but that you gave them the best life you could. And maybe realize that giving another pet a good life doesn’t mean you’re replacing or forgetting your last one.
I’ve told myself that the cats under my care are the top 1% of the 1% of animals. I would go as far as saying that they have it better than most of the 8B people on this planet. They have comfort, safety, abundance, and entertainment. I go the extra mile for them to ensure that they have a high quality of life.
When I have gotten another cat after one died, it was never a replacement. It was giving a home to cat who needed one. A cat sitting in a shelter waiting for their chance. And I tend to adopt animals that are harder to place due to age or other factors (e.g. “does not get along with dogs or kids”) that are a non-issue for me.
Losing them is hard, but not adopting them doesn’t prevent their eventual death. It just means that the death happens “off camera,” and quite possibly much sooner.
When I have gotten another cat after one died, it was never a replacement. It was giving a home to cat who needed one. A cat sitting in a shelter waiting for their chance. And I tend to adopt animals that are harder to place due to age or other factors (e.g. “does not get along with dogs or kids”) that are a non-issue for me.
This is how I operate too. Any cat in my care is me doing my part, never getting another animal because it would destroy the integrity of the legacy of the one I had previously?.. Kinda seems self-defeating.
My current familiar is Nessa, a temperamental slightly-wild girl who will hard bite you if you don’t know what you’re doing with her, but I’ve held cats for almost 20 years now and I know what to do and what not to do to keep her from biting me. Someone else’s house? Some meathead’s house? A big house full of kids? She’d get thrown out in a month.
I have a cat similar to Nessa. She does very well in may home but would likely have issues in a different environment. Understanding cat body language and respecting boundaries is key.
Incidentally, she does get along great with other cats.
I’ve told myself that the cats under my care are the top 1% of the 1% of animals. I would go as far as saying that they have it better than most of the 8B people on this planet. They have comfort, safety, abundance, and entertainment. I go the extra mile for them to ensure that they have a high quality of life.
When I have gotten another cat after one died, it was never a replacement. It was giving a home to cat who needed one. A cat sitting in a shelter waiting for their chance. And I tend to adopt animals that are harder to place due to age or other factors (e.g. “does not get along with dogs or kids”) that are a non-issue for me.
Losing them is hard, but not adopting them doesn’t prevent their eventual death. It just means that the death happens “off camera,” and quite possibly much sooner.
This is how I operate too. Any cat in my care is me doing my part, never getting another animal because it would destroy the integrity of the legacy of the one I had previously?.. Kinda seems self-defeating.
My current familiar is Nessa, a temperamental slightly-wild girl who will hard bite you if you don’t know what you’re doing with her, but I’ve held cats for almost 20 years now and I know what to do and what not to do to keep her from biting me. Someone else’s house? Some meathead’s house? A big house full of kids? She’d get thrown out in a month.
I have a cat similar to Nessa. She does very well in may home but would likely have issues in a different environment. Understanding cat body language and respecting boundaries is key.
Incidentally, she does get along great with other cats.