New cat garden - strange behavior.

Our cat garden is finally ready and the kittens loves it. Moa - the oldest of our feral mamas - was also very happy. The cat garden is built where she had her kittens so it is her old territory. But Agnes - the younger mama - behaved really strange. When she dared to go out in the cat garden she immediately got a very aggressive body language.
The only aggression she has ever shown is that she growls at me some times when I enter a room but she is always walking away at the same time. Even in close encounters she has never hurt us or even hissed. Now she looked at me through the kitchen window strait in the eyes - saying stay away - and she forced all the kittens inside again. She hissed at them and if they didn't obey immediately, she slapped them. They where not allowed to be outside.
I have never even seen her correct the kittens before.
Then she investigated the cat-garden. She climbed the net on the walls and checked the roof in every corner and every inch of the ground. It took two hours before she was done and then she went inside and behaved as normal again. Not minding if the kittens went out there.
I cannot figure out if she was trying to find a way out of the cat-garden or if she was checking if the kittens could get out.
Can cats be that smart - that they check that they are in control of their kittenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s access to freedom before they allow them to go some where?
Or what was this all about?

It is gettin worse. Agnes is stil not letting the kittens alone if they want to go out and now Moa has started to growl at the kittens every time she passes them. The kittens are really confused by their mothers behavior and I have to admit that so am I. Moa is showing agression to her kittens even inside so the kittens has moved in to our room to play where the mothers are a little more carefull if they even come in there.
How on earth can the possibility to go out again (for cats living outside for years) make then angry at their kittens. Moa is even hissing at Agnes and they normally love eachother an do everything together. What am I missing here?

It seems to be something with the cat garden. Some very funny and strange smell who at first make them deep suspicious and on their watch.?

If so, this could explain why they are beginning to be funny inside too. Them getting the smells on...

What could it be otherwise??

You are brilliant Stefan. Of course you are right. While the mothers and the kittens has been locked up inside we have to big - unneuterd - stray males checking our garden on daily base. They have of course sprayed there.
Would it help if I spread a bit of sand from the inside litter boxes in the cat garden? Or should I spray it .

Would felliway help?

Is it likely that there's some kind of animal manure in the garden soil? Plus they may be just being sure the kittens don't 'run away' (to them a garden is outside after all), or be hurt by whatever is there. But it shouldn't last forever at all, and in fact, in a few mos. the mums won't even acknowledge the kittens as their own, and may swat them away.

Originally Posted by Malena

While the mothers and the kittens has been locked up inside we have to big - unneuterd - stray males checking our garden on daily base. They have of course sprayed there.
Would it help if I spread a bit of sand from the inside litter boxes in the cat garden?.

Would felliway help?

Click to expand...

I do buy your hypothesis, this with the stranger tomcats the explanation of the smells. Or perhaps a fox wisiting also there??
Stranger tomcats CAN be dangerous for kittens - it would explain the mothers being watchful and chasing away kittens from there - this dangerous area.

I think try to wash away as much as you can - with soap (såpa) f.eks.
You have perhaps also some biological detergent? Ie taking down smells with enzymes? Yokoair is one example, there are surely also others.

Yes, some of their used litter - ie the moms litter - is prob excellent idea. Feliway too, in any case inside.

Thanks for the help to figure this out. I don't have any Felliway at home but I have spread parts form one of the litter boxes along the borders of the cat garden. The mothers are still a little touchy but the kittens are now allowed to go out and they love it. The only problem with the spread "smell" in the cat garden is that the kittens keeps hiding it again.