A touching TikTok video has sparked emotional conversations online after showing a lonely kitten sitting sadly at home while her owner was away at work. The video, posted on June 1 by user @cee.zxc, led to a difficult but heartfelt decision—rehoming the kitten to give her a better life.
The kitten’s owner, Zey, 26, spoke to Newsweek about the moment she realized her pet might be suffering from loneliness. The footage, captured on a pet camera, showed the young cat looking visibly upset during the day.
“Please always get two kittens, never one alone,” Zey wrote in the video’s caption. “I learned the hard way. She’s not alone anymore.”
Zey shared that she works full-time, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. She had installed a pet camera to make sure her kitten was safe during the day. But the sight of her pet alone and sad was heartbreaking.
“When I saw my kitten looking sad, it really broke my heart,” Zey explained. “It made me question whether I could keep doing this to her. I can’t work from home, and it didn’t feel fair.”
Although she spent time playing with the kitten every morning and evening, Zey said it didn’t seem like enough. The kitten had high energy and clearly needed more interaction.
“I made sure to play with her for an hour in the morning and all evening, but I felt like it wasn’t enough,” she said.
Zey considered getting a second kitten to keep her company, but her home was too small. She also realized that rehoming might be less painful for the kitten while she was still young and not yet deeply bonded.
“Although I had already bonded with her, she hadn’t fully bonded with me yet. So it was the best time to rehome her, unfortunately,” Zey shared.
Thankfully, the kitten has now found a new, loving home. She lives with another cat who recently lost a sibling, and a dog. Zey said the animals are getting along well, and she receives regular updates from the new family.
“She is now in a home with another cat and a dog. They’re doing really well together,” Zey said.
Looking back, Zey encourages anyone thinking of adopting a cat to consider getting two, especially if they are from the same litter.
“If you’re considering getting a cat, definitely get two,” she advised. “I thought I could give her enough attention on my own, but I underestimated how much a kitten needs another animal companion.”
Rehoming her kitten was a painful choice, but Zey believes it was the right one.
“I still think about her every single day,” she said. “Even though my days feel duller and I miss her terribly, knowing she’s happier now—with animal companions, a garden, and a big home—helps me cope. I’m still learning to forgive myself, but I know I did it for her.”Sometimes, Zey said, love means letting go.
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