u/Cosmosis_Oasis

I've had my three kittens for a month, including a timid little one who’s 3 months old. (The other two are bonded and a month older.) The introduction phase was rough; on day one, she got stuck in an unreachable spot, and I could supply her with food, water, and litter while I tried to coax her out but it took five days. She finally settled into me when she emerged, purring and it felt so nice to finally love and comfort her.

The other two kittens play rough, which intimidates her, so she often hides, observing instead of joining in. She would often run from me, so I’m careful to limit my interactions to nose boops with my finger, respecting her boundaries. (She does give them back.) Fortunately, she’s slowly coming out more, but any attempt to pet her still scares her, so I’m wary of pushing too hard.

I want her to know love! The older kittens are affectionate and have even started to include her in their play, but she’s still hesitant. We've made some progress: I’ve held her a few times, and she purrs, but it doesn’t last long.

I’m concerned about her well-being and want her to feel safe and loved. We play for hours, have Feliway diffusers in common areas, and feed them communally. But compared to the others, she seems distant and doesn’t trust me yet.

I have a vet appointment next Friday that I fear might set back all our progress because I will have to scoop her up to get her into the crate. Has anyone experienced this with a shy kitten? Will she eventually embrace affection? Any advice on building her trust would be appreciated! Also, if I have lost my window of trust building with her, please let me know best ways to support her. I feel so sad for her.

I lost my girl unexpectedly. She was being treated for something else and the treatment caused her to pass. I have lost many animals in a long lifetime, but this loss is profound. I don't think I will ever quite get over it. I sometimes would even believe we would have conversations in my head & heart. Not always, but we understood each other without words. She never misbehaved or needed redirection for bad behavior. Good as gold, honestly.

I do energy work and other holistic treatments, but I am too close and sad to tap in. It is like I get an empty space when I want to make contact.

Her brother is pictured in the next photo and he is older. We thought he would be first to go. He cries and rubs her box with her ashes and favorite toys in it. (I sleep with all that in my bed because I still can't believe she is gone.) He keeps laying in her favorite spots. I have never seen a cat grieve so hard. Is there anything I can do to help him? Last night he cried to get up into bed and just seemed so inconsolable.

The two of us are so brokenhearted.

Help! One of my kitten thinks I'm an Ogre!

I lost my best friend and a part of my heart on May 3rd. Looking for anything from my soul cat. My older cat is grieving so hard, too.