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They say revenge is best served cold, but it’s also best served by someone who knows us very well. And who knows us better than our beloved fur babies? 

We love our pets unconditionally and work hard to give them the best lives possible, spoiling them with delicious treats, long walks and the most comfortable beds. But just like any child who’s been denied dessert or bitter ex-romantic partner, our pets are capable of plotting devious acts of revenge upon us. From destroying furniture to going potty where they know they shouldn’t, we’ve gathered some of the coldest examples of animal revenge down below, as well as an interview with Dr. Megan E. Maxwell, PhD, a Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist .

Be sure to upvote the photos you can’t help but laugh at and those that feature animals you find particularly brilliant, and allow this list to serve as a reminder that your precious pet is capable of being extremely petty. So the next time Spot begs for a treat or demands you let him outside after midnight, don’t be surprised if he retaliates when you say no. You’ve been warned…

Then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring just how intelligent our beloved animals are, look no further than right here!

#1

Man Kicks A Stray Dog, So The Dog Exacts Instant Revenge

Man Kicks A Stray Dog, So The Dog Exacts Instant Revenge

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#2

My Cat Couldn't Get To His Litter Box Because The Toilet Door Was Forgotten Closed At Night, So He Spilt The Litter Bag Himself And Pooped On It

My Cat Couldn't Get To His Litter Box Because The Toilet Door Was Forgotten Closed At Night, So He Spilt The Litter Bag Himself And Pooped On It

8080x Report

#3

My Mother Refused To Get Out Of Bed At 3:37 Am When I Asked For Treats, So I Climbed Up Her Bedroom Door And Got Stuck

My Mother Refused To Get Out Of Bed At 3:37 Am When I Asked For Treats, So I Climbed Up Her Bedroom Door And Got Stuck

I serenaded her with the song of my people until I was rescued.

kayleaux Report

If you’re a pet owner, you likely know that our furry (or scaly, feathery, etc.) friends can be extremely smart. They learn how to communicate with us without using words, and we find ways to understand one another’s emotions. But this intelligence can come back to bite us when our pets realize that we don’t always give them what they want. Sure, accidents happen, and especially when pets are young, they have a lot to learn. But the hilarious photos on this list seem to be a bit more like calculated revenge than honest mistakes.

To gain more insight on our naught pets and whether or not their actions that we perceive as revenge are intentional, we reached out to Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Megan E. Maxwell, PhD. While this article is all in good fun, we wanted to know if our pets are actually capable of plotting revenge against us (and if they are, should we be worried?). 

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#4

He’s On A Diet. It’s Not Going Great

He’s On A Diet. It’s Not Going Great

pickles-and-mayo Report

#5

That's What You Get For Leaving Your Dog In The Car

That's What You Get For Leaving Your Dog In The Car

reddit.com Report

#6

Princess Pamela Knocked Over Two Plants… All Because I Didn’t Feed Her The Moment I Came Home From Work

Princess Pamela Knocked Over Two Plants… All Because I Didn’t Feed Her The Moment I Came Home From Work

chezaraez Report

Lucky for all of us, Dr. Maxwell told Bored Panda that no, animals don’t consciously seek revenge. “To really carry out vengeful behavior, you need to be able to picture the future and find pleasure in the future misery or suffering of others,” she explained. “For our pets, this is much too complicated. Nonetheless, we see behavior from our pets all the time that LOOKS like revenge, but this is only because we humans put our own motivations onto pet behavior sometimes.” We shouldn’t be projecting our own emotions onto others, so let’s not do it on our pets either!

Dr. Maxwell also provided some possible explanations for why our animals might seem vengeful. “Most dogs and cats engage in destruction in the house either due to boredom and the natural enjoyment that comes from chewing things, or due to anxiety either from being home alone or from any changes that may have occurred in the pet's life that cause stress,” she noted. 

