Aa
Stray cat beating up my dog :(
our 6 year old miniature schnauzer Lucy jumped out of my vehicle as my friend was getting in, and ran into traffic and was killed a month and a half ago.. Which has left my son and my 7 year old schnauzer Snickers (and everyone else too) totally devastated.
On the day Lucy passed away, this beautiful dilute tortoiseshell calico cat who was about 7 weeks pregnant showed up out of the blue in our backyard, begging for attention and food. She seemed to get along really well with Snickers and my son, so after three days of her sitting on our back deck begging for food, we realized she had been sleeping in our old shed that we keep meaning to tear down. So we took her in.
Things were going ok at first, but she has been getting more and more skittish... She has had the kittens and now they are 3 weeks old. She got a little grumpy with Snickers a few times during her pregnancy, but just growling and hissing, and we figured she must just be in pain. Then she had the kittens and everything seemed fine.. Until a week after she had the babies Snickers stuck his head into the hidey-hole she was keeping the kittens in, and she got irate. She attacked him, then the rest of the night she seemed so p***** that she was stalking him out and attacking him repeatedly.
The next day everything settled down, but incidents keep happening and they are totally random.. Yesterday something fell off a shelf so she attacked Snickers.. and the incidents are getting more and more frequent, and more and more violent. I'm totally afraid one of them are gonna hurt each other. Snickers has been around cats his whole life and loves them, but he is afraid of her now, and when these incidents are happening, he's getting really tired of it and is starting to fight back.
I dont want to rehome her but it's at the point where I think its in everyones best interest :( Not to mention, we were planning to get a puppy sometime, maybe as soon as a month from now (after the wedding and when kittens go) maybe as far as waiting until next summer before my son starts school.. But at this rate I'd be afraid to bring home a puppy :(
On the day Lucy passed away, this beautiful dilute tortoiseshell calico cat who was about 7 weeks pregnant showed up out of the blue in our backyard, begging for attention and food. She seemed to get along really well with Snickers and my son, so after three days of her sitting on our back deck begging for food, we realized she had been sleeping in our old shed that we keep meaning to tear down. So we took her in.
Things were going ok at first, but she has been getting more and more skittish... She has had the kittens and now they are 3 weeks old. She got a little grumpy with Snickers a few times during her pregnancy, but just growling and hissing, and we figured she must just be in pain. Then she had the kittens and everything seemed fine.. Until a week after she had the babies Snickers stuck his head into the hidey-hole she was keeping the kittens in, and she got irate. She attacked him, then the rest of the night she seemed so p***** that she was stalking him out and attacking him repeatedly.
The next day everything settled down, but incidents keep happening and they are totally random.. Yesterday something fell off a shelf so she attacked Snickers.. and the incidents are getting more and more frequent, and more and more violent. I'm totally afraid one of them are gonna hurt each other. Snickers has been around cats his whole life and loves them, but he is afraid of her now, and when these incidents are happening, he's getting really tired of it and is starting to fight back.
I dont want to rehome her but it's at the point where I think its in everyones best interest :( Not to mention, we were planning to get a puppy sometime, maybe as soon as a month from now (after the wedding and when kittens go) maybe as far as waiting until next summer before my son starts school.. But at this rate I'd be afraid to bring home a puppy :(
Lol well idk what to say.. She apparently doesn't like the play area.. She moved the kittens back in the middle of the night :(
Lol poor Louie :( sounds like what kitty is like with snickers exactly, but ever since that incident anything that startles her she attacks snickers.
I thought it was going better today, she keeps coming downstairs to beg for food and affection, and she keeps looking in her old nest to make sure none of the babies have been left behind. No sooner had I mentioned that things had been good today,( at dinner time) then she attacked him, presumably for being to close to me when SHE was begging for food :s
Sigh.
I thought it was going better today, she keeps coming downstairs to beg for food and affection, and she keeps looking in her old nest to make sure none of the babies have been left behind. No sooner had I mentioned that things had been good today,( at dinner time) then she attacked him, presumably for being to close to me when SHE was begging for food :s
Sigh.
