Cat just started acting mean

Question
My 3 year old cat (Jack), the love of my life, just started growling & swiping at me when I walk by him. I just got a kitten a couple of months ago. Could he be mad at me for that? I am already attached to the kitten & I don't want to get rid of it. What can I do? I have always been able to hold Jack & pet him, but now he won't let me touch him.  

Answer
I doubt Jack is mad at you.  Remember that they don't think like us.  But it is extremely possible that he may not like the new kitten.  The social dynamics of cats can be extremely complicated - they generally do not like having new cats brought into the household, and they can be slow to accept a new member.  If he is not neutered, I definitely recommend it because that can help diminish aggression.  Another possibility is that something is physically wrong with him.  When animals are painful they get grouchy just like us...and very defensive since instinct tells them they are vulnerable to predators.  Behavioral issues are often the result of physical ones - it wouldn't hurt for him to have a physical.  If it is just a behavioral issue there is a product on the market called Fel-o-way.  It comes as a diffuser or spray and is very similar to the phermones of the mother cat.  If you put the diffuser in the area Jack is in the most, the pheromones usually have a claming effect on them.  Bear in mind that it can take up to a month to see results however.

Amanda