Imagine a shifter x human couple that has been together for ages, and the human is going through menopause. The hot flashes, swinging emotions, lack of treatment options, And overall not feeling like themself. I think there’s potential for intimate connections as the shifter is able to empathize with the confusion of changing.
Shifter partner who is not sure what's happening with you. At first, they just think you are getting distant because you don't love them anymore. They think you are growing apart after years of being together, but when they decide to talk to you about it, you stare at them for so long they start to feel stupid. They apologize and wait patiently for you to explain.
Shifter partner who starts researching menopause when you explain that's what you are going through. They buy a couple of books, spend hours reading articles online and soak themselves with as much information as possible to try to be the best partner in the world. (They succeed).
Shifter partner who bonds with you over feeling other, feeling not like yourself in your own body. Their own experience is so similar to what you are going through that they know how that feels. They can't help you with the bad symptoms, but they can help you through the bad feelings that plague you. The same way you helped them when you started dating. You are different, you are changing, and your body doesn't always feels like your own, but they still love you above anything else.