I am new to this forum and recently lost my wonderful little tuxedo cat after a long illness. I have just made a post in the “Crossing the Bridge” section to celebrate her life and am trying to move on now in regards to my life as a pet “dad”. It’s been a month since I lost her now and although I feel as if I am starting to move through a doorway in regards to her life, I find that many difficult moments still recur.
My daughter has selected a new cat for me, an 8 month old tiger kitten (are they still called kittens at that age?) which was born to her cat before it was spayed. I trust her judgment when it comes to picking out cats for me since she selected my previous one, a cat who turned out to be spectacular in all regards.
I constantly received comments about her wonderful temperament, tons of personality and terrific appearance. My fear now is that if I get another cat, I will constantly be comparing it rightly or wrongly to the one I just lost and wondering if the new one will measure up. My daughter has already thought of that in some respects by picking a cat which looks NOTHING like Leary, the tuxedo cat I just lost. I have heard that it is best not to have a cat which looks like one previously lost for precisely the reasons I just mentioned. Furthermore, I am concerned about committing to another cat while “on the rebound” so to speak.
The other concern is that Leary was ill for quite a while (8 months) before she finally passed and those 8 months were some of the hardest I’ve ever spent, both emotionally and in regards to vet bills. I have been trying to work through whether I can stand to go through all of that again in another 10-12 years or so or even sooner if she happens to contract an illness at a young age. I have learned about pet insurance so that will be something which will help financially if the need arises again but having to lose another pet eventually is something I am wondering if I can deal with emotionally. It may very well happen again since I am likely to outlive a new cat.
Any comments or suggestions in this regard would be most appreciated.
My daughter has selected a new cat for me, an 8 month old tiger kitten (are they still called kittens at that age?) which was born to her cat before it was spayed. I trust her judgment when it comes to picking out cats for me since she selected my previous one, a cat who turned out to be spectacular in all regards.
I constantly received comments about her wonderful temperament, tons of personality and terrific appearance. My fear now is that if I get another cat, I will constantly be comparing it rightly or wrongly to the one I just lost and wondering if the new one will measure up. My daughter has already thought of that in some respects by picking a cat which looks NOTHING like Leary, the tuxedo cat I just lost. I have heard that it is best not to have a cat which looks like one previously lost for precisely the reasons I just mentioned. Furthermore, I am concerned about committing to another cat while “on the rebound” so to speak.
The other concern is that Leary was ill for quite a while (8 months) before she finally passed and those 8 months were some of the hardest I’ve ever spent, both emotionally and in regards to vet bills. I have been trying to work through whether I can stand to go through all of that again in another 10-12 years or so or even sooner if she happens to contract an illness at a young age. I have learned about pet insurance so that will be something which will help financially if the need arises again but having to lose another pet eventually is something I am wondering if I can deal with emotionally. It may very well happen again since I am likely to outlive a new cat.
Any comments or suggestions in this regard would be most appreciated.
