Mother cats need to be in a calm environment so that they can be stress-free and feel like they are keeping their kittens safe. For example, a household cat sitting in the window may see an outdoor cat walk across the front yard. The most frequent explanations include teaching them who is in charge. Any animal—including humans—can aggress when in pain. Aggression is threatening or harmful behavior directed toward a person, another cat or other animals. The kittens may initially spend about eight hours a day suckling, but this activity decreases as they grow older. This fear or discomfort can prompt hissing at what might appear to be nothing, but in reality, there is a real trigger. You might think you saw a mother cat attacking her older kittens, but you could be wrong. Unable to get to the trigger of his agitation, he turns and lashes out at someone—person, dog or cat—who is nearby or who approaches him. Give her 20 minutes or so to calm down and then check on her. A cat or other animal threatening her, or a loud, strange sound that frightens her, can be the cause of this behavior. Generally, mom cats are evaluated for these behaviors before sending them into foster homes, but sometimes the behaviors develop later. Treatment for maternal behavior disorders in cats can vary from management to medication, depending on the nature of the cat's behavior and the existence of underlying conditions. The factors that determine how well cats will get along together are not fully understood.
This is not an emergency condition. Mom may be attacking because she has been separated from her kittens and does not recognize them. Mama notices her kittens are nearly adults and thinks it's time for them to wean themselves from her, so she lets out a mama-hiss and a growl that means, "OK, kiddos! " The kitten is oblivious, and he's still trying to cuddle and play with his with his mother. This is why cat parents sometimes describe this kind of aggression as unprovoked or "out of the blue. " Different situations may warrant a mother cat attacking her babies. Who did he aggress toward? It's because we frequently overlook how much the human world varies from the animal world. Why Is My Cat Randomly Hissing at Nothing? A mother cat will dedicate a lot of time to cater to her babies before gradually seeing them off as they grow to fend for themselves.
When she's weaned her boys, she decides it's not in anyone's best interests for them to stay, so she'll growl and say, "Chop, chop! " Why Do Kittens Hiss? Some of the most common situations that trigger territoriality are: - A kitten in the household reaches sexual maturity. You should put the litter box as far away from the mother cat's food and water bowls as possible, and provide a couple of different safe places where she can care for her kittens. That could quickly become unpleasant. As he grew his mother groomed him the usual cat he was old enough we had them both fixed, after that she has done nothing but pick on him hissing biting scratching, can you help? Often she gets irritable and develops health issues that cause her temporary distress.
After the queen cat has delivered her kittens, maternal hormones are present in her body. When cats do this, it's because they've detected prey that they'd like to hunt. As the owner of the mother cat, you must understand when to intervene and when not to. Why Do Mother Cats Hiss At Their Kittens? In this position, your cat might attempt to grab your hand and bring it to his mouth to bite it. Temperamentally she is the sweetest cat, very vocal and affectionate, never aggressive. Before she was spayed, she was having some issues with constipation, though treatment/her feeling better hasn't changed her behavior. Again, the mother is merely trying to protect her young. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most common reasons why mother cats might attack their older kittens, so you can better understand your feline friend. This can happen for many different reasons, some of which are beyond our control. Your cat might also simply be bored, and the addition of new toys can help them burn off that extra energy, or you could try building up some positive associations for the cat and the new kitten. In addition, first-time moms could be more vulnerable to behavioral issues. If she is eating enough but still acting aggressively towards her kittens, there may be another underlying reason. How to Prevent Mother Cat's Attacking Their Older Kittens.
While most aggression is directed at other cats, it can be directed at humans too. Hissing is a mother cat's way of expressing displeasure or unhappiness, and where it comes from and why it is happening are less important. You can do a few things to stop a mother cat from attacking her older kittens. The mother cat's desire to be the only cat in her litter is the most likely reason she would attack her older kittens. If the behavior doesn't stop soon or becomes even more prominent, you should try separating them for a while. Mother cat attack her kittens mostly when the kittens start to have teeth and she is making an attempt to inform them that she is done nursing them or perhaps she is going back to heat. But there are a few medical or behavioral reasons for separating them earlier than eight weeks: - As mentioned above, if the mother cat is showing signs of maternal neglect and is no longer caring for her kittens, the foster coordinator may decide to separate her from her kittens. As mentioned above, the mom cat and her kittens should have a quiet room of their own away from all other pets so that she and her babies can always feel safe. Pain-induced and irritable aggression are triggered by pain, frustration or deprivation, and they can be directed toward people, animals and objects. Sometimes, the mother cat may even view her older kittens as competition for food and resources. If a mother cat is missing or has a defective maternal-related gene, she may be unable to mother her litter normally. When fostering a momma cat, it is very important to observe her behavior daily and watch her interactions with her kittens to spot any problems. Mastitis occurs when the mammary glands inflame and harden, creating a very painful infection for the mother cat and causing symptoms such as a fever and listlessness. The older they grow, the more they suffer total rejection from their mother telling them to go and explore life on their own.
On the other hand, street cats that are in the habit of fighting with other cats in order to defend their territory and food resources, may not do well in a multi-cat household. Some kittens will be eating solids as early as 4 weeks, but you really should wait until the kitten is 10 to 12 weeks old and I'll tell you why. Each momma cat that you foster will be slightly different in her level of attentiveness, but there are three basic stages of nursing (see below). If the mother cat still allows the kittens to nurse, it will be initiated by the kittens and can be lateral or upright nursing. If you're concerned about the mother's behavior, speak with your veterinarian. It would be a simple analytical job to detect the existence of material behavior issues in your animal. According to cat registries, approximately 60 cat species are recognized across the globe. Provide enough food. A hormonal anomaly may cause a cat to have a false pregnancy, in which she shows signs of having kittens, including labor symptoms including contractions, but she is not pregnant. I just found your great forum when researching my cat problem - I hope hope you might be able to help. Hormone and stress problems.
Play aggression is the most common type of aggressive behavior that cats direct toward their owners. To ensure that the mother cat has enough to eat, give her access to both wet and dry food at all times. Hormonal variations are also to blame for issues with maternal activity. Also, a mother cat may attack her kittens due to her health condition. Sometimes mother cats will behave less defensively if their kittens are older. Pain-Induced and Irritable. They use their acute vision and sensitivity to high-pitched sounds to locate their prey. A dark area equipped with a whelping box is ideal.
Redirected aggression must be closely considered and ruled out as a possible cause before a diagnosis of idiopathic aggression is made. Body language is made up of cats' body postures, facial expressions, and the position and carriage of certain body parts, like ears, tail and even whiskers. However, as they grow older and become more independent, she may feel threatened by their presence. Vacuuming or using some other noisy household appliance. Then he'll finally sprint toward the prey and strike it with his front paws. Provide the Queen With Her Own Supplies. They may not want to be petted right then, or it may be because you're trying to pick them up when they don't want you to.
Even the sweetest, most social cat will hiss during a calm interaction with their kittens. Pet Behavior Protocols. If you have ruled out any other possible causes for aggression (such as environmental factors), it may be time for behavioral therapy. Please see our article, Aggression Between Cats in Your Household, for more information about this problem.