So we rescued three cats: two kittens and their mother. Mum is still very shy as I've posted about before, but in the last week or two has started to pick on Lily, her daughter. She'll walk up to her and smack her round the head fairly regularly, and chase her across the room to get her (not in a playful way!). She doesn't do this with Zarco, her little boy who she seems fairly fond of and he's always been a bit of a mummy's boy. Lily is a very friendly cat but she gets a bit twitchy when this happens, understandably.

When we rehomed them, we were told that they were a very close unit, and Mum would be really sad without them. We've seen evidence of this when Lily/Zarco have disappeared for quite a few hours and Mum has gone searching everywhere for them. Does anyone else have mums still with a kitten or two, is this normal? Or is this Mum finally feeling a bit more confident here and letting out her real feelings?

Edit: We got them at the start of October 2011 when the kittens were 6 months old. It's only now this is happening.

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Our lovely cat family: Zarco, Lily and their mum, Jess.

This is actually normal - in the wild the mum would need to chase them off to find their own territory. Are the kittens neutered? They should eventually settle into a pecking order and all will be right again.

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please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

That's good to know! Does that mean I shouldn't step and shout at her, and let them get it sorted...?

Yup, both kittens were already neutered when we got them.

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Our lovely cat family: Zarco, Lily and their mum, Jess.

Try a feliway or pet rescue diffuser and only step in if you think it is getting too much. My Coda pesters the others and I only step in if it bugs me cos they are annoying me or if I feel the others are just not into it. It is bugging in her case though.

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please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

Thanks spid! I'll get a Feliway and try to resist defending Lily's honour quite so much. Might help them come to an understanding! *fingers crossed for harmony and happiness*

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Our lovely cat family: Zarco, Lily and their mum, Jess.

It's probably because Lily is another girl - 2 female cats can see each other as rivals, even mums and daughters. 2 boys get on better, or opposite sexes. I had a shy mum cat and 2 kittens, but they were both boys and got on fine with her

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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

Lily needs to be spayed as soon as possible, if it hasn't been done yet, and so does her mother.
Zarco should have been neutered by now, too.

Mother sees Lily as competition and Zarco as a possible mate. When both mother and daughter are spayed, there is less chance of her chasing her daughter away, but some mothers will do so, anyway. It is a natural instinct, but when both mother and daughter are spayed before the daughter can be perceived as competition, many mothers will accept the daughter to stay around.

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Jiskefet & the mognificent Dutch bunch

My little angels at the rainbow bridge

Kittens have already been neutered
Pinkbetty - as others have said, it is quite normal and the Feliway might help to settle things.

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

Yup, both neutered before we got them at 6 months. Not sure how old they were when it was done though. We'll just have to sit it out and see what happens. Does the mum normally come out as top cat or does it depend on the cats? It's a relief to know they'll settle it eventually.

Thanks for the advice!

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Our lovely cat family: Zarco, Lily and their mum, Jess.

So a few months later....and she's still hissing and scrapping with both Lily and Zarco too now, although much better with us (not to the point of physical contact yet). How long should we expect the power struggle to go on? We want to give her time, but it upsets the kittens and we want them to be safe and happy too!

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Our lovely cat family: Zarco, Lily and their mum, Jess.