Will Mother Cats Attack Dogs to Protect Their Kittens?

Like many mother animals, cats can be very protective, even to the point of being aggressive or fighting other animals. Cats are smaller than most animals, even the other beloved household pet, the dog. That doesn't matter to the queen, or mother cat; she might have many reasons for attacking a dog to protect her kittens.

  1. Protectiveness Aggression

    • A kitten on the lookout for enemies.

      This is the kind of aggression that queens show when someone comes too near her babies. It might cause her to hiss at her owners, and it can lead her to scratch, claw or pounce on a dog. A mother cat doesn't care if the dog is bigger than she is; he'd better not go near her kittens. This is especially true for the first few weeks of the kittens' lives.

    Fear Aggression

    • Cats hiss at threats.

      All cats show this kind of aggression if they feel threatened. Their first choice is to flee, but if they can't, they will act out their fear through growling, hissing, and even attacking and biting. When a dog comes near, a cat has a lot to be afraid of -- dogs are bigger and louder than cats. If the dog comes near her kittens and she's afraid for herself as well as for the kittens, she is likely to attack the dog.

    Territorial Aggression

    • Kittens learning play aggression.

      Cats are well known for the attitude that plainly says, "I am master -- or mistress -- of all I survey." Cats are very territorial, and they lay absolute claim to the space they consider theirs. This territoriality deepens when kittens are born, so much so that most experts caution humans to stay out of the cats' space until the kittens are older. If the intruder is a dog, the queen is even more likely to object to its presence, and she might attack to drive the dog out of her family's space.

    Play Aggression

    • Cats with small kittens might temporarily stop playing with dogs.

      Most aggression seen from cats is play aggression; when cats pounce on you or on each other, they're playing. Some cats and dogs have a very playful relationship with each other, involving pouncing, rolling, wrestling and pinning. But even if a cat and dog are playmates, chances are that if Rover comes too close to her kittens, any aggression the queen shows will not be playful. The dog might have to wait a few weeks to get its play partner back.

    Pain Aggression

    • This cat is about to pounce on the dog.

      One reason cats become aggressive is because they are in pain. This probably won't be a primary reason for the queen to attack a dog right after birthing, but if she's sore from delivery or has mastitis or another infection, her pain, in addition to her natural protectiveness, could cause her to attack a dog.