Snickers might be less confused than you think. Every mammal except people recognizes the warning inherent in messing with a mother who is nursing babies. Snickers is probably a little too used to being alpha and forgot the rules for a moment when sticking his head in the nest box to see the kittens. He knows the rules now!
True and exact story -- My cat Pashmina had a litter of kittens, and was a nervous and protective mother, having been taken from her own mom at only five weeks old. She weighed about 6 pounds. My biggest male (a neuter), whose name was St. Louis, weighed about 15 lbs. Pashi was upstairs in a bathroom with her babies, and Louie took it into his dimwitted head to stroll in, and poke his head right into the nest box to see what was going on. Pashi struck -- SCREAMING, windmilling her front legs with claws out, running at him, and knocked Louie down a flight of stairs and across a room, where he pasted himself to the door begging to be let outside. She would have chased him all the way across the neighbor's field, I'm sure, if I had not kept her in after letting him squeeze himself out. Before that, Pashi had liked Louie; he was one of her friends among the cats. He just had the temerity to LOOK at her BABIES.
I've seen that explosive reaction one other time in a new mom cat, and I've had a lot of cats who had litters so obviously if it happened all the time I would have seen it lots. But it can happen. And I am sure it had nothing to do with her not feeling well. She was hopping up and down like a boxer warming up, at the back door, seeing if Louie would come back for another round.
Try to keep them separate. Snicks will get over his offended feelings, just let him know that whether or not he is alpha, Alpha does not trump New Mom.
Take care.
True and exact story -- My cat Pashmina had a litter of kittens, and was a nervous and protective mother, having been taken from her own mom at only five weeks old. She weighed about 6 pounds. My biggest male (a neuter), whose name was St. Louis, weighed about 15 lbs. Pashi was upstairs in a bathroom with her babies, and Louie took it into his dimwitted head to stroll in, and poke his head right into the nest box to see what was going on. Pashi struck -- SCREAMING, windmilling her front legs with claws out, running at him, and knocked Louie down a flight of stairs and across a room, where he pasted himself to the door begging to be let outside. She would have chased him all the way across the neighbor's field, I'm sure, if I had not kept her in after letting him squeeze himself out. Before that, Pashi had liked Louie; he was one of her friends among the cats. He just had the temerity to LOOK at her BABIES.
I've seen that explosive reaction one other time in a new mom cat, and I've had a lot of cats who had litters so obviously if it happened all the time I would have seen it lots. But it can happen. And I am sure it had nothing to do with her not feeling well. She was hopping up and down like a boxer warming up, at the back door, seeing if Louie would come back for another round.
Try to keep them separate. Snicks will get over his offended feelings, just let him know that whether or not he is alpha, Alpha does not trump New Mom.
Take care.
Well I just got the baby gates washed off (they were in the basement collecting dust) and set up, put a little blanket in there and made sure the curtains were closed, and packed babies up in a box, kept calling kitty and she wouldn't come, then I heard snickers snarland went back in livingroom and the ps was knocked over and she was sitting in her "nest" looking at me.
So I scooped her up and took her upstairs with me (still carrying the box of kittens) she seems to like the new "nest" ok I guess.. But she was giving me the saddest look ever, as if I was abandoning her :(
She was up there for a couple mins then came down and checked out her old nest then went back upstairs. She had her ears pinned back like she was ready to pounce but she didn't thank goodness.
I hope this helps! She's a beautiful cat and we'd been planning to keep her but poor snickers must be so confused!
So I scooped her up and took her upstairs with me (still carrying the box of kittens) she seems to like the new "nest" ok I guess.. But she was giving me the saddest look ever, as if I was abandoning her :(
She was up there for a couple mins then came down and checked out her old nest then went back upstairs. She had her ears pinned back like she was ready to pounce but she didn't thank goodness.
I hope this helps! She's a beautiful cat and we'd been planning to keep her but poor snickers must be so confused!
I see what you mean, and yes that does sound like she would feel the kittens are more secure....good luck, its great that you are willing to try and solve all this:)
try the feliway too if possible, you should be able to purchase it thru your Vet or any good pet supply store:)
try the feliway too if possible, you should be able to purchase it thru your Vet or any good pet supply store:)
P.s. The baby gate play yard is about 6x6ft
And snickers does not have access to the upstairs at all it could be a private area
And snickers does not have access to the upstairs at all it could be a private area
I was thinking a baby gate play yard, for the kittens. They're getting active and I could set up an area that they can roam around and play. Right now they are beside the couch in a 1x4 ft area.
