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Still Grieving, But I Want A Kitten... Too Soon?
- Thread starter rosegold
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She is so darn CUTE! Glad to hear she is healthy and ready to go. I'll bet you can't wait to get her home. Let the snuggling begin!
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Lelia had her third set of kitten shots the day I tool her home. And she was already spayed. It was super nice to have that all taken care of and just be able to bond.
Enjoy your new little one!
Enjoy your new little one!
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Thank you everyone! I am so excited to get her home.
Everything feels very bittersweet at the moment. I think getting the kitten home will in some ways finalize the fact that Chai is really truly gone, she is not coming back, and we have to move on without her. The new kitten is not Chai, even if it looks a bit like her, and nothing I do can ever bring Chai back. Part of me worries that I won’t be able to bond with the kitten until I can truly accept all of that, or that I will put unfair expectations on her to be more like Chai...
But, maybe I should give myself a little more credit. I think I can fully love a new baby while still fully mourning one that has passed. Besides, not every kitty can be literal love at first sight like Chai was for me! It took me a couple months to fully bond and fall in love with Chilli when I first got her, and I still took good care of her her and interacted with her just as much at the beginning as I do now. Just because she didn’t “fulfill” certain things I had wanted when getting my first cat (like enjoying laps or lying on my chest) doesn’t mean that she isn’t 100% perfect to me the way she is. So I am trying to put my anxieties aside and know that at the very least, this new kitten will be spoiled and loved with the best of care.
Everything feels very bittersweet at the moment. I think getting the kitten home will in some ways finalize the fact that Chai is really truly gone, she is not coming back, and we have to move on without her. The new kitten is not Chai, even if it looks a bit like her, and nothing I do can ever bring Chai back. Part of me worries that I won’t be able to bond with the kitten until I can truly accept all of that, or that I will put unfair expectations on her to be more like Chai...
But, maybe I should give myself a little more credit. I think I can fully love a new baby while still fully mourning one that has passed. Besides, not every kitty can be literal love at first sight like Chai was for me! It took me a couple months to fully bond and fall in love with Chilli when I first got her, and I still took good care of her her and interacted with her just as much at the beginning as I do now. Just because she didn’t “fulfill” certain things I had wanted when getting my first cat (like enjoying laps or lying on my chest) doesn’t mean that she isn’t 100% perfect to me the way she is. So I am trying to put my anxieties aside and know that at the very least, this new kitten will be spoiled and loved with the best of care.
Members have posted before that they had a hard time loving their new kitten/cat, as they were still mourning another cat's loss. But others find the new kitten/cat helped with their grief.
Your connection with Chai was special, and you may never experience that same type of bond again. And it will be different with a kitten and an older cat, but I know you'll be a purrfect mom to both of them.
Your connection with Chai was special, and you may never experience that same type of bond again. And it will be different with a kitten and an older cat, but I know you'll be a purrfect mom to both of them.
OK. First as far as three being more work than two. I remember that struggle thirty years ago. Then I found #4 aloneThese are all great suggestions! I think Cayenne is really cute too and goes great with Chilli. I suppose I could also just have Chilli and Pepper.
I got a couple updated pictures of my kitten today and I wanted to share.She looks scared in these photos because they were taken at the vet, but she got her 3rd vaccinations today and was cleared as healthy and ready to go by the vet! I’ll still probably take her to my own vet soon after getting her just to make sure. But her current caretakers seem really hands-on with her health and are going to give all the records and proofs to me. Maybe that’s just ordinary procedure—when I adopted Chai she was sick and I couldn’t get any medical history no matter how much I begged, so this is very refreshing for me.
Kitten pictures below
Her eye color has changed a bit since the photos from two weeks ago. I think she is so lovely!
I think Clove is in the lead name-wise, but still waiting until I get her to see if it fits.
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Clove is adorable !! Don't be discouraged if Chilli doesn't take to her immediately - I rescued a mama and three kittens two months ago and some of my more standoffish guys are just now coming around. It's hard to resist adorable. A mouse toy was the ice breaker.
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You will be a fantastic mom to this little one -- don't doubt yourself for a minute. Just be prepared for lots and lots of action and rambunctiousness! Kittens get into everything! You and Chilli have hours of entertainment ahead! (By the way, Chilli looks adorable in that Santa hat!)
Chai watches over you all. And you WILL reunite in due time. But Chai is very glad you have opened your heart and your home to this adorable kitten girl, and in time, you will see her unique personality shining through and be able to bond with her. When I lost my Queen Simba and adopted Rani, I didn't know if I could ever bond with the wild, remote-seeming kitten. Over time, Rani became as bonded with me, and I with her, as Simba and I were, and it was as if Simba was giving Rani wisdom and instructions in all of the most important things she needed to share with me and the family. And I came to love Rani as much as Simba. Each is unique and precious to me.
Clove won't fill holes of course, but kittens are a wonderful and welcome distraction
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My kitten is home!!!
Still not decided on a name—will probably go with Clove or Evie, but there are still a few others I’m considering. She is doing good! She is quite shy so far, which is understandable, but she really perked up once I brought in the toys and the treats (don’t mind the dried treat all over her nose!). She is so small and SO cute.
I couldn’t help but get a bit emotional as I lay on the bathroom floor with her earlier tonight, offering her treats and talking to her while she hid in her box. Those who followed my story with Chai know that I spent so many hours in that exact same position. It was very bittersweet. But it also felt oddly therapeutic and natural. I swear I could almost feel Chai’s presence there to comfort both me and her little lookalike kitten.
