Greetings and seeking some input.

[borisgodunov]

Greetings to my new friends here. I am here today primarily seeking some input from those have gone through what I just went through with my wonderful kitty.

A week ago, my cat of over 10 years passed in my arms after a period of illness that could not be fixed so I knew it was coming but still cherished every second with him. He came to me as a starving stray around Christmas over a dozen years ago. After a period of feeding him outside he wanted in so badly I relented and brought him into my home. He took control of my life very quickly and I have enjoyed every minute. Within a few months the vet discovered he had completely rotten teeth and they had to be removed. When I fed him through a tube in his neck for a couple of weeks, we bonded completely and he seemed to understand what I had done to save him. He has had other health issues over the years but the most recent, congestive heart failure, combined with others could not be overcome. Over the last 2-3 months he lost most of his weight and passed on a week ago. (Tears are welling up again typing this.) I picked up his ashes Friday.

I am currently in a very deep grieving process that is almost disabling. I am not only dealing with his death but also the fact I am now all alone in the house which is very difficult for me since he was my constant companion. As a Russian Blue he was very chatty and very affectionate.

Just to cut to the chase, I am nearly 72 years old and already thinking about another cat. I know my boy cannot be replaced but I don't know that I want to live the rest of my completely alone. My question is would it be a bad idea to get a kitten or very young cat? There seem to be a lot of those available and I do want one that is in need of a home. My biggest fear before was that my cat would outlive me and at my age that would be a real possibility with a young cat. Also, am I moving too quickly? Should I allow my mourning to go on a little more before acting? I think many here probably understand what I saying.

Any thoughts, ideas, or questions are appreciated.

 

[Klause]

I am so sorry for your loss. You never are prepared and the grief is significant.
I think another companion would be great. Oh you get a kitten, consider adopting 2. They are literally half the work as they entertain each other!

As far as moving too fast, only you can be the one to decide that. I waited about 5 months and then I just knew when it was time. You will too.

I wish you the best!

 

[di and bob]

If you are lonely, your boy would like nothing better than for you to pass on what he taught you, how to love a cat! The love will reside right next to his.a new little one in the house would distract you from your pain. I would suggest an older cat. There are so many more of them that desperately need a loving home. Maybe two, there are bonded pairs out there too. Many are in a shelter because their cat parents died. You would save a life!
My thoughts and prayers are with you for your grief. RIP precious boy.......

 

[borisgodunov]

Thank you Klaus and di and bob for your response and kind words. I appreciate it so much.

Interesting that you both suggest getting two cats. I will certainly give that some thought. One of the things I loved the most about my cat was the close one on one bond we had that I never expected. He latched on to me very quickly when we first met before I brought him inside but I never thought we would have such a close bond. I guess what I am saying is I wonder if I would experience that with two cats who have their own close bond.

 

[di and bob]

You would have twice the love! Males are usually lovier in my experience. Two just have someone to play with and keep each other company when you can’t.

 

[mani]

B borisgodunov welcome to the site.
You gave your boy a wonderful life...

Your story resonated with me so much.. I'm getting close to your age and recently lost my beautiful Russian boy. I still have his sister, but she is in renal failure and so I know that the time is coming when I'll be alone in the house and grieving.

I'm not sure it's necessary to get two cats. My two were never that fond of each other and vied for my attention. I think one is fine. I've also thought about getting a young cat and realised that they can live for 20 years, and that may not be such a good idea.

My plan is to foster cats for a local shelter.. it would inevitably become a 'foster fail' where the foster person cannot give the cat up to a new owner, and that's just fine. You might consider that. Or go to your local rescue and see if a cat picks you.

 

[tabbytom]

borisgodunov and on behalf of The Catsite community, a warm

to you.


So glad that you’ve joined this wonderful site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.


We are so sorry to hear of the loss


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Enjoy your stay and see ya around

 

[di and bob]

females are VERY territorial. They almost never get along with other females or males. They love to boss them around too much. Two males usually get along great!

 

[borisgodunov]

[

B borisgodunov welcome to the site.
You gave your boy a wonderful life...

Your story resonated with me so much.. I'm getting close to your age and recently lost my beautiful Russian boy. I still have his sister, but she is in renal failure and so I know that the time is coming when I'll be alone in the house and grieving.

I'm not sure it's necessary to get two cats. My two were never that fond of each other and vied for my attention. I think one is fine. I've also thought about getting a young cat and realised that they can live for 20 years, and that may not be such a good idea.

My plan is to foster cats for a local shelter.. it would inevitably become a 'foster fail' where the foster person cannot give the cat up to a new owner, and that's just fine. You might consider that. Or go to your local rescue and see if a cat picks you.

Thank you mani. Sorry for your loss and that you are now dealing with the illness in your other cat. Yes, I have considered fostering but with me and the way I get attached, I would likely adopt the first cat I fostered so it would probably just be an adoption anyway. Yes, having a cat that finds you is a wonderful thing. That is exactly what happened with my boy. He came to me and would not take no for an answer.

 

[borisgodunov]

View attachment 491030 borisgodunov and on behalf of The Catsite community, a warm View attachment 491031 to you.


So glad that you’ve joined this wonderful site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.


We are so sorry to hear of the loss


New Here? I Have A Few Suggestions For You!
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post
Community Guidelines & Practices - Frequently Asked Questions
Forum Rules



Feel free to ask questions if you have any and start a new thread of your own and post them under the appropriate forums and do check out the many informative articles we have here in Articles | The Cat Site



Enjoy your stay and see ya around

Thank you for the warm welcome tabbytom. Coming here and being with others who understand what I am going through is good therapy.

