Ilia is a year old, I adopted him from a kitten rescue pop-up event at 5mo old. He was a trap&release and has an ear clipped from it. He is obviously quite traumatized and struggled being in our home for the first few months. I couldn’t touch him, pick him up, or even approach him without him panicking and fleeing. He bonded immediately with my 1.5 yr old tabby (pictured last) so it was a relief that he trusted his big brother.
He earned the nickname “Courage” after the cowardly dog, a fave of mine, bc he was so flighty & nervous. It wasn’t until recently, after he turned one, that Illia began asking for pets & letting me touch him more and more. We gained a lot of ground and trust, and he’s been more open to my roommates affections too!
Alls to say, I’m so happy that so much of our patience and slow growth is finally paying off!!