Should I ever have a cat again?

I was reading a thread where people were discussing how horrible it is to abandon your animals. People who view having a cat as something temporary for their amusement, rather than a lifelong commitment.

Should I ever have another cat? I failed to take care of the only cat I ever adopted. I gave him up, and couldn't keep him with me. This makes me question whether it would be wise to ever bring another feline into my life. Why, when I may just repeat my foolish mistake, bringing suffering to another helpless cat?

I'm still feeling sad, though it's been nearly a month since he's been gone. I'm still having a lot of bad feelings over this.

When you got your cat, you didnt feel like you were emotionally ready to take care of him and you responsibly took him back to the place you got him from to ensure he was safe and would find a home who was ready for him.

Its not the same thing when someone gets a cat and then decides to just open the door and let him go because he has too many cats.

When you are ready for another cat, I am sure you will have thought it through and will be a great loving home for that cat.

Because you realized you werent ready before, shows that you have a wonderful heart. Otherwise, you would have, just opened the door and let him go or kept him and neglected him.

I agree with Pami, you did what was right for the cat, you weren't able to give him the home he deserved and you accepted that and gave him up to someone where he would be safe, you didn't just let him loose in a busy city or out in the wild.

People who view having a cat as something temporary for their amusement, rather than a lifelong commitment.

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I think for the most part, they were talking about the type of people that get a kitten/puppy for Christmas and give it up because it isn't cute anymore rather than someone who knew they could not give the cat the home he deserved and did something about it.

The fact that you cared enough to put the welfare of the cat first, means that, when you are ready, and if you want one, you should get a cat again.

There's a difference between your situation and the people referred to in that thread. Please don't think you fall into that same category. You just weren't in at a place in your life where you could care for a cat. You had had the maturity and strength to recognize that and did was best for you and the cat. You demonstrated responsibility and compassion and a lot of courage. To me, the fact that you put the cat's welfare first is a sign that when the time is right, you will make a wonderful cat owner and that kitty will be very lucky to have you in his/her life.

to all the responses above.

You did a responsible thing by realising that the time just isn't right to take care of another living creature.

The people the other threads are talking about are those that just give up the cat because the cat scratched the craziness out of the couch or their apartment caught them with a cat and rather than paying the extra fines, they just get rid of the cat (which is how we got Whitey). They get rid of the cat for shallow reasons...you didn't. You gave up your cat because you cared about her/him.

You recognized very quickly that you could not at this point in your life give a kitty the right kind of home and attention, and you moved without delay to see to the cat's needs. Your inability to tend the cat's needs at this time is temporary, something which you can and are dealing with, and when you are in a better space yourself, you will be no less responsible, and therefore, a very wonderful kitty mom. One who is so cognizant of the kitty's needs, so committed to the kitty's best interest, as to relinquish the kitty when the time is not right, will be truly a gift to a kitty when times are such that you can be the Meowmy you want to be.

Don't give up. Please, don't give up. When you are in a better space, there will be a kitty looking for just the very home you have to offer. And it will be a match made in heaven. Please take care of yourself and in so doing prepare for that little one.

I agree with everything that has been said. I truly think that you will be able to have another cat again when the time is right.