Mother Cat agressive towards Female 4 Month Old Kitten

by Helen
(Bradenton, Florida)

My cat has two kittens both female 4 months old. I recently had all three spayed. The kitten in question came in the other day with a bite wound in her face. It was bleeding and after a couple of days had a high temp. Took her to Vet and she had to stay there 3 days. Vet said it probably was a cat bite. Now kitten is back home and Mom cat is hissing and doesn't want anything to do with her. I think the Mom cat bit her. I'm afraid to leave them alone together. The other kitten doesn't show agresstion at all. Mom cat is fine with the other female. The wounded kitten has not fully recovered and the hair has been shaved off her wound and the wound is terrible but healing. I don't think she is adoptable at this point. At least not until she has healed.

Why would a wonderful mother cat (she has always been such a good mother) suddently turn on on this kitten? Is it because she is wounded? Is it becuse she was at the Vet. Or maybe the Mom cat actually caused the wound.

Please help here!

Answer by Kate
This sounds like trauma aggression to me and is caused when something truamatic or different happens and frightens a cat who then react by being aggressive ie this is how they show their fear. If the mother cat didn't cause the bite then this is probably why is acing strange towards the cat at the moment because something tramatic has happened to the kitten and also may smell different due to the vets and treatmemt.
Keep them apart of at least supevised for a week of so and then rub the mother cats scent onto the kitten to help her calm down again.