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#7

The Brown One Always Bullies The Orange One. He Finally Got Revenge

The Brown One Always Bullies The Orange One. He Finally Got Revenge

tfisher257 Report

#8

Locked My Cat In The Bathroom While I Made A Meal Because He Was Annoying. Revenge Was Had

Locked My Cat In The Bathroom While I Made A Meal Because He Was Annoying. Revenge Was Had

GreyGhostPhoto Report

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#9

This Is Whisper. Whisper Frequently Sneaks Outside, Then Gets Angry When We Don't Immediately Notice Her Absence, She Licks The Windows And Screams

This Is Whisper. Whisper Frequently Sneaks Outside, Then Gets Angry When We Don't Immediately Notice Her Absence, She Licks The Windows And Screams

bittergemini Report

To try to prevent our pets from seeking revenge (or appearing like that’s what they’re after), Dr. Maxwell provided some advice. “We should teach our pets how to be home alone calmly, and be sure to provide plenty of appropriate things for our pets to destroy to meet their chewing needs.” She also recommended trying to get to the bottom of why they are displaying destructive behavior, because it’s not actually to seek revenge. “For example, be sure all of the pet's basic needs are met, including plenty of exercise, enrichment, basic training, and socialization,” Dr. Maxwell told Bored Panda.

If you’d like to gain more insight into pet behavior and learn more from Dr. Maxwell, be sure to check out her business’ site, Pet Behavior Change, right here

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#10

The Cat Was Mad We Weren't Home To Feed Her Dinner, And Got Back At Us By Ripping Apart A Pack Of Bagels And Taking A Tiny Bite Out Of Each One

The Cat Was Mad We Weren't Home To Feed Her Dinner, And Got Back At Us By Ripping Apart A Pack Of Bagels And Taking A Tiny Bite Out Of Each One

sufficiently_sp00ked Report

#11

Cats Always Know

Cats Always Know

gavinfree Report

#12

It's Time For Revenge

It's Time For Revenge

anya_anchan Report

Thankfully, our dogs and cats aren’t as vengeful as humans often are, but they are intelligent enough to feel other emotions that might lead to them partaking in destructive behavior, including jealousy. Paul Morris, PhD, a psychologist and animal behavior expert at The University of Portsmouth in England found that dogs will consistently push in between themselves and their “rivals” to compete for attention. “All we can do is look at behavior and context,” Dr. Morris says. “Both the behavior and the contexts observed are consistent with current scientific definitions of jealousy. I suspect that a highly social species such as the dog has a very developed repertoire of social emotions.”

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#13

I Didn't Let My Cat Go Outside For A Day So He Just Broke The Cat Door. I Found Him In The Garden Looking Very Smug

I Didn't Let My Cat Go Outside For A Day So He Just Broke The Cat Door. I Found Him In The Garden Looking Very Smug

9thart Report

#14

Payback For Buying Cheap Cat Food

Payback For Buying Cheap Cat Food

allouttaupvotes Report

#15

My Cat Bites My Dad Whenever He's Paying Attention To My Mom And Not Him

My Cat Bites My Dad Whenever He's Paying Attention To My Mom And Not Him

EUOS_the_cat Report

If you’re wondering why your dog might be acting a bit off, it can be useful to be able to spot the signs of jealousy in your fur baby. They might start displaying signs of aggression towards whomever they’re jealous of, display attention seeking behavior, start sulking or even withdraw from you. If you notice this behavior in your pet and it’s unusual, your animal might be feeling insecure. To combat these negative feelings, it can be helpful to maintain routines for your dog. “Think back to what your schedule and habits were like before the new pet or person was introduced, and, whenever possible, try to reestablish that pattern,” The Dog Daily writes.  

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#16

I Told Her Off For Sitting On The Work Surface So She Did This

I Told Her Off For Sitting On The Work Surface So She Did This

katyw99 Report

#17

The Birds Had Their Revenge

The Birds Had Their Revenge

bigmnkynts Report

#18

I Wouldn’t Get Up At 6:00 Am To Feed Him So He Dragged This Bag Of Treats Into The Bathroom And Tore It Open. Merry Christmas

I Wouldn’t Get Up At 6:00 Am To Feed Him So He Dragged This Bag Of Treats Into The Bathroom And Tore It Open. Merry Christmas

Jtrev16 Report

If an animal is jealous, they might just need some extra love and affection to remind them how much you care. Give them an extra treat, take them to the park more often, and spend plenty of time playing with them. Just like humans, dogs need to be shown they are loved sometimes. It can also be useful to reinforce your dog’s basic training if their jealousy is turning into destructive patterns. “You must remain the leader, so gently show your dog who is boss by verbally scolding negative behavior as soon as it starts,” The Dog Daily says. “At the same time, reward positive behavior with sweet talk, head rubs, and treats, especially if your dog makes an effort to socialize with your new pack member.”

