Pregnant cat close to giving birth being aggressive towards kitten from previous litter

[gethenian]

I posted before about our pregnant porch-cat Ernie. As per the advice given here, we HAVE moved her inside with the intention of keeping her confined until she has her babies, if for no other reason than because of the weather. We've been having lots of storms and temperatures over 100 degrees every day. We've also brought our other porch-cat Ash indoors, and are keeping the two of them confined to a part of the house consisting of two offices, a short hallway between them, and a bathroom where we've put their litter pan. We do have to keep them confined to this part of the house because our indoor cat, Bilbo, is absolutely intolerant of both of them.... and letting them "settle their differences" and get used to each other is not an option when that battle would be one small but VERY pregnant female and one crippled female against one very large, very territorial male mainecoon. Yeah, that's a meeting that will NOT be happening.

Ernie was initially not pleased at ALL with having to stay inside. It took her about 3 days to adjust but she's finally calmed down and seems to have picked a nesting box. Based on what I've read about signs of labor in cats, it seems that Ernie may be JUST entering the earliest stages. She seems to be pacing about and panting somewhat. She hasn't stopped eating, so I guess that means she's still more than 12 hours from giving birth, but I'd guess no more than 24 hours from it.

So here's the weird thing... Ernie is fine with Ash being present. The two of them have actually become very friendly with each other and affectionate in a way I don't think I've ever seen them be before. I'm guessing Ash is like... playing kitty midwife or something, and Ernie is probably comforted by her... But just now when I tried to bring Nemo into the offices so she could hang out with me while I work, Ernie went absolutely LIVID and started tearing after Nemo like an angry tigress. I scooped Nemo up and removed her before any of the cats were hurt or anything got damaged or knocked over, and she calmed down as soon as I held her for a few seconds, so I think she was just startled and will be fine.

Nemo is a kitten I adopted from Ernie's previous litter. She's 4 and a half months old now. Ernie has been acting "cranky" with her since we moved them inside -- hissing when she gets too near and maybe giving a warning bat if Nemo tries to play with her -- but up until now she's still been fine with Nemo being in the office area as long as she leaves her alone. NOW, she has become absolutely intolerant of having her anywhere nearby.

Is this a sign that she's getting closer to giving birth? Or would she just naturally be showing aggression towards her offspring at this age in order to encourage them to piss off and be independent?

 

[StefanZ]

Is this a sign that she's getting closer to giving birth? Or would she just naturally be showing aggression towards her offspring at this age in order to encourage them to piss off and be independent?

difficult to say which, as both variations are possible. Which is why you ask, no? 

But the violence of the chasing away is probably a high preg thing.

High pregs are usually mild and anxious to please themselves in to everybody around. but there is a variation of being very aggressive if necessary. We had cases when even the beloved caretaker got a vicious swipe or two. Not because it was necessary, but some sort of "overflow".

It is probably too a survival mechanism. Sometimes they must fight their way out. For example make their place in a colony of free living ferales. No time longer for being patient, they must have their nest and respect  NOW!

Besides, it is a old wisdom the high preg, and the small kitten mom should be leaved unstressed.

If the presence of Ash comforts her, let them be together if she wants it. (yeah, that is quite common)

If the presence of any other cat or animal is stressing her or in any other way irritating her - keep them separate.

Obey the mom.

Tx a lot for caring and helping!

Good luck!

 

[gethenian]

Thank you!

We've certainly been keeping Ash and Ernie in what is probably the least stressful part of the house other than the attic, which we can't keep them in because it's my parents' bedroom and because there's an opening in the wall from a fire many years ago that the cats could very easily climb through and get hurt or trapped in the roof beams and whatever else is back inside that wall.

So I have another query... I know that cats flicking their tails usually means they are annoyed. Ernie is now still in high attention-seeking affectionate mode, but she keeps flicking her tail rapidly... not the tip of it, but flicking it from the base of her spine, as if she's trying to get something off of her. Is this another sign that she's getting closer to giving birth?

