Expert: Jessica - 4/29/2010

Question
I have 2 cats, a new mum female and her 12 month old male son, who is very giddy, i have put her in a bedroom with her litter but should i let the male cat in with him been very giddy will he harm the kittens or the mother if i leave them alone? the kittens 2day are only 3 days old.
And my male cat and the female cat r always fighting is there anything i can do so they get along better?
Thank You Karen

Answer
Hi Karen.  I wouldn't allow the male in with the mum and kittens.  At times, males will harm and even kill newborns, especially if the kittens don't happen to be their own.  Best to keep the kittens separated from him until they're about weaned.

When the kittens are a little older, I would take the time to introduce your male and female very slowly.  You will probably need to keep them separated most of the time and then gradually allow them to visit longer and longer.  This way, they build up a tolerance to one another.

I would also strongly encourage you to have them neutered.  This will even out the hormonal fluctuations the cats are experiencing.  Unneutered males have a lot of testosterone flowing through their veins and can be aggressive in general.  Neutering takes that down a notch.  Females can be equally as moody due to female hormones, and spaying will relax this.

Another idea is to add some more space to your home in the form of cat trees and hiding spots.  Cats really value territory and will fight when there isn't enough of it to claim as their own.  Cat trees with individual shelves that each cat could mark as their own spot are invaluable in multiple cat homes because they add vertical space.  Once the cats feel as though they each have their own area in the home, squabbles often resolve.

Your cats may also benefit from a product I like called Feliway.  It's a synthetic pheromone, a hormone that helps to relax cats and reduce territorial aggression.  I use the plug-in diffuser in my own home.  Learn more at www.feliway.com.

Best of luck!

Jessica