# Help for a friend - Momma cat beating up kittens



## tanyuh (Jun 7, 2003)

Hello guys, my friend is in need of some help.

Her cat Aree was a stray. Her mom used to bring her in prior to her pregnancy and she got along with the other cats. She got along with them during her pregnancy and even following the birth. Then when the kittens were 2-3 weeks old she started viciously attacking the other cats in the house. We didn't pay it any mind because she was just protecting her kittens. But now she's all nice and cuddly to the other cats in the house again, and is attacking her kittens. It sounds like Aree really doesn't want to be bothered with the kittens anymore. And she's just a bit of a brute and gets a little too rough in showing that. The kittens have been weaned about 2 wks and they are 6 wks old. Is this normal behavior?

Thanks


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## stormy (Dec 7, 2003)

It depends on what you mean by attack.

Most moms will (in my experience anyway) hiss and smack at their kittens when weaning them if they are very insistant on nursing.

I've actually felt sorry for a few of the mom cats we've had because here are these kittens just about as big as the mom all trying to nurse still!!!
And that must hurt, kittens teeth are pretty sharp! :shock:


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## tanyuh (Jun 7, 2003)

She says the momma cat will attack her kittens even when they are not trying to suckle her. She will just launch at them when they are eating, sleeping, playing etc. My friend's mom has even had to take the kittens away into the other room because the momma is so rough on them - it isn't just a weaning thing, I don't think.

Any ideas??


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## Ioana (Jul 12, 2003)

Maybe the babies picked up other smells and she doesn't recognize them anymore. Poor babies -apparently they will have to undergo such an abrupt separation from mom . I am sure it is not their momma's fault however - familiar scents make a big difference.
If they are too small and still need to be with her - try to put some vanilla on the back of their necks (mom and babies) + switch towels - just as if you were introducing them. Best of luck :wink:


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## Djinn (Apr 30, 2004)

*.....*

Hiya folks. I'm the friend.
*waves to Tanyuh*

The mother, Aree, is a two year old cat that spent it's first year of life as a complete stray outside my mother's house. Last spring she had her first litter of kittens, we caught all four of them, two my mother took and two they found homes for. After that Aree started to become more friendly and would come into the house and got along with the other cats in the house (there were 4...two were her own and two were not).

Back in early February we noticed she was pregnant. They've been wanting to get her fixed for some time and it was recommended that since Aree freely walks inside, that my mother should take her in, let her have the kittens, and then get her fixed afterwards. The whole time she was pregnant she got along with the other cats. For the first two weeks after the kittens were born she got along with the other cats.

But then her demeanor started to change. She would chase off or attack the other cats. We assumed that she was just being protective of her kittens. No biggie. But she started to become more and more aggressive. The kittens are now 6 weeks old this week, they no longer nurse, so mainly they just do their own thing. 

Now, Aree has been wanting out of the house for weeks. She went into heat last week and any time the door opens, she makes a mad dash for it. In the last week, her aggression seems to have turned from the other cats in the house to the kittens. At first we thought maybe she was just trying to teach them. But she seems to be a lot more rough than I'm used to seeing a mother cat be with it's kittens. We've had to rescue the kittens numerous times this week and now try to keep them away from her.

So I dunno if this is normal ehavior for a mother cat. Or if she's just getting ticked off about not being able to go outside and taking her frustrations out on her babies.


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Get her spayed right away!! She is probably in heat, and irritable. Also, she will stop at nothing to get out, and probably will. Please prevent another litter and get her to the vet!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## Djinn (Apr 30, 2004)

*....*

Mommy cat has a vet appointment on Wednesday. They said we can't get her spayed until they do bloodwork and vaccinate her so that's what Wednesday's appointment is for. Then from there they will make an appointment to get her spayed.

Question though.....

The kittens are too young to have bloodwork done to test for feline leukemia (according to the vet). The vet said we'd have to wait until the kittens are 8-9 weeks old before they can test for feline leukemia and said not to expose the kittens to our resident cat until they do get tested. But the vet also said 'or' we could get the mommy cat tested. The vet spouted a lot of medical stuff at us and to be honest, it got a bit confusing. 

So my question is...

If the mommy cat tests negative for feline leukemia, will the kittens also be negative?


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Yes, probably. 

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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