I remember when my friend Sara brought home a fluffy golden retriever puppy, thinking her tabby cat, Milo, would instantly have a new best friend. At first, Milo watched from the top of his cat tree—ears twitching, tail flicking slowly. It wasn’t the relaxed kind of tail flick either; it was that sharp, whip-like motion that screamed, I’m not thrilled about this.
Over the next week, Sara noticed little things. Whenever she sat on the couch cuddling the puppy, Milo would suddenly wedge himself between them or start meowing loudly, almost as if saying, Hey, remember me?. Sometimes he’d “accidentally” knock the puppy’s toys under the sofa or sprawl right in the middle of the puppy’s bed, glaring at him.
That’s when Sara realized—this wasn’t just two pets not getting along. This was Milo feeling left out, craving the attention he used to have all to himself. True dislike often comes with avoidance and territorial hissing, but jealousy? That’s when your cat tries to insert themselves into every moment, like a furry little reminder that they still want to be your number one.