comments

I like that you went in depth as to the reason why cats can be jealous, but I'm curious to see if you checked any other sources and if they agree. I think this is a good start to a fact check but maybe cross check other sources too.

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This is a very detailed explanation of your claim. I am wondering if there are more reputable sources to back up your explanation and confirm its credibility.

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Thank you so much for further backing up the source. You were able to provide more evidence that contributed to the article. I'm just wondering though, why you picked Catological.com to further back your source. I searched up the websites info but it states they're a "Cat Food Database" so how can we actually trust their info on Cat's jealousy article?

Answer 5

This claim is true. Cats behave in ways that can definitely be perceived as jealous, such as biting, hissing, or scratching. Webmd and Petmd both describe and explain this behavior, but also both say that ultimately we can't tell what a pet is thinking or feeling.

https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/do-cats-get-jealous

Comments

This fact-check was concise and to the point. I also appreciate the citing of your source. However, going a little bit more in-depth or adding more effective details could make the fact-check more impactful and solid; that also includes potentially adding another source.

Answer 6

This claim is true. Cats do get jealous. According to petMD cats become stressed and jealous for many different reason. They can becomes jealous of other cats even new humans in their home they are unfamiliar with. They fear as someone/ something is taking over their "home territory". WebMD also states how cat get jealous because they have trouble differentiating is someone is genuine or a threat. 

https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/do-cats-get-jealous

https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/do-cats-get-jealous

Answer 7

The claim that cats can get jealous of things is true. According to the article written by a very credible veterinarian Sandra C. Mitchell, cats do often get jealous of things such as people or other animals. This usually happens because a cat can become insecure due to its surrounding environment, causing them to show jealous behaviors such as biting or scratching. When cats lose control over the environment, it can lead to them lashing out at their owners. Do Cats Get Jealous? | PetMD

Answer 8

The claim that cats can be jealous of human beings is somewhat of a subjective subject. According to WebMD, an article medically reviewed by Amy Flowers, DVM, says that cats can behave in ways that assert social dominance. This can be perceived as jealousy by humans. Signs of this behavior include swatting at an object, scratching, biting, or urinating and marking territory. I would say overall that this claim is true. 

https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/do-cats-get-jealous

Answer 9

TRUE. Yes, this article is true that cats can be jealous. I have found multiple articles backing up this claim and also explaining signs that a cat is jealous. Some signs are when they are aggressive or anxious so when they scratch, bite, or growl. Both of these articles also discuss that cats can act this way if there is a new pet or baby that enters the household that needs attention.

https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/behavior/cat-psychology/do-cats-get-jealous

https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/do-cats-get-jealous

Answer 10

This claim is true. While it isn't quite like how humans display it, cats can display behaviors of jealousy. According to TheWildest.com, "Any change to their routine that results in them receiving less of something they enjoy can trigger jealousy. They can also be upset by another member of the household receiving good things like food, treats, attention, and playtime." Also, adopting a new pet in the household can also cause signs of jealously. Studies do indicate that companion pets are capable of experiencing empathy and grief. Signs of jealously include hissing and growling, scratching, biting, urinating, and marking their territory. 

Comments

I appreciate you using information from an expert. The direct quote from the article was straight forward and easy to understand. Interesting how cats feel all these emotions but only out of instinct.