I am beginning to suspect that all available information regarding the process of labor and birth in cats is an elaborate conspiracy collectively maintained by the species solely in order to have the ability to frustrate, confound, and cause anxiety in humans known to be observing them for purposes of being able to track the progress of pregnancy and estimate the time of birth.

(...actually, I'm pretty sure that's somehow true of all species whose reproductive patterns are... more loosely predetermined.)

I feel like Ernie is on purpose not following the "rules" of cat pregnancy and labor which most sites I've read seem to basically agree on, and the things she DOES do are things I can't find mentioned anywhere. Like that tail flicking thing she's doing... I did try to google that. I found nothing discussing tail flicking like that in pregnant cats. And other "rules" she HAS been following, she's doing at a different pace than the articles I've read indicate she should be. Some things she's doing suggest she could be just hours from giving birth... other things she's doing suggest it could still be DAYS.

Not that that's too surprising. She is, after all, a cat, and judging by the cats I have known, at least 75% of the species chooses to dedicate their entire lives to the singular goal of being inexplicable.

 

[oreocookie]

I have a stray I took in about three weeks ago and she gave birth yesterday (not expecting it so soon).  This mom showed almost NO signs that they say (no discharge, never stopped eating, never did the pacing/clingy act).  I simply woke up yesterday morning to find her giving birth quietly in a cat bed!  I did feel the babies  moving for two weeks and the only change I noted was her belly did get very hard feeling two days before she gave birth, it had been soft feeling before that.  I think each cat is so different that it is impossible to tell when and what signs will be shown.  If she is having visible movement of kittens in her tummy then you can plan on about two weeks from the start of this.  Good luck and I hope all goes well!!  I also wanted to add that my cat also did/does the tail twitch thing all the time.  She will be puring away, pawing and acting sooooo sweet, but her tail will always be twitching?  I think for some cats this is just something they do because she is not at all annoyed when she does it.  I also noted that when she gets annoyed with the other cat she will do more of a side to side very forcefully before she swats, with me and at other times is is more a steady action, not the same!

 

[gibbly]

It's completely normal, if the older kittens are more than 4-6 months old (range of growing independent) then they are automatically a threat, they are no longer allowed to hang around as they will threaten (and could even kill) the new litter.

this is coming from years of studying cats on our farm, and their behaviors, cats are naturally solitary, and once the kittens are independent, the mother makes absolutely sure they KNOW that they are not the babies anymore.

personally I have witnessed a mother cat beating the tar out of an overly curious 1 year old son of hers when he got too close to the area where her new kittens were, and then later on, on her break away from the newborns, she was kindly laying with a grooming the older son she previously tried to kill, almost as if apologizing.

 

[jholl0923]

Our feral cat had kittens 4 months ago...I noticed she was pregnant again last week and she started hissing and swatting at her 4 month old kittens yesterday...they were just being bathed by her a week ago!  I caught her this morning and to her to the vet to check on everything.  He said their natural instinct is to protect the new litter like someone said earlier and EVERYONE is a threat.  Also their hormones are probably through the roof!!  I also never knew that cats are pretty independant after having kittens and move on quickly...then again this seems right as how many families of cats do you see roaming the streets together...not many.  Good Luck!  

 

[StefanZ]

Welcome Jholl0923!

I hope you also start your own tread on the new pregnancy and the kittens?

And please plan on spaying the mom and these growing up kittens.  The kittens you can take anytime now. The mom probably too, if you noticed it last week she isnt that high preg. But spaying including abortion isnt so pleasant, so if you want to do it afterwards, we all understand it.

 how many families of cats do you see roaming the streets together...not many. 

Very true, not many. The interesting point is through, there ARE families observed and reported by our forumists.  Sometimes even with the tom not only actively being help mom, but in some examples, being the chief mom - caretaker.