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We can coexist, until you’re involved
My pets get jealous of one another. Chihiro and Cole, for all that they tolerate and even sometimes enjoy one another’s company, compete for attention. Chihiro is really only competitive for attention when a) there’s food involved, or b) someone new has come over to the house.
If someone’s visiting they’re not likely to get much time with the cats, because Chihiro is a bully. Even if she is ignoring the new person, she’ll suddenly come out and muscle the cats away if they try to come out and greet the visitor. She has to be the center of attention. Even when she’s done being the center, she won’t suffer anyone else being so. People only get to interact with the cats after they’ve been around the house for at least a few hours, because if there’s still any newness to the guests, Chihiro considers them her property.
When it’s just us around the house, however, it’s a different story. I call Chihiro the mercenary, because the main reason she comes when we call her is she thinks there might be food. Sometimes she does like the attention (especially if we’re just been out somewhere), but mostly she wants the food. Cole and Chrestomanci come when I call them; they’re not 100% reliable about it, but if they decide to come they do so because they want my attention.
Cole especially is proud of his place by my side. He’s not particularly bothered to check out or sit with anyone else. So he can be jealous of my attention. He doesn’t suffer Chrestomanci if we’re having time together; if Cole is sitting with me he sometimes swats and hisses at Chresti if Chresti tries to sit too. Even if he doesn’t get mean, he’ll leave the second Chresti tries to come up to sit. He always ends up getting displaced by Chresti, because I don’t let Cole sit with me if he’s mean to my poor chubby new kitty.
What’s funnier, however, is watching Cole be jealous of Chihiro. If I’m spending time with Chihiro, petting her and talking to her, Cole will often come around. No matter where he is in the house, he comes running up to the room. He starts crying, rubs against me, flops on his side, rolls on his belly, and does his whole cute routine. If he’s ignored, he keeps making noise for a while, either until I capitulate, or he gives up.
This week Cole was the worst. Jon wasn’t around, so I let Chihiro in my bed one night. Cole would not stand for that. Early in the morning he sat at the bottom of the stairs and cried. He cried so loudly, and for so long, that I could still hear him even with my bedroom door closed. He sort of got what he wanted: I didn’t let him in my room, but I didn’t let Chihiro sleep with me for the rest of the week.
I give my pets about equal attention. I’m very amused that they still manage to be jealous of each other. Especially because it’s not that they’re clamoring for my attention. It seems to be less about actually spending time with me, and more that they don’t like it when one of them monopolizes my time, even if at the time they weren’t asking for it.
Do your pets get jealous of one another?
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