ASHEVILLE-MAY2021-WEB

Is Your Cat Jealous
of A New Puppy?
Adopting a puppy can be an exciting experience!
However, introducing a puppy into your household when
you already have a kitty can be challenging.
If your cat is used to being your only pet, they’ll
probably have trouble adjusting to a new animal in the
house. Since dogs and cats are completely different
species, they need time to figure out how to peacefully live
with one another.
Cats, in particular, can be extremely territorial. Bringing
a new puppy into the house is a stressful experience for
most cats. Your cat may act uncharacteristically out of fear
and jealousy.
Introducing a new puppy
The way you introduce a new puppy in the house can
reduce your cat’s jealousy. A slow introduction allows both
the puppy and the cat to get used to one another. To do
this, place the puppy in a room with the door closed. Give
something that smells like the puppy to the cat, and
something that smells like the cat to the puppy. This helps
them get used to each other’s scents.
After a day or two, switch the cat and the puppy so
they can sniff around each other’s areas. Once they seem
to accept each other’s scents, replace the door with a
baby gate. This way, they can see each other but not
directly interact.
If either one of them acts aggressively towards the
other, remove them from the sight of the other. If the
puppy is calm, praise the puppy for good behavior.
Once they accept the sight of one another, start
allowing them to be in the same room together. Supervise
the initial interactions and intervene if necessary. You can
also provide a high perch for your cat to help them feel
safe.
Signs Your Cat is Jealous
Even if you introduce a puppy slowly, a cat still might
exhibit signs of jealousy. Keep a careful eye on your kitty
in the weeks after introducing a puppy. The most obvious
signs of jealousy is if your cat is acting aggressively
towards the puppy, even if the puppy isn’t interacting with
the cat. They might hiss, bite, or scratch.
Your cat might destroy furniture, knock items off of
tables, or claw your curtains. If you pay attention to the
puppy, your cat might try to get your attention by getting
on your lap or standing in front of the puppy. An extremely
jealous cat might even start urinating outside of the litter
box. Even if the box is completely clean, your kitty might
tinkle beside it or spray the wall.
There are several reasons why your cat might be
acting out like this. They might not appreciate the
change in routine or they might feel like they’re not
getting enough attention. Some cats also dislike having
their personal space invaded by a new animal and acting
destructively allows them to show their displeasure.
Helping a Jealous Cat
The best way to help a jealous cat is to recognize their
jealousy before the behavior becomes a habit. As soon as
you realize your cat is jealous, figure out what the trigger
is and find a solution.
You may unintentionally be spending more time with
the puppy than with the cat. To resolve this, make sure
you spend equal time with the puppy and the cat. You
may even need to spend more time with your cat than
the puppy, at least until the cat has adjusted. Make sure
you’re providing proper care to both the cat and the puppy
during this transition.
Another trigger is they feel like they’ve lost personal
space. If the puppy is taking over the house, you may
need to find a way to create a space that only belongs to
your cat. High perches that the puppy can’t get on are a
good solution. You can also block off a doorway in a way
that allows your cat to get through but not your puppy. You
can also consider keeping them in separate rooms at night
to give your cat a break from the puppy.
In the end, if your cat is jealous of your new puppy,
don’t expect them to be best friends—although over time,
you might be surprised how well they adjust. However, if
you spend time making sure that both the puppy and the
cat get adequate attention and that your cat has a private
area where it can retreat, they may slowly learn how to
live with one another.
Every day Americans use
500 million plastic straws.
Straws are on the top 10
list of marine debris items
collected during the
International Coastal
Cleanup. They have been
found stuck in sea turtles’
noses and in seabirds’
stomachs - proving to be
deadly.
If plastic continues to infect
our ocean, it’s estimated
that by 2050 every seabird
will have plastic in its
stomach and there will
be more plastic in the
CRITTER MAGAZINE • MAY 2021 • PAGE 9