Anyway, onto the most important part: pictures! Isn’t she the cutest??
Still not decided on a name—will probably go with Clove or Evie, but there are still a few others I’m considering. She is doing good! She is quite shy so far, which is understandable, but she really perked up once I brought in the toys and the treats (don’t mind the dried treat all over her nose!). She is so small and SO cute.
I couldn’t help but get a bit emotional as I lay on the bathroom floor with her earlier tonight, offering her treats and talking to her while she hid in her box. Those who followed my story with Chai know that I spent so many hours in that exact same position. It was very bittersweet. But it also felt oddly therapeutic and natural. I swear I could almost feel Chai’s presence there to comfort both me and her little lookalike kitten.
Anyway, onto the most important part: pictures! Isn’t she the cutest??
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Congratulations on getting your new baby home!!
Oh my. Look at that cute overload! 
And she has the faintest stripes in the orange patch on her side like my calico girl, Iris. And a fine set of whiskers. Congratulations! Chilli may be a bit overwhelmed at first, but she seemed to adapt well to Chai from your descriptions. You’re going to have such fun with this sweetie!
And she has the faintest stripes in the orange patch on her side like my calico girl, Iris. And a fine set of whiskers. Congratulations! Chilli may be a bit overwhelmed at first, but she seemed to adapt well to Chai from your descriptions. You’re going to have such fun with this sweetie!
Yes! The cutest! I am so happy for you both!
She's adorable -- such a soulful expression and so focused! *And of course Chai is watching over you, proud that you have opened your heart and home to this baby in need!*
Congratulations on finally bringing her home, I can understand that bittersweet feeling but it's worth it. If she will let you pick her up and hold her then that would be a good thing to do, if hold her to your chest so she can feel your heartbeat it can help calm her down and is a good way to bond with her.My kitten is home!!!
Still not decided on a name—will probably go with Clove or Evie, but there are still a few others I’m considering. She is doing good! She is quite shy so far, which is understandable, but she really perked up once I brought in the toys and the treats (don’t mind the dried treat all over her nose!). She is so small and SO cute.
I couldn’t help but get a bit emotional as I lay on the bathroom floor with her earlier tonight, offering her treats and talking to her while she hid in her box. Those who followed my story with Chai know that I spent so many hours in that exact same position. It was very bittersweet. But it also felt oddly therapeutic and natural. I swear I could almost feel Chai’s presence there to comfort both me and her little lookalike kitten.
Anyway, onto the most important part: pictures! Isn’t she the cutest??
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I'm so happy for you! She is darling! I love her markings. Congratulations on finally bringing her home. Let us know how it goes with Chilli and this little one. And I hope we are in for lots more adorable photos!
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Thank you everyone! Clove (I think it’s official!) is already so much fun and SO sweet. She’s been purring for hours and wants to be on me or touching me all the time. She also loves playing with all her toys and prancing around and overall seems like a very healthy, happy-go-lucky girl!
She did growl and get scared when she heard/smelled Chilli outside the door. But a toy distracted her pretty quick. Chilli is doing fine so far—she caught sight of the baby last night when she first arrived, and has just been slightly cautious ever since. MUCH more at ease than when Chai was first here. I haven’t done official scent swapping yet, but when she sniffs my hands after I pet the kitten, she just rubs on them or ignores them. Even when the kitten is meowing, Chilli is happy to eat right outside the door and isn’t really paying much attention. She’s more interested in begging for kitten food.
I’m going to message the vet today and send him the information about the vaccinations, etc that Clove has already had, and hopefully will get the okay to start introducing the two of them.
She did growl and get scared when she heard/smelled Chilli outside the door. But a toy distracted her pretty quick. Chilli is doing fine so far—she caught sight of the baby last night when she first arrived, and has just been slightly cautious ever since. MUCH more at ease than when Chai was first here. I haven’t done official scent swapping yet, but when she sniffs my hands after I pet the kitten, she just rubs on them or ignores them. Even when the kitten is meowing, Chilli is happy to eat right outside the door and isn’t really paying much attention. She’s more interested in begging for kitten food.
I’m going to message the vet today and send him the information about the vaccinations, etc that Clove has already had, and hopefully will get the okay to start introducing the two of them.
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This has been a great thread to read, thank you,
rosegold
.
By the way, why limit yourself to one name for Clove? My cat has three names.
rosegold
.By the way, why limit yourself to one name for Clove? My cat has three names.
What cat doesn't crave kitten food?!!Thank you everyone! Clove (I think it’s official!) is already so much fun and SO sweet. She’s been purring for hours and wants to be on me or touching me all the time. She also loves playing with all her toys and prancing around and overall seems like a very healthy, happy-go-lucky girl!
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She did growl and get scared when she heard/smelled Chilli outside the door. But a toy distracted her pretty quick. Chilli is doing fine so far—she caught sight of the baby last night when she first arrived, and has just been slightly cautious ever since. MUCH more at ease than when Chai was first here. I haven’t done official scent swapping yet, but when she sniffs my hands after I pet the kitten, she just rubs on them or ignores them. Even when the kitten is meowing, Chilli is happy to eat right outside the door and isn’t really paying much attention. She’s more interested in begging for kitten food.
I’m going to message the vet today and send him the information about the vaccinations, etc that Clove has already had, and hopefully will get the okay to start introducing the two of them.
Sounds like they are making excellent progress and hopefully the vet will give the go-ahead for intros to begin! It sounds like Chilli might be very much into the idea of a new kitten in the family. All the very BEST to you all as you embark on this new journey, so to speak!
