When Katla arrived in foster care, she was only six weeks old, but she already seemed convinced that people were something to fear.
The little stray kitten had been brought to Lost Dog and Cat Rescue in Arlington, Virginia, after being found alone. Everything around her was unfamiliar, and she wanted nothing more than a place to hide.
Whenever someone looked directly at her or reached toward her, Katla reacted immediately.
Her body stiffened. Her pupils widened. Sometimes she hissed or growled, trying to keep the unfamiliar person at a distance.
Jen and her husband, Ian, were experienced rescue volunteers who had taken Katla home to foster. They understood that she wasn’t being difficult. She was frightened, and she hadn’t yet learned that the people caring for her were safe.
But there was another little kitten in their home who saw the world very differently.
Her name was Hekla.
She was only four weeks old, weighed about a pound, and had enough confidence for a cat ten times her size.
And when the two kittens met, something began to change.
A little kitten who wanted to disappear
Katla had arrived at the rescue as a singleton, without littermates to keep her company.
At six weeks old, she was still at an age when kittens are learning an enormous amount about the world. Positive experiences with people and other animals can help them become more comfortable, but Katla appeared to have had very little reassuring human contact.
Jen suspected that the kitten either hadn’t been around people before or had experienced interactions that left her frightened.
“I don’t think she had any exposure to humans before that, or if she did, they were not positive experiences,” Jen told Love Meow in the original story published on June 25, 2019.
That fear was visible from the beginning.
Katla didn’t approach her foster parents for attention. She didn’t seem curious about being held, and she wasn’t ready to trust the hands reaching toward her.
Instead, she watched everything carefully.
Even making eye contact could cause her to become tense.
Jen and Ian knew that helping Katla adjust would take patience. They couldn’t expect her to become affectionate simply because she’d entered a loving home.
She needed gentle, positive experiences that would help her understand that people were not a threat.
And the couple wondered whether another kitten might help her feel less alone.
Meet Hekla, the kitten who loved everybody
Hekla was another rescued singleton staying with the couple.
Although she was two weeks younger than Katla, there was nothing shy about her.
She was tiny, vocal, adventurous, and determined to investigate anything that caught her attention.
Where Katla preferred hiding, Hekla wanted to explore.
Where Katla became nervous around people, Hekla seemed delighted to be noticed.
She wanted attention, and she wasn’t particularly concerned about keeping her opinions to herself.
Jen described their contrasting personalities perfectly.
“Hekla wants to be involved in everything, smell everything, and then tell you all about it. Katla is terrified of open spaces and would prefer if you didn’t notice her.”
The couple hoped that spending time with a confident feline companion might encourage Katla to become a little more curious about her surroundings.
So they introduced the two kittens.
They couldn’t have been more different.
One was bold enough to investigate nearly everything.
The other was still learning that the world outside her hiding place didn’t have to be frightening.
But somehow, they began getting along.
The first small signs of trust
While Hekla provided companionship, Jen and Ian continued helping Katla become accustomed to gentle human contact.
At first, the shy kitten resisted attention.
She was uncertain about being touched and reacted defensively when she became nervous.
Ian spent time holding her carefully, speaking softly, and offering gentle affection while observing how she responded.
The change wasn’t immediate.
Katla needed a little time to settle.
But during one of those quiet sessions, she began to relax.
Her tense little body softened.
Then she started purring.
Before long, she was comfortable enough to fall asleep.
“After a few minutes of cuddling, she relaxed into it, started purring, and even fell asleep,” Jen recalled.
For a kitten who had initially responded to human contact with fear, that was an encouraging moment.
It didn’t mean she would never be frightened again.
But she was beginning to discover that being close to someone could feel pleasant.
And once she became comfortable with that experience, there were more opportunities to build on it.
Two completely different personalities, one growing friendship
Hekla seemed determined to make the most of her foster home.
She explored the room, investigated toys, and showed an interest in whatever Jen and Ian were doing.
Katla watched.
Gradually, the older kitten began moving around more herself.
She started playing with toys and exploring areas she’d previously avoided.
It was a meaningful change from the frightened little stray who wanted to remain hidden whenever someone approached.
