A few months after losing their beloved of 22 years, grieving couple finds 4 kittens in need of a home, and since they can't bear to separate the bonded siblings, they simply adopt them all: 'Now our house is no longer empty'

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Sep 3, 2026 1:30 PM EDT

Adopting two kittens can be chaotic enough. Adopting four… turns the chaos into something beautiful. 

Losing a cat is one of the hardest things that any cat owner can go through. We are so close to them, so bonded. They are part of our family just like any other member is. When you lose them, nothing will ever fill that void. No one cat will fill that exact shape. But we still love cats, and if a cat shows up on our doorstep in need of help, we cannot turn them away. That is our duty as cat people. No cat left behind. 

Still, adopting a cat after a loss is something that you need to be ready for. You need to know that no one cat will replace what you have lost. No one cat will fill the void, make you forget, or distract you from the emotional pain. But maybe four… Maybe adopting not one, not two, not three, but four kittens will start filling that void. They will still never replace your cat. They will never be the same as the cat that you have lost. But we will say this… having four wiggly, loud, squeaky kittens running around your home and causing chaos will bring enough joy into your home to alleviate some of the pain, whether you want them to or not. They will not give you an option. 

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    "Our home is now complete"

    UTION Made in UK Kit Contains thermometer, cheesecloth rennet, cheese mould, instructions, recipe booklet, cheese salt, mint, herbs, citric acid, microspoon Storage store at room temperature
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    MART
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    Since we had to put down our 22 year old cat in April our house has felt empty. We knew what was missing, but needed time to grieve.
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    I found this perfect litter online and couldn't bear to separate them. So now our house is no longer empty. It is now so chaotic and full of life.
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    Each of them are so unique and everyday they're growing in confidence.my heart is so full of love and I can't believe I get to raise these gorgeous babies.
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    Tabby girl - Inanna (clever girl, the hunter and leader of the pack, if she had thumbs she'd take over the world)
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    Black girl with white chest Hecate - (independent, playful, troublesome sausage, murder mittens)
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    Little black girl - Nyx (tiny baby angel who has never done a bad thing in her life)
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    Black boy with little white patch - Erebus (Mama's boy, cuddle monster)
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  • You know what this means, right? Your 22-year-old had so much personality, so much love to give, so much life to live, that she used up a whole four of the eight lives she had left to come back to you. One kitten would never have been enough for you to get the love you wanted. You needed all four of them in your life.

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    Lotus-Flower-Bomb Aah I love their names and how you've described them. Condolences on the loss of your other baby but thank you for opening your hearts to these gorgeous babies and keeping them together ③
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    ProperAnxiety365 OP Thank you! We have always named our pets after gods. Our other cat was called Ishtar (shortened to Issy). She was also a tabby, so we've named Inanna as a sort of tribute to her. Inanna is just a different name for the goddess Ishtar.
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    Estellalatte I love their energy at this age but I do call them destructo kitties.
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    ProperAnxiety365 OP We live in a child-free, only adult home. Everything is neat and in its place. No destruction...until now
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  • Oh the chaos is going to be everywhere and all the time, and it is going to be the best part of every one of your days. Once these kitties are older and calmer, you are only going to miss these days. Cherish them. 

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    re_Claire As someone who always only ever had 1 or 2 cats at a time, and now has 4 (we did have 5 but one sadly d d at the end of April), honestly it's so fun. I always thought it sounded like too many cats but nah. Totally worth the chaos. Every every moment of them, they're beautiful.
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    ProperAnxiety365 OP I am so excited! I can't wait to see how they develop and grow. And the chaos, though tiring, is so much fun. But we took them for their first vet check up yesterday (vax, deworming/ flea treatment, check up) and the cost ☑That's the only thing that has me worried, but they are worth it all!
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    Also I am so sorry for you loss. Losing a pet is one of the most difficult things. I hope you're ok and recovering
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