Sudden Cat Aggression towards Mama Cat and Newborns

[MrsCarter817]

I have 3 cats, 2 females and 1 male. My older female (Hal) just had 3 kittens 3 days ago. The other female (Nala) started becoming very aggressive towards Hal about a week or two before she gave birth so I kept Hal in a separate bedroom as Nala would attack her every time Nala saw her. My male (and oldest) Kalona would attack Hal every time Nala would as he comes running to Nala's aid EVERY time she screams. I opened the door to the bedroom to check on Hal and her kittens, Hal was using the litter box and Nala dashed in before I could stop her. She ran straight to the kittens and tried to jump in the box to attack them. I somehow managed to make it to her as she was mid leap and she continued her attack on me (quite a feat, considering I'm 7 mo pregnant myself). The kittens are fine and I made it out with several scratches/bites (most of which drew blood). Nala has never been aggressive like this before and I was wondering when I can expect her to return to normal. My husband and I are now extremely concerned with the chances of Nala being aggressive with our son when he arrives (in which we would have to rehome her immediately). What is causing this behavior and what are the chances of there being a problem with our own son?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If Nala is an older cat, a vet check up might be in order to rule out any kind of illness that could be behind the aggression. It is also possible that hormonal changes in Hal, as well as the scents of the new kittens, are causing the aggression. Your best bet is to keep Hal and her kittens separated from the other cats until the kittens have - at least - started weaning. Once you determine what you are going to do with the kittens, you can think about doing re-introductions between Hal and your other two cats.

Below you will find links to TCS articles on introducing the cats AND another one on preparing for your new arrival, in terms of your cats. Congratulations!
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
Cats And Babies: All Your Questions Answered! – TheCatSite Articles

 

[fionasmom]

I had this happen with kittens and male cats years ago, one of whom was my pet. Back in the day, he was an indoor outdoor cat who was extremely sociable and affectionate.....probably the easiest cat I have ever owned. When a feral female had kittens in my garage (and they might have been his as I had just had him fixed) he and another male cat I never saw before or after ran in the garage and made a beeline for the kittens. I intervened, the kittens survived and got homes, and the episode did not repeat.

Given Nala is female, I am going to go with it is the hormones, scent of kittens causing the change in her and hopefully this will settle down once she becomes accustomed to them. If they are going to homes, that may restore her normal world and make her feel better.

Congratulations on the baby! I never had cats when there were babies around, only dogs, so can't give any experience there.