Expert: Ali - 9/4/2008

Question
Hi. We have a very recent problem with our maine coon girl, Gypsy. She shares the house with three other moggies and have been living together very happily since she was first introduced as a kitten about a year ago.
Gypsy has recently given birth to two kittens four weeks ago and has had no problems, the moggies taking to the new additions very well, ignoring them mostly.
I wasn't watching over them at one point yesterday, when I heard a commotion in the hallway. I found Gypsy viciously attacking one of the girl moggies, I had to use my feet to part them. It was like Gypsy was out to kill her. I managed to separate them, but Gypsy still isn't calm a day later. I tried a re-introduction 36 hrs later and the same thing happened. Gypsy is not interested in protecting her kittens, she will chase the other cat round the house until she gets them. I'm very concerned because we will have to get rid of one of them if this doesn't et better. I'm just not sure what to do.


Answer
Liz,

I'm somewhat concerned that this attacking business has come on rather suddenly. Cats don't typically attack housemates that they are familiar with and have been properly introduced to without a reason. The possible explanations for this sudden change in behavior include some sort of disagreement between the girls in question, the cats may be upset by a change in your household or there may have been something that has happened and caused anxiety and anger for one or both of the cats in question. Sometimes it isn't possible to pin down an exact cause for the aggression that you see in these sorts of situations. Sometimes it can be related to changes in household routines, a person or animal being added or subtracted from the home or even something as simple as one of the cats being frightened by a car backfiring or the cats may have seen other cats or wildlife in your yard, essentially an intrusion of territory belonging to one or both cats. I'm not entirely convinced that the aggressive behavior that you've described is as a direct result of just one of these causes.

In cases of aggression and fighting amongst cats I have found that these situations happen far more frequently in cats that haven't been sterilized. If the cats in your household haven't been spayed/neutered yet I would highly recommend that you speak with your vet about having these procedures done as soon as possible. Most veterinarians won't sterilize Gypsy until she has weaned her kittens and her milk supply has dried up somewhat which usually takes about two weeks or so after the kittens are fully weaned. Cats are quite territorial by nature. In situations where cats who haven't been sterilized become aggressive with one another it is usually as a result of sex hormones adding to the cats being frustrated and aggravated. Ultimately this makes for an increased chance of aggression that is directly related to territorial disputes between the cats. In situations like this it really doesn't matter whether or not the cats know each other. Given that there is a very serious pet overpopulation issue worldwide the decision to breed a pet must be carefully considered. Countless numbers of healthy, adoptable cats are destroyed in animal shelters every year worldwide simply because there isn't enough space to house the millions of cats and kittens that are admitted to these institutions and quite honestly time is a factor, shelters can't hold onto each animal indefinitely. In North America only 3% of cats/kittens admitted to animal shelters are reclaimed by their owners which seems to indicate that people generally view cats as "disposable pets". Surgical sterilization provides a number of health and behavioral benefits beyond the obvious asset: population control. Many pet guardians are concerned about potential risks and drawbacks of spaying or neutering. It's a common myth that spaying or neutering your cat will make him/her fat and lazy. Surgically sterilizing your cat/kitten won't change his/her personality, nor will it cause them to gain weight. Many people believe that surgically altering their cat/kitten is unnatural or even dangerous. Allowing an intact cat to cycle repeatedly while preventing the cats from mating is unnatural. Cats that haven't been spayed/neutered are hard wired to reproduce much the same as any other animal. While no surgery is completely without risk spay/neuter procedures are very routine, cats are given an injection of long acting pain medication prior to their surgery to minimize discomfort and the risks related to anesthesia have been substantially reduced by using safer human anesthetic agents. Cats being spayed or neutered are constantly monitored by a veterinary technician to ensure that their vital signs stay in the normal range. Cats that have been sterilized tend to be far less likely to wander, fight, and the caterwauling and howling to advertise their availability to mate is eliminated. Spayed and neutered cats also enjoy a number of health benefits including a reduced incidence of mammary infections or tumors and the risk of developing prostate, ovarian, uterine or testicular cancers is virtually eliminated. Ultimately spaying and neutering prevents unwanted litters which in turn saves millions of lives every year. Spaying or neutering your cats/kittens is a life saving decision.

It's important to understand that Gypsy is a nursing queen with a litter and this can result in her becoming agitated much more easily if she perceives a threat to her kittens. It's very possible that Gypsy is stressed out and uncomfortable with raising her kittens in your home with the other cats being present. The type of aggression you're seeing could be a product of the other cats getting too close to a nursing queen's kittens. I normally suggest that pregnant queens be isolated from other cats in a household about two weeks or so prior to delivering their litter. Nursing moms should be allowed to care for their litter in a safe environment, which in a multiple cat household means, behind a closed door. There are a few reasons for this recommendation; pregnant/nursing queens are more easily stressed which can cause problems such as aggressive behavior directed towards other cats in the home. Newborn/nursing kittens are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections than older kittens/cats simply because the protective antibodies that are passed to them through their mother's milk aren't actually permanent. In fact the highest concentration of antibodies that the kittens will receive from their mother's milk is found in the colostrum which the kittens get immediately after birth and for the first 24-48 hours after birth.

