## This Rescue Kitten Was Constantly Crying. Then His Owner Realized He Was Trying To Say Something
Wisconsin woman Alana Hadley adopted her kitten Ares from a local Door County animal shelter in early 2018. But, alas, something just wasn’t right from the start. Indeed, no matter how much Alana tried to comfort the little kitty, he would meow all day until he finally dropped off to sleep at night. Before long, though, the human mom had a feeling she knew what her boy was trying to tell her…
Alana works as a photographer and lives with her partner, Nathan, in the small city of Sturgeon Bay, WI. In fact, at the time of writing, the couple are expecting a baby together. But in January 2018, they decided to expand their family early. Already acting as mom and dad to a dog called Sisko, they set their hearts on a feline companion. Consequently, the animal lovers took themselves across town to the Wisconsin Humane Society Door County Campus rescue center. That is where the Hadleys met a little ball of fluff called Ares.
The four-month-old ginger kitten had been taken in by the animal shelter with his gray sister, Aphrodite, after the strays had been found in late 2017. Initially, a smitten Alana had wanted to scoop up both kittens and take them home. Sadly, however, this was not to be. Aphrodite, it turned out, had already been adopted and was just waiting for her new parents to pick her up. So Alana left the center with just Ares. Nonetheless, she was delighted with her new kitty.
And this was for a good reason. “He looks exactly like my cat that passed away,” Alana revealed to Love Meow in February 2018. But while the human mom was more than happy, this was unfortunately not the case for all concerned. You see, Alana informed the Wisconsin Humane Society that Ares spent his first night in his new home crying – a lot.
“Ares is doing pretty good besides being needy,” she updated the Door County shelter via a Facebook post later on that evening. “He has been almost non-stop meowing until he goes to sleep.” Nor did Ares stop crying the next day. In fact, he continued his mournful mewling as soon as he woke up.
Alana told The Dodo about her first reaction to the feline fretting from her adopted animal. “I originally thought he was meowing because he wanted attention and to be by us,” she said. As a result, the caring couple did all they could to comfort poor Ares in this testing time.
But snuggles and affection did not quiet the tiny crying cat, and his distress continued unabated. Next, Alana gave Ares a soft toy to cuddle in the hope that it would soothe him into some kind of contentment. Alas, this attempt was also fruitless, and the youngster soon went right back to his pitiful yowling.
Alana was at a loss; the compassionate human mom just could not think of another way to console Ares. And then a thought struck her: perhaps the tiny cat was in mourning. All his little life, Ares had known the love of his sister, Aphrodite, whom Alana had had to leave behind at the shelter.
Indeed, workers at the Wisconsin Humane Society said the felines shared a very strong bond. In fact, before the adoption, the duo had been inseparable. Alana updated the shelter on social media. “We think he misses his sister and is grieving being taken away from her,” she wrote on Facebook. “[He’s] most likely calling out for his sister.”
Alana later said the same to The Dodo. She explained, “I realized it’s probably because he was never away from his sister and wanted her.” Nevertheless, the situation was impossible: the gray-haired puss had been promised to another family. But the very next day, the Hadleys received some amazing news.
Apparently, Aphrodite’s adoption had not gone to plan, and the feline was looking for a fur-ever home once more. Consequently, Alana wasted no time in racing back across town to the Wisconsin Humane Society shelter. She then gratefully gathered up Aphrodite and took her home to be reunited with her bereft brother.
Needless to say, the siblings seemed pleased to see each other again. And not only did the reunion stop Ares from meowing constantly, but it also brought about another change in him. In fact, Alana noticed that all at once Ares seemed much happier in himself now that he was back with Aphrodite.
Indeed, it was like the little furry feller had a new lease of life, and his sister was similarly joyful. “They wouldn’t stop playing,” Alana reported to Love Meow. And their bond was just as strong as before. In fact, since Aphrodite’s adoption, the kittens have not been apart – and often this means literally.
As Alana informed The Dodo, “Even if they can see each other, they don’t like not being right next to each other.” But the feline’s feelings were not just limited to each other. Not only did the young cats find comfort and joy in their loving reunion, but they are also full of affection for their humans too.
Subsequently, Alana described Ares and Aphrodite’s adorable behavior in an update on the official Wisconsin Humane Society Facebook page. “They are very attention-seeking cats and loving,” she wrote. “[And] they both love to cuddle and purr like crazy when we are holding them. They sleep most of the day, and they cuddle each other when they nap.” Nevertheless, there was another four-legged personality that the kittens would have to come to terms with.
Apparently, Alana was anxious that her canine, Sisko, should not feel left out. So with this in mind, she encouraged her pets to interact. She posted about her attempts to introduce Ares and Aphrodite to their other furry housemate on Facebook. “We are getting them used to running around with the dog,” she wrote in early February 2018. “Unfortunately, the dog is hyper when he tries to play with them, [and] it scares them.”
Hopefully they will all become the best of friends, but, regardless, the kittens are coming along very well and are both settling in happily. But was Ares’ previously miserable behavior unusual for a young cat? Well, actually it is not unheard of for kittens to suffer separation anxiety when removed from their siblings.
According to pet-related website The Nest, kittens that are not used to people may cry in the same way that little Ares did. That is because these young animals have not developed suitable social skills early enough. So given that Ares and Aphrodite were strays and then residents together at a shelter, it makes sense that the boy kitten would suffer a great deal of anxiety when separated from his sister.
But nonetheless there are things an adoptive human can do to help a suffering animal to speedily get over such problems. “If you have another kitten-friendly pet, introducing the two can help your kitty adapt more quickly,” The Nest advised. “When you hold your kitten, gather her paws gently to her tummy to ease her stress.”
Of course, if you are able to take on more than one pet, you could also follow Alana’s example. By adopting siblings, after all, you could be offering more than one stray a fur-ever home. Thanks to Alana’s kindness, then, Ares and Aphrodite can now both grow up happily, taking comfort in their seemingly unbreakable bond.
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