Question about cat aggression

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Question about cat aggression

by Gabriella
(Denmark)

Hello Cat Lovers, I have a few questions about cat aggression. This morning I sat at my PC, when I heard angry cat sounds from the bathroom (never heard such angry and loud sound before). So I ran to the bathroom to see what was going on, and I saw mother cat attack one of her kittens (at least that's what it seemed like, it all went so fast).

So I bowed down to get the kitten away and all of a sudden mother cat jumped on my face with her claws, and what happened next tears my heart apart to think of... Because I really didn't mean to do it!

As it attacked my face, I got a grip of its tail and threw it... Unfortunately it hit the radiator and was just laying there for about 10 seconds like I had broken its neck or something. It was a reflex, and it tears my heart apart to think of :( I did not know what to do, so I grabbed the kittens and closed the door to the bathroom.

About 10 minutes later, I heard the mother cat meow from the bathroom and I was happy I had not killed it! However, the kittens seem traumatized. They're scared and angry towards each other.

Mother cat is silent and will not take a treat out of my hand as she used to. I think she has some internal damage, but I am not able to go to the vet before next week. What do I look for ?

Thank you

P.S. I'm sorry for my bad English.

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Question about cat aggression

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Staring
by: Kurt (Admin)

Hi Gabriella,

I'm very glad to hear that she is OK. My recommendation is (same as always) that you not stare at her. If you stare too long at a cat, it can be perceived as a threat.

Given the recent incident, she may be on edge and as I've said, you may have to win her trust all over again. Instead of looking at her, calmly look away. You might want to sit down and practice the blink/look away gesture with her that cats do when they seem to be content.

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Cat Stare
by: Gabriella

Hi again! I've been at the vet and thank god nothing was wrong with Mothercat, such a relief!
I would like to thank you all for the nice and fast answers!

I have another question though; Since the accident mothercat has been different... If I walk fast towards her or her kittens she will stair me in the eyes and it seems like she is about to jump as well... She will follow me around the house and try to make eye contact, it's scary and I often have to take cover behind a pillar because I'm afraid she will jump me again... What can this be ? :S

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Comfortable
by: Anonymous

I'd suggest to keep them all comfortable until you can go to the vet if that helps.

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She will forgive you in time
by: Kurt (Admin)

Cats can be very forgiving. I'm glad to hear the mother cat seems to be doing OK. You may have to win her trust back, much as you would when meeting a new cat.

The cats may all still be somewhat agitated. It's possible that boredom is involved. Maybe everyone is just feeling cramped. I would suggest distracting everyone with play. Also make sure they have climbing furniture such as cat trees as well as scratching posts. Scratching helps to relieve tension.

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Thanks for the fast answer
by: Gabriella

Sorry that I was not very informative in my topic, I guess I was still pretty upset about it.

Mother Cat has not shown any sign of illness nor have her 7 week old kittens. Right now they are laying in my bed and everything seems ok, but Mother Cat will still not talk to me nor take a treat or eat anything I give her... She is very calm :O

The kittens were playing with each other 5 minutes ago, but all of a sudden they just change and go into this agitated mode again with their butts in the air and start growling and hissing at each other. What can it be? I have never seen them do this before, till today at least...

I would also like to ask You another question: Can boredom cause this kind of aggression? I have been told that she can get pregnant right after she has given birth to the kittens, so she has not been outside for 7 weeks (Will get her spayed soon), and I was thinking if this could be the reason?

Thank You

P.S. Are cats able to forgive or will they never forget?

I still feel really upset about throwing her, I cannot get it out of my head... I keep seeing her lay there as if I had broken her neck... it's so sad to think of me doing that kind of damage to my beloved cat, what if she had died!

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I would see the vet as soon as possible
by: Kurt (Admin)

Don't be so hard on yourself, Gabriella. It's a natural reaction to defend yourself in that situation.

At this point, we want to find out several things...

One... Why was the mother cat showing aggression toward the kittens? She may have attacked you as a protective reaction to her kittens being handled (especially if she was already agitated), but why was she aggressive to begin with?

Is she ill? There are medical causes for aggression in cats, and a sick mother cat may possibly be aggressive. She needs to see the vet for that.

Two... Is she now injured? If so, you now have two reasons to get her to the vet immediately. Please ask someone else to do it if you cannot. If she has internal injuries, her life may be in danger and it cannot wait until next week.

Don't try to diagnose her yourself. Cats are very good at hiding pain. It requires a trained veterinarian (possibly with x-rays or other diagnostic tools) to diagnose injuries. As I said, she may have already been sick too, so this needs a vet's attention.

Three... Are the kittens OK? If the mother cat is ill with a contagious disease, the kittens may become ill as well. I don't know how old they are or what kind of care they normally need, but I would separate the kittens until things calm down.

Please keep us updated.

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