I paid the deposit on May 25th and brought him home on the evening of May 31st, so I named him May. He was born on April 11th, making him a little over a month old—a tiny male kitten.
The week before bringing him home, I scoured the internet for advice since he was so young and hadn’t even been vaccinated yet. The previous owner assured me that he was already using the litter box and eating cat food, so it was safe to bring him home.
Well, it’s my first time raising a cat, so I didn’t dare ask too many questions. I saw online that some people raise kittens from such a young age, so I thought, why not?
After paying the deposit, the week of waiting felt like an eternity. On the evening of May 31st, I drove to pick him up after work. (Why May 31st? Because I work during the week and was afraid he’d be scared if left alone during the day. I waited until Friday so I could spend the weekend bonding with him.)
When I got there, I realized he was the skinniest of the litter. Photos and videos didn’t show it, but when I held him, I could feel how bony he was.
My heart ached for little May. He might have been bullied by his littermates, struggling to compete for milk against stronger siblings, which left him so thin and timid.
On the way home, he was initially in a cardboard box, but he insisted on jumping out and climbing to the back of the car. That moment melted my heart. (Forgive the poor phone camera quality.)
At home, we already had a dog—a one-year-old Pomeranian named NiuNiu. She’s lively but doesn’t bark much, an angelic little girl. When she saw the kitten, she got so excited, whining and wagging her tail furiously.
Naturally, this scared the kitten, who immediately hissed, puffed up his fur, and looked ready to fight.
I quickly separated them, taking NiuNiu to another room and letting the kitten have some alone time. At bedtime, my husband took NiuNiu upstairs while I kept the kitten in my room.
Little May cried all night, probably missing his mom. My heart broke for him. He didn’t drink water or eat anything.
It wasn’t until around 5 a.m. that I brought him onto the bed, and he finally relaxed enough to play with me.
Early in the morning, I went out to buy chicken breast, boiled it plain, and fed it to him. This time, he finally ate (which eased this anxious cat mom’s worries a bit).
I also gave him some goat milk. After eating, I placed him in the litter box, and he cleverly used it right away—though he only peed, no poop yet.
I spent the afternoon playing with him in the room.
Those innocent little eyes…
When he got tired, he slept in all sorts of positions. I noticed he loved squeezing himself into tight spaces. So cute!
In the evening, I tried letting him interact with NiuNiu again. He wasn’t as scared as on the 31st, but he still puffed up and looked fierce whenever she got close.
Over the next few days, he became less timid, but he still got nervous around NiuNiu and would hiss at her out of fear.
Poor NiuNiu—she’s just a baby herself and only wants to play.
Here’s a video from last year when we took NiuNiu out. She thought we were abandoning her when we went to the restroom and started barking desperately.
It’s Tuesday now, and May has been home for a few days, but he still hasn’t pooped.
I’m so worried! I even tried stimulating him with a cotton swab, but it didn’t work.
When I came home from work yesterday, I noticed his pupils were larger than before. I looked it up and learned that cats’ pupils dilate more at night.
But I think his big black pupils are adorable—much cuter than when they’re tiny dots.
By the way, the reason I chose May in the first place was that the previous owner said he was a long-haired British Shorthair, a throwback in his lineage. I’ve always wanted a long-haired cat, and he was the only long-haired one in his litter. But his fur doesn’t seem that long now, so I’m not sure if he’ll grow into it. A bit worried…
We’ll grow together and become better versions of ourselves.
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