Just like with mothers and their babies, if someone comes too close to a litter of kittens, especially if they are very young, the female queen will become very aggressive.
Even if your cat is normally very placid towards you, maternal instincts will kick in and she may become aggressive.
Maternal Aggression Maternal aggression in domestic cats is very unpredictable.
Some will start hissing as soon as they see you approaching, some will lash out if you get too close.
While most nursing cats will have a fairly good idea of who to trust and who might be a threat, be prepared for the unpredictable.
It is very important that your cat be provided with a warm and secure nesting area prior to the birth of the kittens.
She needs easy access to food and fresh water and the litter tray.
For the first few days and weeks, she will only leave the kittens to eat and relieve herself.
Make sure no-one, including yourself, touches the kittens while they are very young.
It is the same as you not wanting too many people holding your newborn baby.
You want to protect it from any possible harm.
As the kittens grow and become more adventurous, you can start handling them and socializing them to accept human touch.
This is a very important part of a kitten's growth.
And as the kittens grow, your cat will allow more 'liberties' to be taken with them.
To prevent this maternal aggression in your cat, have her spayed.
It is as simple as that.
And despite the old wives tale, it is not necessary for your cat to have a litter before being spayed.
If you wish to keep your cat 'whole' for any reason, make sure she isn't allowed outdoors while she is on heat.
Paternal Aggression This is fairly rare but does occur in wild and some domestic cats.
A male cat may kill the kittens of a female that has mated with another male that could be considered a 'competitor'.
This goes back to the days of wild cats when killing the offspring of a competitor prevented the genes being passed on.
Once the kittens are dead, the male is then free to mate with the female as soon as she comes on heat again, giving him the opportunity to pass on his genes to another generation.
If you notice signs of paternal aggression in your male cat, make sure the female and kittens are kept in a secure and safe place, out of his reach.
If you know of nesting females in your local area, warn them to keep their cat and kittens safe as well.
Again the solution is simple.
Have you male cat neutered as early as possible.
Check with your vet about this.
With no hormonal factors influencing the tomcat, the behavior will not occur.
Once the opportunity for paternal aggression is removed, your tomcat should revert to being a normal happy cat.
If you do not want to neuter your male cat for any reason, you must keep him indoors where he is unable to mate with any females.
This will have the added bonus of helping prevent the spread of feral cats.