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#19

A Month Later, Tabby Got His Revenge

A Month Later, Tabby Got His Revenge

TepidPaella Report

#20

When You Go To The Bar And Return 2 Hours Past Your Cat's Dinner Time

When You Go To The Bar And Return 2 Hours Past Your Cat's Dinner Time

work_constantly Report

#21

Chester Is Getting Revenge For All The Times Cinnamon Has Sat On Him

Chester Is Getting Revenge For All The Times Cinnamon Has Sat On Him

emosonglyric Report

It can also be important to empathize with our pets rather than assuming they’re trying to seek revenge against us. For example, separation anxiety can be a cause for some of the behavior featured on this list. “Factors which can precipitate a separation anxiety problem include a change in the family’s schedule which result in the dog being left alone more often, a move to a new house, the death or loss of another family pet, or a period at a boarding kennel,” MSPCA explains on their site. “Separation anxiety may manifest by excessive vocalizations or house-soiling, along with destructive behavior. These behaviors are not motivated by spite or revenge, but by anxiety, and punishment will make the problem worse!”

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#22

"Put Them On A Raw Meat Diet!" They Said... This Carb-Craving Criminal Pulled The Bagels Out Of The Cupboard

"Put Them On A Raw Meat Diet!" They Said... This Carb-Craving Criminal Pulled The Bagels Out Of The Cupboard

BrentTse Report

#23

This Is Bruce. Bruce Attacked His Automatic Feeder And Then When It Would Not Feed Him, He Decided That My Bread Was Gonna Get It

This Is Bruce. Bruce Attacked His Automatic Feeder And Then When It Would Not Feed Him, He Decided That My Bread Was Gonna Get It

art-ho-vangogh Report

#24

Maggie Saw Her Moment For Revenge And Stole The Cat's Bed

Maggie Saw Her Moment For Revenge And Stole The Cat's Bed

girlwithbangs Report

MSPCA also notes that regardless of what your pets have done, it’s important to never be too hard on them. “Punishment alone rarely is effective in resolving destructive behavior problems and can make them worse,” they write. “Punishment after the fact is never appropriate. When punishment is indicated, the goal is not to punish the animal, but the behavior. This can never be accomplished with punishment after the fact. For assistance in resolving destructive and other behavior problems, once medical problems have been ruled out by your veterinarian, contact a certified applied animal behaviorist.”

#25

When Breakfast Is At 7:00 But It's 7:02 And You Still Haven't Been Fed

When Breakfast Is At 7:00 But It's 7:02 And You Still Haven't Been Fed

DukeFerdinandMaria Report

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#26

I Was Playing Video Games Instead Of Petting Him. I Deserved To Be Bitten For That

I Was Playing Video Games Instead Of Petting Him. I Deserved To Be Bitten For That

Suihime Report

#27

Stealing The iPad Is Payback For Putting Her In The Cone Of Shame

Stealing The iPad Is Payback For Putting Her In The Cone Of Shame

plantpredator Report

As humans, we often assume that we are in charge of our pets. But as these photos clearly show, they can’t always be tamed. If they’re upset or seeking revenge, nothing can stop them. Keep upvoting the photos you find hilarious (but you wouldn’t if they had happened in your household), and let us know in the comments if your pets have ever expertly gotten revenge on you. Then if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article featuring petty revenge, we recommend reading this article next!

