Why is my feral mom cat suddenly aggressive when I approach with food?

Kittens are socialized through interaction with the mother cat and their littermates, and kittens who are separated from mom at a young age tend to miss out on this socialization. One explanation for why they may seem more aggressive is that they are treating people like other cats, and being more aggressive with them. I will also say that it is pretty common for cats to be fearful and therefore aggressive at the veterinary clinic - and who could blame them? Unpleasant things they don't understand tend to happen there. If she seems anxious and fearful at the vet you could ask about things to try to reduce her stress level like pheromones or a sedative.

Cats are very sensitive to other cats in their territory. Unlike most dogs that will accept another dog into their house relatively easily, for cats it can be a different story. Your cat is upset by the presence of the strange cat in your house. Animals behave that way sometimes for reasons that are unclear, taking their anger out on you. She may smell the foster cat on you. I would definitely keep them separated from each other and give her some time and space to possibly accept the fosters presence. Don't get hurt! I wouldn't force your attention on her for now. Maybe in a few days she'll be easier to approach.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem with Winnie! Some mother cats do become aggressive when they have young kittens nearby, and it's not uncommon for aggression to be directed towards some people and not others. I would recommend finding another place for her in the house where you will not need to be around her until the kittens are older, if possible. If you aren't able to do this, you may be able to help this problem by tossing treats on the floor for her to keep her busy when you need to walk through the room - this should help her to associate good things with your presence, and will give her something else to keep her occupied when you are passing by.

Cats are not naturally sociable and it is not uncommon for mothers to reject the kittens beyond puberty. It may ve worth considering segregation to different parts of the house or even rehoming one if very aggressive.. Pheromone products and calming diets or supplements can help in less severe cases

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!

The kittens should be weaned at 6-8 weeks. Not all animals are natural, nurturing mothers, and she may just not know how to make the kittens go away. I would recommend separating them. The kittens still need a safe environment and easy access to kitten food, but they no longer need mom for milk.

If Angel seemed healthy on Monday I would be surprised if her behavior was due to a medical condition although it is possible that she is acting more aggressive due to pain. You may want to try confining her to a small area of the house and making sure that she has to interact with you when she is fed to help acclimate her. It can take cats a long time to become comfortable in new surroundings and if she is truly feral and an older cat she may never be particularly affectionate towards people. If you feel like she may be painful or if anything else changes it might be a good idea to recheck with your vet.