Aggressive Cat! Help!

[kittyqueen29]

So my friend took his female cat which just had given birth a week ago with three kittens to me because he's going on a vacation. Once they arrived the mama cat was fine, she was affectionate towards me. I have two cats at home and once the mama cat saw them, she became very aggresive to everyone! She will scratch, bite, chase, hiss, and basically attack everyone in my house except for my uncle, who came once to my house but she was affectionate towards him. I always give her food and water and a lot of space in my backyard, and I always clean her litter box once it's dirty. I never let my cats go near her either since the first time she saw them. But she keeps on attacking and chasing me once she saw me. I never touched her kittens or moved near them!!

What do I do?? How am I supposed to take care of her? My friend won't be back til next week and I need this mama cat to be nice to me. Any ideas??

 

[talkingpeanut]

Oh, yikes. First of all, mom and babies should not be going outside at all. It's very dangerous!

Please keep them in one bedroom with everything they need. Mom will settle down, but she needs her own space. Do not let any people who are not necessary approach, and do not let any animals near at all.

 

[kittyqueen29]

Oh, yikes. First of all, mom and babies should not be going outside at all. It's very dangerous!

Please keep them in one bedroom with everything they need. Mom will settle down, but she needs her own space. Do not let any people who are not necessary approach, and do not let any animals near at all.

My backyard is very secure and no people or animals can get in nor near, and I don't think bringing them inside is possible since my cats are always going everywhere in the house. Plus I'm afraid to put more stress on the mama cat since she hates me. Her kittens are in a safe cage with a lot of pillows and blankets, though. And the cage is closed with a big cloth around so it's safe and comfy. The cage door is open and the mama cat can go in and out anytime.

 

[susanm9006]

Bring a horn with you, the cheap kind you can buy at a party store and honk it when she comes near you aggressively. That should startle her enough that she backs off while you do whatever you need to do. She will likely never be nice to you as she sees you as a stranger and a threat to her family.

 

[kittyqueen29]

Bring a horn with you, the cheap kind you can buy at a party store and honk it when she comes near you aggressively. That should startle her enough that she backs off while you do whatever you need to do. She will likely never be nice to you as she sees you as a stranger and a threat to her family.

Okay thanks but will that freak her out even more??

 

[susanm9006]

Yes, it is but she won't be attacking or biting you either.

 

[kittyqueen29]

Yes, it is but she won't be attacking or biting you either.

I guess I have no other choice knowing that she will never be nice to me. Thanks for the idea

 

[talkingpeanut]

No, this is not good advice. You need to put mama and babies inside. Find a room that you can close off from your other cats. This is essential, as babies cannot regulate their heat and have no resistance to parasites or disease. Your backyard is also likely not as secure as you think.

Mom is not an unfriendly cat, but she is protecting her babies. Move the kittens inside and she will follow. Once she settles in a room, she will calm down. Scaring her off so she trusts you less is NOT the answer. You have given her no time to adjust and cats don't do well with change. Help her.

 

[KatsPurrrsians]

I agree with talkingpeanut . Have a room already set up with her essentials (food, water & litter box). Put other animals up and keep people out of your path. When she leaves the cage where the kittens are being housed, grab the cage and take them inside. Make sure Mom can see you and she will willingly follow behind. Put cage in a corner, food and water closer to the door so that you have quick access to that without disturbing her, and litter box on the other side of the room. Close off her room and keep everyone out! Make sure you are the only one that goes in and out & do so without bothering she or babies. I've been where you are & I know you think she'll flip and attack but she won't. I've had my extremely affectionate cat do this to me when she's had kittens once. It's motherly instinct.

 

[kittyqueen29]

Okay but how am I supposed to take them in when the mother is always in front of the cage and even when I'm not entering my backyard yet she already growls and hisses at me, and I'm pretty sure she will attack me if I get closer anytime soon. Please help I'm really desperate! The cage is also heavy

 

[arouetta]

I agree. Outside is not safe for kittens, and a lactating mother really shouldn't be picking up parasites that can be passed on by touch to those kittens. Yeah, many cats have kittens outdoors, yada yada, but take into account the mortality rate of said kittens. You need to protect these kittens.

Your cats cannot go everywhere in the house if you keep a door to one room closed. Then they can go everywhere except that one room. Frankly, saying that you can't give momma and babies their own room because of your cats desire to go everywhere is simply an excuse to not step up and give your friend's cats what they need. It makes it sound like you really don't want to take care of momma and babies, since the solution is so easy but you throw up needless roadblocks.

And air horn.....no go. That is the absolutely worst thing you could do. A couple blasts of that, and she's going to find some way of moving those kittens out of your yard and your friend will never see his cat again. And what happens if she leaves one? I saw that happen as a teen. Are you willing to bottle-feed an abandoned kitten every few hours, night and day, just like you had a newborn in the house?

