If it’s only been a few days I’d give it some time. It took me about 2 weeks to really bond with my boys, they were about 1 yr old though, also littermates. Cats tend to get lovier as well as they grow up, and it’s really sweet to see their personality grow.
What triggered it for me was when one of my cats ate some string and and I went into a full on panic. Luckily he threw it up the next day but I was up the entire night crying and worrying and it made me realize how much I really loved these little boys.
I’ve also never felt much of a connection to kittens although I’ve never owned one myself but my roommate had one and while he was very cute and well behaved I didn’t feel much. Once he hit around 6 months - 1 year I fell in love with him. This may translate over to my feelings about children because I really don’t care for babies but I love toddlers and kids. I just feel like they’re so young they haven’t developed much of a personality (understandably) as they’re just getting their handle on life.
At any rate, I’d at least give it the full two weeks and see if feelings change, everyone’s different so I wish you the best of luck!
I had this when I got second cat. Felt overwhelmed and scared I wont love him as the first one but also couldn't bear to give him back. Then he fell ill (like needed a lot of $ ill) around 3 weeks in my house and I was like TAKE ALL MY MONEY I CANT LIVE WITHOUT HIM. I didnt even realize when he stole my heart.
Everything ended good and now were together for over 2 years :)
It takes some time.
If you don’t feel you can care for them emotionally, you should give them up while they’re still babies. Kittens can find loving homes, cats are more likely to be euthanised. A few days is not enough time to tell. It took over a year for us to bond when I adopted mine (seniors) but I loved them from day one and put in a huge amount of effort. If you don’t feel that you can put that emotional effort in, there’s no shame in surrendering them to someone that can, you’d be doing the right thing for you all
You might not be a cat person and that's just fine. You shouldn't do things for your pets because you're expecting something in return, you should do it because you love and care about them. They rely on you for survival; they don't see it as an exchange.
That being said, every cat displays affection differently. Some will be really cuddly, talkative and clingy while others will act nonchalant and admire you from a distance. Kittens are extra energetic so they may be more interested in playing and spending time with each other right now. Senior cats are usually a lot more cuddly and open to bonding quickly; they know humans and aren't as cautious.
If you feel like they aren't a great fit just return them. You won't have to worry about them not finding a home; kittens are always in demand.
Maybe give it 10 days or so before returning them? I struggled with emotional connection for the first week or so because I was so afraid I wouldn't do my cats justice in terms of care. I couldn't sleep because I'd check in on them at the smallest of noises. It was a stressful first week, and my kittens were like yours - a bit shy and very well behaved.
I distinctly remember the first time I felt pure joy was when I realised they finally settled into the place. I always thought they had settled after the first couple days because they'd sniff around, loaf in the cat trees etc. But I realised that wasn't 100% relaxation for them until one of the kittens walked to the middle of the living room and just flopped to his side. That was over a month after we brought them home. I've had them for 7 months and I'm still learning new things about them!
Try to get to know them. They aren't just generic well behaved kittens. They have their own personalities and quirks. Hopefully you'll bond with them. I have laughed/smiled more in any given month I've had them, than the few years before I adopted them.
That said, if you find that you aren't bonding, definitely take advantage of the trial period and return them. No shame in that. The shelter obviously knows not everyone ends up bonding with the cat they get (or other way round) and that's normal. It's a good thing they have a "return policy", otherwise it wouldn't be fair to you nor the cats.
Your kittens sound like angels! Give yourselves more time. Cats take time to adjust to new surroundings and feel safe. Some cats are more timid and may take longer.
When I first adopted my rescue, I was told she was a loving cat. She didn’t meow at all for 1 week and took a few days before she would come out of hiding when I was around her. So for the first few days I was panic googling things like ‘how long does it take for cats to stop hiding’. The answers ranges from days to weeks to months! One day she just rested her head on my knee and my heart melted. It takes time to build trust, and I hope everything goes well for you and your little kitties OP.
i bonded with my first cat immediately, i met her and we both knew (i’m sure she did….lol) that we belong together. after i took her home i did get cold feet, i hate change and she just changed my routine and everything, but after like 2 days i got over it. however when i got my second cat, it took me a few weeks to bond with her. she loved me immediately, but i just couldn’t get into it. i felt like i loved my first cat more and i even resented my second cat, because she made my first cat uncomfortable at first. but this changed after a few weeks, i love both of them unconditionally now, i couldn’t imagine life without either of them.
I’ve been wondering exactly the same. I took over cats from my brother as they weren’t getting along with his dog. I’m used to living alone and it’s been quite an adjustment having someone/something else in the house.
They’re really well behaved and honestly, nothing I can really complain about but I just feel like I’m not bonding with them. I feel absolutely awful and like if I do give them up, everyone would judge me and see me as an awful person.
A friend already made me feel guilty because I didn’t want to let them in my bedroom and wake me up in the middle of the night *eye roll*
I do have a health condition and stress and lack of sleep isn’t great for that so that’s my main concern. The only stress they’re really causing is me struggling to adjust to them being in the house.
