We adopted an 8-week-old kitten, Loki, about a month ago. A friend of the family had rescued a mamma cat who had five kittens. Loki was the last of his litter to be adopted, so we couldn't get a pair. I work from home so I've been able to play with him, feed him, and cuddle with him throughout the day. My 14-year-old son also lives with me, but he's in school all day. It's been a lot of work raising little Loki and I've been having trouble getting my work done. I thought he would enjoy another kitty to play with, so we found another single kitten, a little sweetheart named Jupiter. Jupiter is about a month older than Loki.
We brought Jupiter home and Loki was immediately terrified and furious. We put Jupiter in my son's room with his own food and litter box and tried to slowly introduce the two kittens. Loki hissed and spat and growled and tried to fight Jupiter through my son's door. Then my son just let Loki into his room with Jupiter and Loki went into attack mode. He didn't actually hit Jupiter, but he was growling and hissing and spiting. I separated the two cats (and told my son how foolish that was). It was all very overwhelming. We tried the slow introduction for three days, but Loki did not budge. Both kittens kept us up all night, poor Jupiter crying to get out of my son's room and Loki growling and hissing at the door.
Monday came and I had to get my son to a doctor's appointment and then school. Both cats still in distress. I came back home to two very stressed kittens. I tried to play with Jupiter in my son's room, but Loki growled outside. Then I left Jupiter in my son's to attend to Loki and Jupiter cried. Then I had a work meeting. I'm not proud of this, but I became very overwhelmed and had a panic attack. I suffer from depression and anxiety and I just moved across country to be with my son. I have no support network. Excuses, I know, but I couldn't handle the pain of hearing poor Jupiter cry and Loki hiss and growl. I called the rescue where we found Jupiter and asked if they could take him back and find a better situation for him. I gave up. The rescue operator was understanding and gladly took Jupiter back. I cried all day.
I feel horrible. Jupiter was a sweet, sweet kitten, but I couldn't handle integrating him into our home. The rescue organization will find a better home for him where he can get the love and support he needs as a kitten.
The Jupiter situation was traumatic and now I am second guessing Loki. I've raised him basically myself since he was 8 weeks old, which now I realize was probably too early to adopt him, but the person we got him from said it was okay. He didn't have enough time with other cats. I'm worried that he will suffer from "single kitten syndrome" and become an unmanageable cat. I'm also worried that I won't be enough for him. My son has a lot to do with high school and just being a teenager, so I don't expect him to give Loki a lot of his attention. At this point I wonder if I should try to find Loki a better home with other cats where he can have a better life. On the other hand, I am pretty much all he's known. I'm his caretaker and playmate.
I love animals and I care for them deeply. I thought I could handle raising a kitten alone with a full-time job and a teenager—I know many people do. But maybe I'm just not able to right now. Maybe I should find Loki a good home with multiple caretakers, get my life and mind in order, and find an adult cat to adopt in a few years.
Your advice would be much appreciated.
We brought Jupiter home and Loki was immediately terrified and furious. We put Jupiter in my son's room with his own food and litter box and tried to slowly introduce the two kittens. Loki hissed and spat and growled and tried to fight Jupiter through my son's door. Then my son just let Loki into his room with Jupiter and Loki went into attack mode. He didn't actually hit Jupiter, but he was growling and hissing and spiting. I separated the two cats (and told my son how foolish that was). It was all very overwhelming. We tried the slow introduction for three days, but Loki did not budge. Both kittens kept us up all night, poor Jupiter crying to get out of my son's room and Loki growling and hissing at the door.
Monday came and I had to get my son to a doctor's appointment and then school. Both cats still in distress. I came back home to two very stressed kittens. I tried to play with Jupiter in my son's room, but Loki growled outside. Then I left Jupiter in my son's to attend to Loki and Jupiter cried. Then I had a work meeting. I'm not proud of this, but I became very overwhelmed and had a panic attack. I suffer from depression and anxiety and I just moved across country to be with my son. I have no support network. Excuses, I know, but I couldn't handle the pain of hearing poor Jupiter cry and Loki hiss and growl. I called the rescue where we found Jupiter and asked if they could take him back and find a better situation for him. I gave up. The rescue operator was understanding and gladly took Jupiter back. I cried all day.
I feel horrible. Jupiter was a sweet, sweet kitten, but I couldn't handle integrating him into our home. The rescue organization will find a better home for him where he can get the love and support he needs as a kitten.
The Jupiter situation was traumatic and now I am second guessing Loki. I've raised him basically myself since he was 8 weeks old, which now I realize was probably too early to adopt him, but the person we got him from said it was okay. He didn't have enough time with other cats. I'm worried that he will suffer from "single kitten syndrome" and become an unmanageable cat. I'm also worried that I won't be enough for him. My son has a lot to do with high school and just being a teenager, so I don't expect him to give Loki a lot of his attention. At this point I wonder if I should try to find Loki a better home with other cats where he can have a better life. On the other hand, I am pretty much all he's known. I'm his caretaker and playmate.
I love animals and I care for them deeply. I thought I could handle raising a kitten alone with a full-time job and a teenager—I know many people do. But maybe I'm just not able to right now. Maybe I should find Loki a good home with multiple caretakers, get my life and mind in order, and find an adult cat to adopt in a few years.
Your advice would be much appreciated.