Hello! I've not posted in a long time, but I have a cat, about 2 years old, and her kitten (single birth) about 8 months old. We had the mother cat, Bethesda, spayed about 5/6 months ago and all was fine, they carried on like nothing happened.

Today we got the kitten, Pigget, spayed.

When Bethesda finally came in - usually Pigget rushes to great her, but today, obviously she was too out of it. Good thing too, because she started growling and hissing at her!!

I feel heartbroken as I read up online that Bethesda basically doesn't recognize her baby because she smells different now... And poor pigget doesn't understand why her mummy - the person she's closest to, she's not even close to as loving to us as she is to Bethesda - hates her so much

Is that true? Does she think Pigget is someone else? Will they ever be as close??
I'm really starting to regret the spay now, even though I know it was for the best, i know... I just want to know bethesda will love her again...

:'(

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maybe she just smells different because she has been at the vets , could you rub her blanket on her so she gets back to smelling like she did ?

my neighbour recently experienced something similar. there 16 year old cat got its tail slammed in the door and it had to be amputated by the vet. when the cat came home there boxer dog , who had always been freinds with the cat became intent on chasing it every time she caught sight of him . they had to keep them seperate for a couple of weeks but now they are fine again and the dog has accepted the cat back into the family and no longer chases him at all.

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As natty says the chances are pigget just smells strange because she's been to the vets, either that or bethesda can sense she's poorly / injured. This sort of reaction is common in these circumstances and will calm down after a couple of days.

I'm not saying this is the case now but often mother and kitten will just naturally grow apart. My mum has a rescue cat and her kitten, they used to be really close but now are indifferent to each other, cats aren't really like us and after a period of time they don't recognise any form of family connection.

It's more than likely because Pigget has been to the vet and smells strange. Rosie hissed at Mai Tai when she came back from stud earlier this year just because she had been away for a few days and didn't smell the same - they're not related but they are very close

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How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. - Robert A. Heinlein
http://www.lambchopsiamese.webs.com

Thank you all for the replies. It's made me feel a lot better.

Bethesda is still growling and hissing, but not as bad, and obviously it's only been one day.

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hopefully she will start to recognise her in a day or two as she was only gone a few hours. On a downer years and years ago I had a siamese who had one kitten. At 8 weeks old the kitten was at the vets for a week as she had a problem with her intestine and needed major surgery. She ran to her mum when she returned but she was greeted with hissing and the mother never did befriend her again and they lived for about 14 years!
My daughters cat also decided not to like her kitten when he was about 5 months old - for no reason, perhaps its to make way for another litter if nature had its way

just to give another side of things though

Indy was seperated from his mum at 5 weeks as she was poorly and had no milk - she then lived outside/feral and he lived indoors - apart from occasional sightings when Indy was walking on harness they never properly 'met' again until Indy was 2 after our house fire

after 2 years apart they ran up to each other and were cheek rubbing, purring and all over each other - now this should no have been possible but their bond was as strong as ever

he was her only surviving kitten

I'm sure Bethesda and Pigget will be fine after a few days to get used to each other again

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My old cat Charcoal was spayed at the same time as her kittens, Tabby and Panda, and everything was fine, but the kittens were male and I've heard that 2 females can regard each other as rivals, whereas opposite sexes are usually fine. Hopefully this won't last too long though!

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RIP Charcoal my shy girl 1987-2000, Patch the wanderer 1987-?, Tabby my darling fluffball 1988-2002 & Panda the rascal 1988-2008

Queens may regard each other as rivals, but it is not unnatural for (semi-) feral cats to hang around in family groups, either. These clowders consist of adult females (sisters, or mother and daughters, often from various litters) and their respective kittens. Adult males are not tolerated in the group, so the male kittens are chased away when they reach sexual maturity.

Neutered cats are not regarded as 'male' by the queens, so they will usually be accepted. But the closeness and affection found between neutered domesticated toms is a lot rarer among queens, though it does exist.

In this case of mother and daughter, the rejection is most likely to be caused by the 'clinical' smell of the vet's practice.
Take Pigget in your arms as much as possible, so she will smell like you, rub her with a blanket she used to sleep on, and which will have her 'old' scent, and maybe even rub her with a blanket of Bethestda's, so she will have HER scent, too.

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Jiskefet & the mognificent Dutch bunch

My little angels at the rainbow bridge

We've got a similar situation at the moment. Our 18 month old Siamese is hissing and swiping for our two 7 1/2 month old Orientals who were spayed yesterday. I'm hoping it passes soon, they were one big family until yesterday!

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Bonnie, slave to...
Lulabel (Blue Point Siamese type, 23rd May '10)
Minnie & Henry (Caramel Tabby Oriental types, 2nd April '11)
RIP Hendrix (Black Oriental type, died on 10th May '11 at 11 months old)