Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Mother/Daughter Cats

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 11/11/2008


Question
I have a 3 year old female/mother cat and she have a daughter that is 1 yrs old now. They were so loving in the beginning...all of a sudden about a couple of months ago the mother cat doesn't want to be around the daughter anymore. She hisses at her and she acts like she is scared of her now...she hides all the time when she see the daughter...What should i do?

Answer
Lapanza,

The expert you asked your question of is no longer available, so I am trying to answer her questions.

Is the daughter spayed? You may want to get her done if she is not already. Usually when a cat behaves like that towards another cat in the family it is because they smell different for some reason. Cats go by smell and not by sight in recognizing other cats. If the cat does not smell like she used to (like being in heat) the other cat(s) may think she is a different cat.

Cats do not have any recognition or concept of 'family'. After a cat is weaned they are no longer recognized as a daughter, mother, sister, etc.

Your daughter may have become the 'alpha' cat of the family, and dominant over the mother cat. Hissing, growing, and slapping are forms of 'kitty communication', and as long as there aren't any ears pinned back, or fur flying then they should be OK and will work it out.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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