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The Myth of The Jealous Cat: Unraveling an Old Age Tale.
By Germaine Windley
For centuries, a tale as old as time has been passed down from generation to generation. It’s the story of the jealous cat, a creature supposedly so envious of a newborn baby that it would go to the lengths of suffocating the infant. This story has been told so often and so widely that it has become ingrained in our collective consciousness. But is there any truth to it? Let’s delve into the facts.
The Tale
The story usually begins with the arrival of a new baby in a household with a pet cat. The cat, once the center of attention, now finds itself sidelined. Feeling neglected and jealous, the cat supposedly attempts to suffocate the baby, often by lying on the baby’s face.
The Truth
Despite the widespread belief in this tale, there is no credible evidence to support it. According to a fact check by Snopes, the claim that cats can suffocate babies is **false**. While it’s possible for a cat to accidentally cause harm by lying too close to a baby’s face, there’s no evidence to suggest that cats do this with any malicious intent.
