Editor’s Note: Oh, dear ones, you are in for a masterpiece of tenderness today.
If you have ever wondered if it’s possible to be truly known and truly loved at the same time … exactly as you are … read on.
Myron and Barbara are love on legs, and Max and Pippin are the kind of blessings that bloom when you Cherish the Kittens.
We are overcome with gratitude! XO, AT
“In more than fifty years of living with cats, our experience has been that they usually find us rather than the other way around.
In the case of Max and Pippin (we changed their names because their original names – Scooby and Shortbread— made us think of a cartoon dog eating a Scottish biscuit), that was absolutely true.
We were originally looking for one adult eight to ten years old. However, these two boys made us reconsider. Looking through Tabby’s Place’s adoption pages, we were enchanted by their descriptions.
They looked very much alike, they were healthy, and each was described as “timid,” with the suggestion that he be adopted with another young cat. They touched our hearts, and we decided to at least meet them.
When we did so, Pippin was an easy choice; although he wasn’t especially friendly, he let us pet him and he had an impish look about him. Max hid under a piece of furniture and never did come out. Our guide tried to get him to come out and play with a wand toy, but he would only stick his paw out to grab it. He did play enthusiastically, and it was a beautiful paw.
When we learned that they lived in the same room and were already bonded, we decided to take them both.
At first, they were confined to our bedroom; we do this with all new cats to acclimate them to a new place and to help them bond with us. It is a large room with plenty of furniture to hide under (a bed, two dressers, two bedside tables, and an armchair). We brought up a cat tree and a scratching post for them. Additionally, there is an en suite bathroom where could go if they wanted to withdraw from us.
Pippin adapted quickly, but Max took longer, and we decided to keep them both in the room until Max was comfortable. For several days, Max lived under the bed, coming out only to eat and use the litter box.
I spent several hours each day (not counting sleep time) reading, talking, and playing with them. I would lie on the floor (which put me on Max’s level, making me less menacing to him) and try to lure him out with various toys.
Within a few days, he would come out and play with his favorite toy, a wand with an orange yarn worm at the end of a string I could move this around for him to chase without coming near me, which he refused to do.
By the time we let them out of the room, he would approach with arm’s length but would not let me touch him. Some weeks later, I was on my knees on the floor after a play session with both kittens. As Max walked past me, I reached out and scratched his back at the base of his tail. Much to my delight, he stayed for more.
The total time from their arrival on February 27, 2026, to this first touch was about two months.
Since then, Max has developed into the most overtly affectionate cat we have ever had; most days I sit on a couch and read in the afternoon, and Max almost always curls up next to me (usually in the crook of my arm) and sleeps-sometimes for hours. In the evening, he invariably sleeps next to me as I watch TV or read. He obviously feels completely safe with me.
Pippin has a very different personality. From the beginning, he was much more sociable than Max, allowing us to touch him and pick him up. He is not a cuddle cat but rather shows affection by proximity. Barbara is his favorite person, and he often lies on the floor near her when she is in her chair or lies on the bed near her. He likes to be picked up and has a way of asking: he stands next to or between our feet and looks up at us and lifts one paw. He loves to play, and he is a natural comedian, making us laugh every day.
Though they are not litter mates, Max and Pippin are very strongly bonded and behave like siblings. We have almost always had two litter mates, so this is very familiar behavior.
We are delighted with the boys and have never regretted adopting them both.
Things we feel helped Max overcome his timidity:
1. Adopting another kitten about the same age. We have always tried to get a pair of siblings so that they can comfort each other and have a known companion. This is especially good if one is timid. In the case of Max and Pippin, they were already close when we brought them home, and this strengthened as time went by. We are certain that Pippin helped Max feel less anxious and safer.
2. It is vital to help a timid kitten or adult feel safe. We isolated Max and Pippin for roughly six weeks in one large room with plenty of hiding places. Our bedroom was ideal for this since it has several pieces of furniture to hide under and is large enough to give them a sense of space. Max was also with us through the night. Aiding the bonding process.
3. I played with Max for hours every day. I was always on the floor when we played so that I wasn’t towering over him. A wand toy or piece of cord is an ideal toy because it involves chasing but allows the kitten to maintain a distance from you that he is comfortable with.
4. We tried to avoid loud sudden moves or loud noises. No cat likes to be startled, and this was (and remains) especially true of Max.
5. It is especially important to let the kitten set his own pace of socialization. A long time passed before Max was ready to be touched; he let me know that he was ready by walking past me well within arm’s reach for a few days before the first touch.
6. Finally, one must accept that a timid kitten may become a timid adult; one must love them for what they are. Barbara says, “If you can’t do that, get a goldfish.”