Expert: Jessica - 10/4/2010

Question
Hi there,

My cat, Lucy, had a litter of 5 in May. She was the perfect Mum all
throughout the birthing and nursing, but unfortunately we had to separate
them after weening. This was due to the fact that my vet wouldn't spay
here if she was lactating. In the end we decided to keep 2 kittens but ever
since they came back home from the separation (which was only 2 weeks)
Lucy has been horrible!  She hates the kittens always hissing, spitting and
swatting at them but she has actually started doing it to me!! She just took
a nip at my hand when I scratched her head as she sat on the sofa. She
has always been a friendly loving cat - I have no idea what to do but I
think it's getting worse.

I forgot to mention that she urinated right in front of us on a blanket the
other day.

Please help!

Brooke (Kevin and Little Lucy)

Answer
Hi Brooke,

She sounds miserable!  I would have her checked out by the vet once again, just in case anything developed after the spay.  A lot of moodiness, as well as urinating outside the litter box, is caused by a physical illness.  

If all appears well physically, I recommend to try a product called Feliway, which may help reduce stress, the root of aggression in many cats.  You can learn more at www.feliway.com.  I use the plug-in diffusers in my own home.  It should also address the inappropriate elimination she is starting to exhibit.

Also, try to expand her territory so that she feels she has an area to claim as her own, away from the kittens.  Perhaps there is a room you can allow her to spend time in that would be off-limits to the kittens.  Or, you might try adding some vertical space to the home in the form of cat trees.  My cats claim individual ledges on these as their own, and this seems to give them enough sense of territory that they're happy.

In the end, you may need to talk to your vet about placing Lucy on an antidepressant.  Cats can require treatment with a medication to address aggression and litter box problems, but most will be able to discontinue the treatment after a few months' use, without experiencing a relapse.

Best wishes!

Jessica