Female Cat Mean to Her Kitten?

Question

My female cat gave birth to a litter 3 to 4 months ago. Out of the two that lived we decided to keep the boy. Over the months they were really close and they followed each other everywhere. But she went back into heat and got pregnant again. Since then she's been really mean to her male kitten even though he's done anything to physically harm her. At the most if he gets within a foot of her she'll attack him. Why does she do this? Will it stop after she's had the second litter?

Answer 1

It will probably get worse.  The mother cats wants to chase off her kittens so she can go into heat and have another litter.  You are continuing the cycle, although he is still around.  And he represents a threat to her as male lions in the wild will kill the cubs to get the female back into heat and instinctively that may be what is happening.  And if he is still around by the time she has her kittens and goes back into heat, he could become the father, which has serious genetic consequences.

Answer 2

Why did you allow her to have another litter???? Please have her spayed.

Answer 3

she is only doing this because she sees him as a harm to her litter, try to keep them separated, and if she dosent stop after she has had the litter you might need to resolve it by getting rid on 1 of the cats ( not the newborns though) though be aware when my old cat had kittens she turned against our other cat her kittens and us and was attacking everyone!

Answer 4

You know, my little female was hostile to her litter in the way you described.  We managed to give away all but two of the kittens as soon as they were weaned.  However, I still had a male and female kitten which stayed with us until they were ten months old.  Around the time thjey turned four months old, she became very hostile toward them both and would hiss and swat at them if they even tried to approach her.  I asked my vet about it and he told me that it was normal for female cats to become hostile/agressive towards their older kittens as it was their way of "pushing them out of the nest" so to speak.  All along, I thought she was being outright mean to them on purpose, but it just turned out to be normal kitty behavior.  You shouldn't worry about it too much, I should think.  Good luck to you and God bless.

Answer 5

yes because she is pregnant

Answer 6

more then likely she knows that she is getting to the point she wont be able to protect herself once she gets much bigger. And she is letting him know how it is before the litter comes. She will do this even more when the litter comes since she will be protecting them. I would try to keep them apart as much as you can.

Answer 7

well female cats do that to tell the baby kitten to GROW UP!! the kitten couldn't be so close with her in the wild he would have to start living on  his own a little while after the birth once he can see and hear. It is out of instinct.

Answer 8

wow

go get your cat spayed!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

I actually had a female cat that gave birth to 3 kittens.  Two females and a male.  She nursed them all very well but when they got a little older she would shove the one tabby cat aside (it was female) and she would show favortism towards the other two.  I sort of adopted the

little tabby and bestowed lots of love on her to make up for the

treatment she received from her Mama.  I have no idea why she shunned the one kitten, she is a gentle and loving cat.

Answer 10

Get her spayed, but yes it will stop after the litter. Shes just afraid that the male kitten will harm her kittens.

Answer 11

she's just protecting her new litter. she's got nothing against the kitten it's just that she thinks anyone who gets  close to her litter will harm them.

Answer 12

Try negative reinforcement on the cat.