The aggression is so simple to figure out, you brought danger to momma cat's kitten. You let strange cats come close, and in the wild strange cats can and often will kill another stranger's kittens. You goofed. And while I'm departing from the majority view here, cat scratches and bites really aren't that big of a deal if you practice good hygiene after. I've seen and experienced far, far worse injuries from dog bites and kitchen accidents. So momma being aggressive isn't a thing, the worst she can do is give you teeny little scars.

If you can't or don't want to provide adequate housing and protection for momma and babies, the best thing you can do is to find another friend who does want to do what it takes to keep them safe and well cared for and let that friend house them until the owner comes back.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Put on pants, closed toed shoes, and long sleeves. Pick up the cage and move it. Mom will follow. It's simple.

 

[Kieka]

Air horn = bad idea, horrible idea, evil idea, just don't. I can't even go into how many levels of bad that is on so many fronts.

It sounds like the mom cat reacted appropriately to a human goof in handling the whole situation. Sorry, but true. I know in my area, the fleas are horrible this year. Add on the kittens are in a place with no escape which makes them prime targets for predators. I don't know of any area that doesn't have stray animals or wild animals going around. Even if you never see them; that doesn't mean they aren't there. I would have sworn my area just had the occasional raccoon and squirrel; until we had an aviary and rabbits. I then learned we have ALOT of raccoons, possums, foxes and coyotes that come through not to mention hawks in the sky. And I am in a city area with the nearest open wildlife area over a mile away. I know the feral colony near me had a typical mortality rate of about 60% of the kittens dying outside before 2 months old (that is with the kittens being fed so that is pure illness and predators). Please bring Mom and babies into the house and put them in a room that you don't allow your resident cats into.

 

[kittyqueen29]

Okay I finally managed to bring them inside and the mama was very affectionate again towards me. I'm still very afraid of her attacking me suddenly though, so I kept her inside the cage with the kittens while they drink from their mama. Once in a while I open the cage to pet her and she finally accepts my hand. Not sure if this is going to be permanent??

 

[Kieka]

It was probably situational aggression. Which means Mom won't randomly attack you unless you decide to try putting her back in the same situation that precipitated the last attack.

 

[kittyqueen29]

Update: I pet the mama cat again and suddenly she bites me playfully, but after that she bites me seriously!! And was growling again at me. But after I put my hand back and then came to pet her again, she was accepting my hand again. What's with this change? Plus my cat usually sleeps with me in my room and now I don't let him in and he meows a lot!! Is it because of that?

 

[arouetta]

Don't pet her when she's with her litter. Don't go near the litter when she's not with them. She's going to be protective of those kittens. After all, they won't survive if she's not there making sure all dangers are gone, and she doesn't have the frontal lobe to do complex reasoning to figure out a strange human is not a threat.

As far as your resident cat, well cats hate change. Of course he's going to meow at the door, since it being closed is new. But it's not going to emotionally scar him to keep him out until your friend returns. Even if your friend is gone for a month, it's not going to cause lasting mental harm to your cat. Cats are a lot like toddlers, your cat is going to throw a major temper tantrum to see if he can make you give him what he wants. Wants, not needs. It's literally the cat version of screaming for a candy bar in a store.

 

[KatsPurrrsians]

Okay but how am I supposed to take them in when the mother is always in front of the cage and even when I'm not entering my backyard yet she already growls and hisses at me, and I'm pretty sure she will attack me if I get closer anytime soon. Please help I'm really desperate! The cage is also heavy

Move her food and water (and litter box if you have one out there) far enough away so that she has to get a safe distance from cage to access them. It might take a few hours or even all day but she will eventually get a safe distance away from them so that you can access kittens. You might could even move her food etc into the house and once she goes inside close the door so you don't have to worry about her attacking. Since cage is heavy you could transfer kittens into a box or low laundry hamper while she's inside or behind a closed door. Then take kittens to prepared room and let mom out and show her where her kittens are.

EDIT- just read the updates. So glad you got them inside!

And yes, I wouldn't bother the mom or her kittens at all. I know you're eager for her to accept you but her ONLY concern is keeping her kittens safe and caring for them. Leave her be. If you have another less used room you could put the cage in where she won't she bothered I'd say that's best. But that's a personal decision. It just may be easier for her to get peace without a lot of distractions (that could make her more protective and temperamental-- like your cat meowing and you coming in and out).

 

[talkingpeanut]

Mom is grateful that you have provided a safe and quiet place for her and the kittens. Leave them alone now. Let her come to you in the room if she wants. Do not lock her in the crate, and do not let her out of the room.

 

[Sarthur2]

I would consider using a horn to be abusive!

It's good mom and kittens are safe in a room of their own now for the next week.