#28

Breakfast Was Late

Breakfast Was Late

Stinky_Cat_Toes Report

#29

He Is Ignoring Me Because I Wouldn't Let Him Eat The Diarrhea-Causing Cactus

He Is Ignoring Me Because I Wouldn't Let Him Eat The Diarrhea-Causing Cactus

curryp4n Report

#30

I Pushed Her Off My Lap Because Hey, I Like "Some" Privacy In The Bathroom

I Pushed Her Off My Lap Because Hey, I Like "Some" Privacy In The Bathroom

lilia_z Report

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#31

Fat Cat Traps Yellow Lab In The Corner And Refuses To Let Him Leave Because He Drank From The Cat's Water Bowl

Fat Cat Traps Yellow Lab In The Corner And Refuses To Let Him Leave Because He Drank From The Cat's Water Bowl

bloodwolfhorrer Report

#32

The Grey Cat Was On Top Of The Black One A Few Years Ago And Now The New Kitty Is Getting Revenge By Doing The Same To The Grey One

The Grey Cat Was On Top Of The Black One A Few Years Ago And Now The New Kitty Is Getting Revenge By Doing The Same To The Grey One

BGarma Report

#33

This Is What Happens At 2 Am If You Forget To Give My Great Dane Pup All 4 Of Her Bedtime Chew Toys

This Is What Happens At 2 Am If You Forget To Give My Great Dane Pup All 4 Of Her Bedtime Chew Toys

She’s lucky she’s adorable because she’s definitely a jerk. Had to share after seeing the lab that did the same thing.

twistednwarped Report

#34

Someone Was Mad That She Couldn't Fit In The Kitty Tent

Someone Was Mad That She Couldn't Fit In The Kitty Tent

New_Satisfaction_300 Report

#35

Darth Meow's Evil Revenge After Being Locked In The Bathroom So We Could Eat In Peace

Darth Meow's Evil Revenge After Being Locked In The Bathroom So We Could Eat In Peace

Marlasirenea Report

#36

Cheech Lets You Know He Is Ready For Food By Knocking Books Off If The Bookshelf At 3 Am. This Is Him Showing No Shame In His Mess

Cheech Lets You Know He Is Ready For Food By Knocking Books Off If The Bookshelf At 3 Am. This Is Him Showing No Shame In His Mess

bonlow87 Report

#37

Sweet Sweet Revenge

Sweet Sweet Revenge

Siphion Report

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#38

Revenge For The Stolen Dog Bed

Revenge For The Stolen Dog Bed

ktrainz Report

#39

Dear Mom, Remember All Those “Adorable” Outfits? Let’s See You Buy More Now. Love, Finn

Dear Mom, Remember All Those “Adorable” Outfits? Let’s See You Buy More Now. Love, Finn

finnegan_the_fantastic Report

#40

When The Big Cat Dewey Was A Kitten, He Used To Bother All The Cats, Payback Served Well

When The Big Cat Dewey Was A Kitten, He Used To Bother All The Cats, Payback Served Well

Evilelfqueen Report

#41

Shredder’s Revenge

Shredder’s Revenge

Direct_Tower5556 Report

#42

Left The Planter On The Spot Where He Usually Sits. No Basil For Me, I Guess

Left The Planter On The Spot Where He Usually Sits. No Basil For Me, I Guess

tobacctracks Report

#43

I Left For One Night

I Left For One Night

Nikea_and_Moo Report

#44

Revenge Of The Conehead

Revenge Of The Conehead

reddit.com Report

#45

My Husband Didn't Give Him Enough Attention This Morning. After Snuggling Him For 20 Minutes

My Husband Didn't Give Him Enough Attention This Morning. After Snuggling Him For 20 Minutes

Sallyanonymous Report

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#46

Dallas Wanted Me To Know Who’s Boss Because I Wouldn’t Give Her More Food When She Finished Her Bowl

Dallas Wanted Me To Know Who’s Boss Because I Wouldn’t Give Her More Food When She Finished Her Bowl

radbrad777 Report

#47

My Dog Got A Bath Today. So He Stole My Blanket As Payback

My Dog Got A Bath Today. So He Stole My Blanket As Payback

zebrasanddogs Report

#48

Pickles Throws A Temper Tantrum Anytime We Don't Let Him Outside

Pickles Throws A Temper Tantrum Anytime We Don't Let Him Outside

ECCE_M0N0 Report

#49

Friend Stayed Out Late Last Night. Her Dog Was Lonely

Friend Stayed Out Late Last Night. Her Dog Was Lonely

SharkRancher Report

#50

Trio Of Magpie Bullies Learning There Are Consequences To Being Jerks To Cats

Trio Of Magpie Bullies Learning There Are Consequences To Being Jerks To Cats

reddit.com Report

Note: this post originally had 96 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.