You are here:
- Home
- Animals/Pets
- Cats
- Cats
- new mother cat
Cats/new mother cat
Advertisement
Question
My cat had 3 kittens about a 1 1/2 weeks ago. She has recently become very overprotective. She aggressivly chased three people out of my house when I was not home. At the time no one was near her kittens. Now she keeps trying to move the babies. Is there anything I can do?
Brei,
After a week and a half, she should be more tolerant of you. Usually, overprotectiveness of newborns only lasts a few days. She may be trying to move the babies because she feels they are in a place she no longer feels is safe. We like to use a box (like a cardboard "jumbo" storage box -- 11" X 16" X 26") with some old toweling in some place warm but not hot, away from small children and other pets. In fact putting a towel part way over the box, makes it feel even more like a safe den for her kittens.
It is possible she is objecting to strangers handling her kittens. It also depends on how the people approached the kittens. With a female that protective, she needs to be approached quietly, slowly, and gently. It may be that people have to wait until she invites them before she will let them touch the kittens.
Another real possibility is that she has developed a post natal medical problem, so a quick visit to the vet may be in order. NOTE: I would leave the kittens home as they will be all right for a few hours or however long the vet visit may take.
Sometimes with a first litter, the cats get really silly about protective the kittens and may eventually outgrow that instinct.
Best regards... Norm.
Related Articles
- Ask Amy - Mother Cat Aggression - Queen Protecting Kittens
- Post-Natal Care for a Mother Cat and her Kittens - Cat Reproduction 101 Lesson 8
- Finding Homes for Kittens - Cats Reproduction 101 - Lesson 9
- Cats FAQ - When does queen's milk supply dry up?
- Introducing Your New Kitten to the Family - A Kitten Care Article
Answers by Expert:
Norman Auspitz
Expertise
I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.
Experience
I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.
Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.
Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook
Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.
Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.