I can set all her things up there too, litter box, food, and snickers would not be able to get to her, but yes shed be able to jump the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. Unfortunately my house is under construction so the rooms upstairs don't have doorways (construction has been put on hold for now until after the wedding due to $) and none of the rooms downstairs are feasible to put her :( snickers would be able to access them
That might help though, if she feels her kittens are more secure. That's all I can think of to do.
I can set all her things up there too, litter box, food, and snickers would not be able to get to her, but yes shed be able to jump the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. Unfortunately my house is under construction so the rooms upstairs don't have doorways (construction has been put on hold for now until after the wedding due to $) and none of the rooms downstairs are feasible to put her :( snickers would be able to access them
That might help though, if she feels her kittens are more secure. That's all I can think of to do.
if we understood animals we'd all be rich:)....
if she is stressed out and being protective, than I am sending you a link to a product that will help with this...
but also best to keep them separated at least until after she's done nursing...btw don't think a baby gate will do the trick, cats can jump over these very easily, is there a separate room where she can be kept and feel secure?
http://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Zone-Feliway-Diffuser-Single/dp/B003E6WSHK/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1367962213&sr=1-6&keywords=feliway+spray
if she is stressed out and being protective, than I am sending you a link to a product that will help with this...
but also best to keep them separated at least until after she's done nursing...btw don't think a baby gate will do the trick, cats can jump over these very easily, is there a separate room where she can be kept and feel secure?
http://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Zone-Feliway-Diffuser-Single/dp/B003E6WSHK/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1367962213&sr=1-6&keywords=feliway+spray
Opus-Both Kitty and Snickers have recieved deworming meds at least, and she seems to be healthy. That is a good point though, that that is something to look into. Once the kittens have been weaned, I will be taking her in and they will do her shots/spay for $100 its a special program here. But I have to wait until her milk is dried up.
BluCrystal- Hopefully that's all it is, would be a good place to start, anyways..I still have a baby gate play yard that I could set up upstairs so everyone is separate. Might be good idea anyways since the kittens are getting active now.
I just find it strange that sometimes she is ok with Snickers and just when we think things are starting to go ok with them, she attacks him out of nowhere and he will be nowhere near her kittens.
BluCrystal- Hopefully that's all it is, would be a good place to start, anyways..I still have a baby gate play yard that I could set up upstairs so everyone is separate. Might be good idea anyways since the kittens are getting active now.
I just find it strange that sometimes she is ok with Snickers and just when we think things are starting to go ok with them, she attacks him out of nowhere and he will be nowhere near her kittens.
Sounds like your kitty is over-protective of her babies. Some mothers, especially animal mothers, see everything as a threat. She will not stop until her kittens are re-homed. In the meantime, I suggest you separate snickers from the mommy and babies. This should keep things under control. Blessings - Blu
first of all I'm so sorry to what happened to your dear Lucy, that must have been a terrible shock to you all....:(
and also good on you for taking in this poor desperate kitty and now her babies....
I think there is more going on than just being over protective....I'm wondering if there isn't something medically wrong with momma cat..it sounds to me like she maybe having some pain or something going on. I would really suggest until you can see fit to have her examined by a Vet that you do keep her in an area away from Snickers for his own protection...she(the cat) sounds like she is in distress and therefore becoming aggressive.
no, not a good time to be bringing a puppy and more stress into the household
keep us updated ok, good luck♥
and also good on you for taking in this poor desperate kitty and now her babies....
I think there is more going on than just being over protective....I'm wondering if there isn't something medically wrong with momma cat..it sounds to me like she maybe having some pain or something going on. I would really suggest until you can see fit to have her examined by a Vet that you do keep her in an area away from Snickers for his own protection...she(the cat) sounds like she is in distress and therefore becoming aggressive.
no, not a good time to be bringing a puppy and more stress into the household
keep us updated ok, good luck♥
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