The two kittens also began spending more time together.
At night, they curled up close and slept beside each other.
During the day, they sometimes chased one another around the room, although Katla’s movements were still cautious.
Jen described them as an unusual pair, but one that was getting along remarkably well.
“They cuddle all night and timidly chase each other around during the day,” she said.
Hekla’s confidence didn’t instantly erase Katla’s fear. The shy kitten still needed reassurance and gentle handling.
But having another kitten nearby seemed to make exploring a little less intimidating.
Instead of facing every unfamiliar experience alone, Katla had a lively companion who was eager to investigate the world.
A week made a noticeable difference
Just over a week into foster care, Katla was already beginning to behave differently.
When she first arrived, she avoided eye contact and became frightened whenever someone tried to approach.
Now she was increasingly willing to accept affection.
She had started enjoying petting and snuggling during comfortable interactions with her foster parents.
Her interest in toys was growing, and she was becoming more confident moving around the room.
There were still difficult moments.
If something made her particularly nervous, she might hiss.
But Jen noticed that those reactions were becoming less frequent.
“She still hisses when she’s particularly nervous, but that behavior is subsiding,” Jen explained.
The couple continued introducing new experiences gradually, paying attention to Katla’s reactions and allowing her confidence to develop over time.
They understood that she wasn’t going to become as fearless as Hekla overnight.
Nor did she need to have the same personality.
Katla could remain a quieter, more cautious kitten and still learn to feel comfortable with people.
What mattered was that she was beginning to trust.
Sometimes another kitten makes all the difference
There was something especially touching about the friendship between Katla and Hekla.
Hekla was the younger of the two, but she was also the more adventurous.
She had no trouble making herself heard or letting everyone know when something interested her.
Katla was different.
She preferred familiar places and needed extra time before approaching something new.
Yet the two kittens found comfort in each other’s company.
At night, when the day’s activity was over, they curled up together.
During the day, Hekla’s curiosity seemed to encourage Katla to venture a little farther from her hiding places.
And while her foster parents worked to help her become comfortable with human affection, Katla also had a feline companion who could offer something people couldn’t quite replace.
Another kitten to play with.
Another warm little body to sleep beside.
Someone who understood the world through the same tiny paws and curious nose.
It was a simple friendship, but it arrived at an important time in Katla’s young life.
The frightened kitten was learning to enjoy being loved
By the time Jen shared the kittens’ progress in June 2019, Katla had been in foster care for just over a week.
Her journey was still beginning.
She hadn’t completely overcome her fear, and she still needed patient care and opportunities to become comfortable with unfamiliar experiences.
But the progress was unmistakable.
The kitten who once hissed when someone made eye contact was beginning to welcome gentle attention.
The kitten who wanted to disappear into a hiding place was exploring the room.
And the kitten who had arrived alone had found a companion in a tiny, outspoken rescue named Hekla.
For Jen and Ian, those changes were the reward of fostering.
They hadn’t asked Katla to become confident all at once.
They had given her a safe environment, patient affection, and the company of another kitten who seemed to approach life with endless curiosity.
Little by little, Katla began responding.
The most encouraging moments weren’t dramatic.
They were the ordinary ones.
A frightened kitten relaxing while being held.
A quiet purr.
A few cautious steps toward a toy.
Two little kittens curling up together after a day of exploring.
Each one showed how much Katla was beginning to change.
And while Hekla was still the bold, chatty kitten who wanted to investigate everything, Katla was discovering that she didn’t always have to hide.
She could play.
She could be curious.
And sometimes, when a gentle hand reached toward her, she could relax and enjoy the affection.
Katla arrived at six weeks old, frightened of people and desperate to hide. Just over a week later, with patient foster care and a fearless little friend named Hekla, she was beginning to purr, play, and trust.
Her future was still unfolding when the story was shared.
But the little kitten who had once been terrified of nearly everything was already finding reasons to feel safe.
And at night, when she curled up beside Hekla, she no longer had to face her new world alone.
Story based on reporting by Amy Bojo for Love Meow, published June 25, 2019, featuring foster volunteers Jen and Ian of Lost Dog and Cat Rescue in Arlington, Virginia.
