I can totally sympathize with you because from the time I had my first cat (over 40 years ago), I always worried they they might outlive me and be abandoned [I am single and live alone]. So I've always had 'arrangements' in place for that possibility.
Now that I'm 80, and my current cat is only 7, that's becoming more of a reality. Fortunately, I have family who would not abandon her, but they are not 'cat people,' so I have an understanding with my cat sitter (who is also a neighbor) to take her if anything happens to me.
I even have a note in my wallet next to my driver's license in case I have an accident and am unresponsive. The note explains that I have a cat at home and gives the name and phone number of my neighbor who will care for her.
I know all this doesn't help you because you've explained your situation very well, but as much as I hate euthanizing a cat, if I were in your situation, I'd make that arrangement with my vet should the cat outlive me.
Here's why. The third cat I adopted [Sunny] had been 'dumped' in a shelter when he was 7 years old after his owner died and all relatives claimed they were 'allergic.' Sunny hated other cats, and this was an 'open plan' shelter where the cats roamed freely, so he was constantly in fights and under stress. After I brought him home, he had several stress-related issues (vet diagnosis), and was soon diagnosed in renal failure--which I attribute the the extreme stress he experience for 8 months in that shelter. He lived for only another 2 years, never really well but not suffering until the end.
I would never want my cat to go through such stress, and I think in Sunny's case, euthanasia would have been better for him.
Now that I'm 80, and my current cat is only 7, that's becoming more of a reality. Fortunately, I have family who would not abandon her, but they are not 'cat people,' so I have an understanding with my cat sitter (who is also a neighbor) to take her if anything happens to me.
I even have a note in my wallet next to my driver's license in case I have an accident and am unresponsive. The note explains that I have a cat at home and gives the name and phone number of my neighbor who will care for her.
I know all this doesn't help you because you've explained your situation very well, but as much as I hate euthanizing a cat, if I were in your situation, I'd make that arrangement with my vet should the cat outlive me.
Here's why. The third cat I adopted [Sunny] had been 'dumped' in a shelter when he was 7 years old after his owner died and all relatives claimed they were 'allergic.' Sunny hated other cats, and this was an 'open plan' shelter where the cats roamed freely, so he was constantly in fights and under stress. After I brought him home, he had several stress-related issues (vet diagnosis), and was soon diagnosed in renal failure--which I attribute the the extreme stress he experience for 8 months in that shelter. He lived for only another 2 years, never really well but not suffering until the end.
I would never want my cat to go through such stress, and I think in Sunny's case, euthanasia would have been better for him.