It so hard. Can you bond with the little fur babies in just 2 weeks? More like 2 days. It wouldn't be for a lack of desire to care for them or the financial burden to be sure (I could afford to buy them in the first place right?) We just have to really sit down and decide if we have the right home. And BTW the juries still out on the other boy. He shows signs of it but now he is totally normal. I'm hoping it's the change of diet and the other one will respond as well.
They get their little claws in our hearts instantaneously. I know it's hard and I understand the gamut of emotions you are experiencing -- kind of like an out of control roller coaster, right? You mentioned earlier that you didn't feel your home was providing the stress associated with onset of this condition. But you're looking at it from the human perspective.
From the kitten perspective, they were taken from their mom and the environment into which they were born and put into a strange place with strange smells, sounds, and people who were strangers to them. It takes a bit of time for them to adjust. It could be that they are super sensitive babies and need more time to get used to a new home than others might. So Paige is correct to caution you to not give up too soon. But still in all, if they are prone to stress-related FLUTDs, then it may be a lifelong dance. Good stress can be just as much of a trigger as bad stress.
Sometimes there are no good solutions. My 2nd SV came from the same breeder as the first. The first kitten was deaf and I kept him. The second arrived with severe patellar dysplasia on both knees. I had 72 hrs to make a decision about keeping him. My husband and I fell in love with him at first sight. His personality was extraordinary. I had an emergency consult with an orthopedic specialist who said due to his large size and potential to be a large cat, he couldn't guarantee that the surgery would be successful and I should be prepared to have a cat that could be in pain for his lifetime, which could be shortened by the condition. The surgery costs were $4000 per leg.
I had an ailing DSH and a deaf kitten and could not bear the thought of perhaps losing this new cat early nor could I commit the amount of time it would take in the recovery and rehab process. I sent him back the next day. I cried for months afterward. It's been 4 years and I still feel like
and I still love that cat. But in my heart, I knew it was the wrong time for me to take on that challenge.
When you make your decision, listen to your heart.
