Is It True That Our Pets Are Jealous If We Have A Partner?

Anyone who has a dog or a cat knows that, in general, these animals become possessive towards us and, therefore, can be jealous of other animals or humans, whether they are adults, children or babies. For this reason it is not out of place to ask if our animals are jealous of our partner as well.

Because our animals are jealous

It is obvious that everything will depend on factors such as the upbringing, the ability to socialize that the animal received, its personality and the context in which it grew up. But consider this: until your partner entered your life, your faithful friend reigned in the house and everything made him believe that you only had eyes for him.

So, it is almost normal for your dog or cat to have certain reactions to these changes. It would be logical that, with patience and affection, in a short time the animal treats your partner as an extra member of the family.

In reality, sometimes things aren’t that easy. It may happen that the partner is not used to animals and has difficulty in relating to them. Or that your pet is “sick” with jealousy and cannot accept the new situation.

Don’t despair. Perhaps you should seek professional help, starting with the vet.  However, the ideal is that sooner or later coexistence reigns in your home.

It signals that your dog is jealous of his partner

Now that we understand that both dogs and cats can get jealous of your partner, let’s see the clear signs that your pet is demonstrating this “emotional response”.

A jealous dog, in general:

• It can go so far as to bark at those who dare to take your attention away from it, from the moment it arrives until it goes away.
• He continually stands between you and your partner. Or it turns into your shadow, even if your other half isn’t there with you.
• It may even threaten to bite your “love”.
• Usually, he can also manifest jealousy by destroying objects in the house.

What to do if your pet is jealous of their partner

Given these circumstances, the best thing is not to postpone the solution and look for a way for your furry friend to begin to accept the new state of affairs. How? Get the dog to associate positive actions with the partner. For instance:

• Walks
• Caresses
• Games
• Rewards, especially food

Who knows you won’t see a change from night to morning. However, if both you and your partner insist on the problem, it is likely that your pet will eventually give in and it may seem that they will ultimately prefer their partner to you. If that happens, be careful not to get jealous!

Cats also feel jealous

Although cats are considered by many to be the most independent and distant beings of dogs, this does not exclude them from being jealous. In no way. Be sure they will react to any changes they think will cause them to lose their privileges.

A jealous cat can be recognized by becoming angry or aggressive towards your partner, just like a dog. But it can also show these signs to get your attention:

• Become territorial. He pees on walls or other vertical surfaces in the house.
• He shows himself distant, avoid eye contact with you and hides.
• Does not eat or upset the bowl.
• Clutter up the litter box or do her business straight out of the box.
• It gets loud and demanding.

Looking for good coexistence between your partner and your pet

Even in the case of cats, you will have to arm yourself with patience,  to make your pet understand that the new arrival will not be a loss for him, but a great gain.

Maybe it will take some time for your cat to understand that the caresses and attention dedicated to him will multiply (as long as your partner cooperates in this).

Coexistence between you, your pet and your partner is not impossible, although at first it might seem like it.

For this, ask for the collaboration of your “human love” and have no doubts in consulting a veterinarian  to help you manage some situations that may arise during the process of knowledge and acceptance between your pet and your partner.