9 m/o kitten lost brother to FIP 2 months ago...

[KittyMommy1234]

I adopted two sweet little tabby twin brothers from my local humane society this spring. Freddie is the handsome little love of my life, and unfortunately Georgie is my tiny little forever kitten angel as he passed away from wet FIP two months ago.

Freddie is now 9 months old. A week ago, my boyfriend and I adopted a little kitten to keep Freddie company after we got clearance from our vet. He has always been such a crazy and playful kitty, but after the death of his brother seemed to quiet down, be more distant, and grieve.

Although my vet has assured me that it is very uncommon for a littermate to succumb to FIP, she did mention that they are at a slightly higher risk. Georgie was always a few pounds smaller, paler, and much leaner in frame than Freddie. Fred has been to the vet several times in the past few months for my own peace of mind (it's not torture, he actually loves our vet!) and she has always said how pleased she is with his growth and development.

I am taking him to the vet tomorrow because after we adopted the new kittenbaby Lyra, he has become even more distant. He sleeps most hours of the day or hides from her, except for a few times a day when he gets up to explore and maybe even play around a little bit. We kept them separated for several days, and there hasn't been a single hissing incident since we let Lyra out to explore; both parties sniff one another and occasionally play with my supervision. Fred even licks her head on occasion. I am concerned because this hiding and sleeping behavior, though, is how verrry early FIP looked in our other kitten, bless his sweet little paws and heart. Fred still has a great appetite and has not lost weight.

I am hoping someone can help me figure out what the normal introduction process is for cats (is this hiding/sleeping more thing normal? how long is it normal?) Also, my heart goes out to anyone who has lost a kittybaby to this horrible disease...if you have any words of experience where one sibling survived I would love to hear them!

Thank you very much for your time!

[chico2]

KittyMommy,be patient I am sure one of our kitty-gurus will come along soon.

From my own experience,cats do mourn the loss of a sibling or a buddy and I would think especially since Freddie grew up with George.

As for introducing a new kitten to him,we have a Sticky somewhere on the Forum,about just that,I am not sure where to tell you to look though.

So sorry you lost little George little one.

[Love4himies]

I am so sorry to hear about Georgie

Yes, kitties do definitely mourn the loss of their siblings, however a vet visit with a full blood panel should be done in order to rule out physical issues that may be affecting Freddie.

How was Freddie with Georgie? If Freddie was the shier of the two, he may still be a bit shy of Lyra, but will come out of his shell once he's done his mourning. Glad to hear there is no hissing between them, that's a good sign all will be well with them soon.

[chasingtailspet]

I am so very sorry for your loss with Georgie. I lost our four month old kitten in September 2009 from FIP and it felt as though someone literally ripped my heart out. Although yes, as your vet said, litter mates are at slightly higher risk of developing FIP if another litter mate had it. I agree with Love4himies, animals do know and do mourn in their own way for the loss of their fuzzy friend. I am a paranoid animal mom - if my pets sneeze just the wrong way I panic (ok I'm not THAT bad but you get the idea) - they're my babies and I would do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for them. Consult with your vet (blood panel would be a good idea) to rule out any issues that may pop up.