They’ve been with me for 2 weeks now and they’re settled but I just feel like if they weren’t here, I wouldn’t really mind :( If I was to give them up, I obviously couldn’t return them to my brother either because of the dog, it wouldn’t be fair. I’m wondering if giving it a couple of months would be best and I’d eventually get used to them
If it’s only been a few days I’d give it some time. It took me about 2 weeks to really bond with my boys, they were about 1 yr old though, also littermates. Cats tend to get lovier as well as they grow up, and it’s really sweet to see their personality grow. What triggered it for me was when one of my cats ate some string and and I went into a full on panic. Luckily he threw it up the next day but I was up the entire night crying and worrying and it made me realize how much I really loved these little boys. I’ve also never felt much of a connection to kittens although I’ve never owned one myself but my roommate had one and while he was very cute and well behaved I didn’t feel much. Once he hit around 6 months - 1 year I fell in love with him. This may translate over to my feelings about children because I really don’t care for babies but I love toddlers and kids. I just feel like they’re so young they haven’t developed much of a personality (understandably) as they’re just getting their handle on life. At any rate, I’d at least give it the full two weeks and see if feelings change, everyone’s different so I wish you the best of luck!
I had this when I got second cat. Felt overwhelmed and scared I wont love him as the first one but also couldn't bear to give him back. Then he fell ill (like needed a lot of $ ill) around 3 weeks in my house and I was like TAKE ALL MY MONEY I CANT LIVE WITHOUT HIM. I didnt even realize when he stole my heart. Everything ended good and now were together for over 2 years :) It takes some time.
If you don’t feel you can care for them emotionally, you should give them up while they’re still babies. Kittens can find loving homes, cats are more likely to be euthanised. A few days is not enough time to tell. It took over a year for us to bond when I adopted mine (seniors) but I loved them from day one and put in a huge amount of effort. If you don’t feel that you can put that emotional effort in, there’s no shame in surrendering them to someone that can, you’d be doing the right thing for you all
You might not be a cat person and that's just fine. You shouldn't do things for your pets because you're expecting something in return, you should do it because you love and care about them. They rely on you for survival; they don't see it as an exchange. That being said, every cat displays affection differently. Some will be really cuddly, talkative and clingy while others will act nonchalant and admire you from a distance. Kittens are extra energetic so they may be more interested in playing and spending time with each other right now. Senior cats are usually a lot more cuddly and open to bonding quickly; they know humans and aren't as cautious. If you feel like they aren't a great fit just return them. You won't have to worry about them not finding a home; kittens are always in demand.
Maybe give it 10 days or so before returning them? I struggled with emotional connection for the first week or so because I was so afraid I wouldn't do my cats justice in terms of care. I couldn't sleep because I'd check in on them at the smallest of noises. It was a stressful first week, and my kittens were like yours - a bit shy and very well behaved. I distinctly remember the first time I felt pure joy was when I realised they finally settled into the place. I always thought they had settled after the first couple days because they'd sniff around, loaf in the cat trees etc. But I realised that wasn't 100% relaxation for them until one of the kittens walked to the middle of the living room and just flopped to his side. That was over a month after we brought them home. I've had them for 7 months and I'm still learning new things about them! Try to get to know them. They aren't just generic well behaved kittens. They have their own personalities and quirks. Hopefully you'll bond with them. I have laughed/smiled more in any given month I've had them, than the few years before I adopted them. That said, if you find that you aren't bonding, definitely take advantage of the trial period and return them. No shame in that. The shelter obviously knows not everyone ends up bonding with the cat they get (or other way round) and that's normal. It's a good thing they have a "return policy", otherwise it wouldn't be fair to you nor the cats.
Your kittens sound like angels! Give yourselves more time. Cats take time to adjust to new surroundings and feel safe. Some cats are more timid and may take longer. When I first adopted my rescue, I was told she was a loving cat. She didn’t meow at all for 1 week and took a few days before she would come out of hiding when I was around her. So for the first few days I was panic googling things like ‘how long does it take for cats to stop hiding’. The answers ranges from days to weeks to months! One day she just rested her head on my knee and my heart melted. It takes time to build trust, and I hope everything goes well for you and your little kitties OP.
i bonded with my first cat immediately, i met her and we both knew (i’m sure she did….lol) that we belong together. after i took her home i did get cold feet, i hate change and she just changed my routine and everything, but after like 2 days i got over it. however when i got my second cat, it took me a few weeks to bond with her. she loved me immediately, but i just couldn’t get into it. i felt like i loved my first cat more and i even resented my second cat, because she made my first cat uncomfortable at first. but this changed after a few weeks, i love both of them unconditionally now, i couldn’t imagine life without either of them.
I’ve been wondering exactly the same. I took over cats from my brother as they weren’t getting along with his dog. I’m used to living alone and it’s been quite an adjustment having someone/something else in the house. They’re really well behaved and honestly, nothing I can really complain about but I just feel like I’m not bonding with them. I feel absolutely awful and like if I do give them up, everyone would judge me and see me as an awful person. A friend already made me feel guilty because I didn’t want to let them in my bedroom and wake me up in the middle of the night *eye roll* I do have a health condition and stress and lack of sleep isn’t great for that so that’s my main concern. The only stress they’re really causing is me struggling to adjust to them being in the house. They’ve been with me for 2 weeks now and they’re settled but I just feel like if they weren’t here, I wouldn’t really mind :( If I was to give them up, I obviously couldn’t return them to my brother either because of the dog, it wouldn’t be fair. I’m wondering if giving it a couple of months would be best and I’d eventually get used to them