In your situation Gypsy and the kittens are living within the equivalent to a mini colony made up of the other cats in your home. It's not uncommon for a more dominant female cat in a situation like this to attempt to take the kittens from their mother and begin producing milk for them, allow them to nurse and essentially try to raise the litter as their own. By giving Gypsy and her babies a room of their own, a comfortable space away from the other cats and making sure that her environment is kept dimly lit and as quiet as possible she will have the chance to settle down and feel more at ease while she's caring for the kittens. It's very important that you and your family members spend time gently handling and playing with Gypsy and her litter even though the little family is being kept away from the other cats. The kittens are at a crucial stage of their development and must be gently handled, taught to play with toys and properly socialized. In this situation you and your family need to make it clear to Gypsy that she isn't being ignored or punished because she's only trying to care for her kittens. Gypsy sounds to me like she's trying her best to be a good mother to her kittens and it's important that she feels comfortable doing so. The kittens are still young enough to be hurt or killed by their mother if she is overly stressed so providing a quiet environment, gentle handling, and a bit of play to help alleviate frustrations/stress is the best way to handle the situation.

Gypsy and her kittens must have access to all of the usual kitty necessities during their isolation period. Mom and her kittens should be given as much good quality kitten food as they would like so that Gypsy can produce milk to meet the needs of her rapidly growing litter and the kittens can begin eating solid food as Gypsy begins to wean them. The little family should have as much clean, fresh water as they would like every day to ensure that everyone remains properly hydrated. If Gypsy still seems anxious or agitated after being provided with a quiet, safe place to raise her litter you can give her a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences that will help to calm and reassure mom and her little ones. You can generally find Rescue Remedy in health food/natural health stores. This remedy is very safe and effective, in fact pet owners and some vets around the world use this remedy to help settle anxious animals. In Gypsy's case I would suggest that you try adding 8-9 drops of Rescue Remedy to a bowl of fresh, clean water daily.

Gypsy and her family will need two litter boxes, one kitten sized along with an adult sized litter box will work nicely. Gypsy should be fairly close to potty training her kittens because the kittens should be ready to start using the toilet without their mother stimulating them to urinate/defecate. If you don't happen to have a kitten sized litter box you can use a disposable aluminum lasagna pan and discard it when it's no longer needed. It's best to use an unscented clumping kitty litter to fill the litter boxes. It really doesn't matter much which material the litter is made of as long as it doesn't contain perfumes or dyes because some cats are sensitive to these harsh chemicals in much the same way as some people are. The little family will enjoy having a warm, cozy place to sleep. You can easily make a bed for Gypsy and the kittens by lining a cardboard box with an old blanket or towel, just be sure to change the bedding promptly if it becomes soiled. Gypsy and her litter should be provided with a few toys to allow mom to teach her little ones key skills like stalking, pouncing, killing prey and of course skills that they may need to defend themselves against predators or other cats.

I would recommend that Gypsy and her little ones be kept behind a closed door for the next four weeks to avoid any further displays of aggression or confrontations. I suspect that providing Gypsy with a quiet place to raise her kittens will most likely end the displays of aggression that you have seen in the last few days because she won't feel as though her safety or that of her kittens is being threatened by the other cats in your home. These babies are still too young to leave their mom, they won't be completely weaned for at least another 2-4 weeks. I typically recommend that kittens be allowed to stay with their mother and siblings until they are about 10-12 weeks old. The kittens can be re-homed at 10-12 weeks of age if you wish since they will be fully weaned by that time. Kittens who are allowed to stay with their mother for the first 10-12 weeks of their lives have a chance to begin the process of  socialization. Cats are predators and as such they have specific ways of teaching their young to understand limits. Sometimes these disciplinary sessions can look a little excessive because mother cats are strict with their young, in most cases it isn't necessary for human beings to intervene when a queen is teaching her kittens. Due to the fact that Gypsy has been somewhat stressed while raising her litter I would recommend that you keep an eye on how she's doing with the little ones and if you are concerned feel free to send a video clip of the behavior you're concerned about my way and I'll let you know how concerned you need to be.

While the kittens play amongst themselves they have the opportunity to learn important skills like bite inhibition which essentially means that they bite each other and get bitten by each other which allows them to learn that being bitten hurts. Siblings also get the chance to practice vital skills like hunting, stalking, pouncing on prey and even defending themselves. It's been my experience that kittens who are allowed to remain with their mother and siblings for 10-12 weeks tend to be much stronger and well adjusted than kittens that have been re-homed around 5-8 weeks of age. It's much nicer for the kitten and the prospective owner if the kitten is happier, more confident and better able to bond. Kittens that are separated from their mother when they're younger than 8 weeks of age can be less confident and comfortable in new situations. When a kitten is taken from mom at 6 weeks of age and under they are often much more insecure and it isn't uncommon for these kittens to have developed self soothing behaviors like sucking on blankets, stuffed toys, other pets in the home and even their human caregiver's hands, ears, fingers, etc.