Mom hates daughter

Hello guys -

I have an issue where the mom cat (Lady) has started attacking her (almost year old) female kitten (Asha). About two months ago, she started getting very snitty with her, and now, it's gotten to the point where the (not really a) kitten hides underneath of the furniture -all day-.

The only time she comes out is when I go into the library, which is blocked off from the rest of the house. While Asha is in here with me, she's perfectly calm, swats at me until I pay attention to her, and falls asleep on piles of books.

As soon as I put her back in the main area of the house, she's immediately under the furniture again, and if she so much peeks her head out, Lady is all over her. The other cats (there are seven others) don't attack Asha (other than the standard trying-to-play stuff).

All of the cats in the house are spayed/neutered - except for Asha (they're all indoor cats). Could it be the fact that Asha isn't spayed that's causing the aggression? Do you think this will clear up if I get her spayed? I've started keeping food/water in the library so that when she's in here, I know she's eating/drinking, and I'm about to start keeping litter in here, and just let her stay in here all day - except it's a very tiny room.

Any ideas? Lady isn't really aggressive with any of the other cats (a variety of male and female, all ages), although she's a bit bitchy (swats at them when they walk by, but doesn't go after them). Asha seems perfectly healthy, as far as I can observe by her behavior in the library and eating habits.

Yes Asha needs to be spayed ASAP. You probably need to keep her separated from her Mom until she is spayed, so they do not develop a bad relationship. If they fight a lot you will have to reintroduce them and help them get along again.

Its probably due because the cat is not spayed - why is she almost a year and not spayed? Once she's done, things should calm down.

Sometimes mother cats don't want any of their offspring in the same house. Our barn cat would run off any of the females born. She would tolerate males but chased the females away. That's why Ling was never let back outside. Everyone was eventually spayed/neutered, but LoCal hated any other females.

Its probably due because the cat is not spayed - why is she almost a year and not spayed? Once she's done, things should calm down.

Click to expand...

It's a money issue - I have nine cats, I owe the vet $1000 (the vet has been awesome about letting me work out a payment plan, but I don't want to add to the total). I don't qualify for low-cost spaying, either. But it's definately on my list of things to get taken care of (again, they're all indoor cats, and she's the only unaltered cats, so no chance of her getting pregnant).

Sometimes mother cats don't want any of their offspring in the same house. Our barn cat would run off any of the females born. She would tolerate males but chased the females away. That's why Ling was never let back outside. Everyone was eventually spayed/neutered, but LoCal hated any other females.

Click to expand...

Mom has her son here, and is fine with him. There are also three other girls in the house, and she tolerates them.

So it does sound like a spaying issue, then (which was my initial thought). I'll have to make the library all comfy for her for the time being, then. (the plus is that there are french doors with about an inch gap underneath them, so she'll still be able to see/smell the rest of them, so they'll be able at least still be aware of her existance

Not all spay/neuter resources go by income, there are many that go by need. At this point, it is a need for you.

Based on your location, here are some to places you can call around. Just explain your situation. Cat people know how important it is for a cat to be spayed, not only for pregnancy issues, but for the the health of the cat, so someone can direct you, through the following info.

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html#mi

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/mdpetrescu/Mich.html

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/

If you search through these links, you can find someone who will help you. Its very important to get your girl spayed because female cats who go into heat can develop what is called Pyometra, which is a very serious and dangerous disease.

Hi !

I've seen this happening all the time, mother cats do not want their children after age 6 months approx. They bring them to the point that they can eat, chase and beg humans for food and care and they do not want them anymore. I do not think is related that Asha is not spayed.

I've only met 1 loving mother-kitten relationship... otherwise they just do not want to be with children.

Good luck !

Originally Posted by ronit

Hi !

I've seen this happening all the time, mother cats do not want their children after age 6 months approx. They bring them to the point that they can eat, chase and beg humans for food and care and they do not want them anymore. I do not think is related that Asha is not spayed.

I've only met 1 loving mother-kitten relationship... otherwise they just do not want to be with children.

Good luck !

Click to expand...

The cat named Easy in my siggy is the Mother to the rest of my cats. She absolutely adores her grown kittens and I have ad zero problems keeping a Mother and her boys/girl kittens. But mine were all spayed/neutered early.

Can you go to another vet, one you don't have a bill with? Slightly underhanded, I suppose; but not as bad as letting this problem get worse, if it is due to her not being spayed yet.

my sister's two cats are only a year apart in age, and have been together since the younger one was a kitten. they're incredibly close and love each other to death, but there was a brief period this past summer when the older cat, yoda, started going completely nuts on zora. every time zora would come into the same room as yoda or go for their food or water dishes, yoda would come tearing across the house and wrestle her away from the food. she would also attack my sister and her husband if they tried to pick her up or pet her too soon after petting zora. she and i took them both to the vet and had them checked for anything that might cause the behaviour changes, and even got zora fixed to see if that would make it stop. but it continued for a couple of months, and lex had to keep the two of them completely separated that whole time. eventually, yoda got over it, and they're completely fine now. but we never found an explanation for the whole episode.

my personal opinion on the matter is that yoda suddenly realized there was another adult female cat in what she'd probably come to think of as "her territory", and that territory likely included alexis and roger. just as when you bring a new cat in to the house, i think if you keep them apart as much as possible and continue to make sure they both receive equal love, attention, and affection- as well as a good dose of each other's smells, they'll eventually get over it.

i could always be wrong, but those are my two cents.