 

[rubysmama]

B borisgodunov : Hello and welcome to TCS.

As I read your post, I could have been reading about my own situation. I lost my dearly loved cat, Ruby, to kidney disease, back in May, after 10 1/2 years of having her with me, and the grief nearly consumed me as I dealt with missing her, and living in my empty, quiet home all by myself. I knew almost immediately I needed to adopt another cat, but battled with the "how soon is too soon". I ended up waiting just over 3 months, and in retrospect, I think I waited too long. When I did adopt, I got a 3 year old calico, named Pretty, who immediately brought joy and purpose back to my life. So though after only 1 week, it is maybe too soon for you to adopt again, don't wait as long as I did.

I'm younger than you, but not by that many years, and I did wonder if I was wrong to adopt a young cat. But honestly no one knows what the future will bring, as even someone much younger can adopt a cat and then have a life changing event that would mean they could no longer care for it. Shelters do a wonderful job rehoming cats, so that's a comforting thought, if I couldn't keep Pretty and friends and family were unable to take her.

I've only had single cats, and they've both been very sweet and loving towards me. Unless you're someone who is out of the house for several hours a day, I think a single cat would be more than content having you all to itself.

Condolences on the loss of your boy. We have a Crossing the Bridge forum where you could post a tribute to him, if that's something you think you might want to do.

 

[Margot Lane]

I love the foster fail idea & can’t wait to see your new kitty (agree: it helps to write on the Crossing the Bridge forum as well). As I am 10 years younger than my sister and 15 years younger than my brother, I insisted that they each write up some kind of will for their (five in all) kitties, and they were happy to do it. It gives everybody peace of mind.

 

[borisgodunov]

B borisgodunov : Hello and welcome to TCS.

As I read your post, I could have been reading about my own situation. I lost my dearly loved cat, Ruby, to kidney disease, back in May, after 10 1/2 years of having her with me, and the grief nearly consumed me as I dealt with missing her, and living in my empty, quiet home all by myself. I knew almost immediately I needed to adopt another cat, but battled with the "how soon is too soon". I ended up waiting just over 3 months, and in retrospect, I think I waited too long. When I did adopt, I got a 3 year old calico, named Pretty, who immediately brought joy and purpose back to my life. So though after only 1 week, it is maybe too soon for you to adopt again, don't wait as long as I did.

I'm younger than you, but not by that many years, and I did wonder if I was wrong to adopt a young cat. But honestly no one knows what the future will bring, as even someone much younger can adopt a cat and then have a life changing event that would mean they could no longer care for it. Shelters do a wonderful job rehoming cats, so that's a comforting thought, if I couldn't keep Pretty and friends and family were unable to take her.

I've only had single cats, and they've both been very sweet and loving towards me. Unless you're someone who is out of the house for several hours a day, I think a single cat would be more than content having you all to itself.

Condolences on the loss of your boy. We have a Crossing the Bridge forum where you could post a tribute to him, if that's something you think you might want to do.

Thank you so much for the kind words and also the suggestions. This thread probably should have been posted in that forum but maybe I will post something about my little boy there later. Honestly, it was hard to post it the first time. I had to go back to the vet today and pick up his carrier. Before I left they gave me a card where the staff wrote condolences and how they will miss him too. It's still hard for me to talk about.

 

[Mighty Orange]

Greetings to my new friends here. I am here today primarily seeking some input from those have gone through what I just went through with my wonderful kitty.

A week ago, my cat of over 10 years passed in my arms after a period of illness that could not be fixed so I knew it was coming but still cherished every second with him. He came to me as a starving stray around Christmas over a dozen years ago. After a period of feeding him outside he wanted in so badly I relented and brought him into my home. He took control of my life very quickly and I have enjoyed every minute. Within a few months the vet discovered he had completely rotten teeth and they had to be removed. When I fed him through a tube in his neck for a couple of weeks, we bonded completely and he seemed to understand what I had done to save him. He has had other health issues over the years but the most recent, congestive heart failure, combined with others could not be overcome. Over the last 2-3 months he lost most of his weight and passed on a week ago. (Tears are welling up again typing this.) I picked up his ashes Friday.

I am currently in a very deep grieving process that is almost disabling. I am not only dealing with his death but also the fact I am now all alone in the house which is very difficult for me since he was my constant companion. As a Russian Blue he was very chatty and very affectionate.

Just to cut to the chase, I am nearly 72 years old and already thinking about another cat. I know my boy cannot be replaced but I don't know that I want to live the rest of my completely alone. My question is would it be a bad idea to get a kitten or very young cat? There seem to be a lot of those available and I do want one that is in need of a home. My biggest fear before was that my cat would outlive me and at my age that would be a real possibility with a young cat. Also, am I moving too quickly? Should I allow my mourning to go on a little more before acting? I think many here probably understand what I saying.

Any thoughts, ideas, or questions are appreciated.

My I suggest you look into being a foster cat taker.

 

[borisgodunov]

I love the foster fail idea & can’t wait to see your new kitty (agree: it helps to write on the Crossing the Bridge forum as well). As I am 10 years younger than my sister and 15 years younger than my brother, I insisted that they each write up some kind of will for their (five in all) kitties, and they were happy to do it. It gives everybody peace of mind.

Thanks for your input. I value everyone's opinion and the fact they took the time to respond. As I posted before, good chance a foster kitty would wind up with me for good since I get attached so easily.

 

[borisgodunov]

Well I had no intention of jumping back in so quickly. Since the passing of my beautiful boy less than a month ago, I began just looking on line at the local rescue places and visited a "cat cafe" near my home to interact with the 10 cats and kittens there. On line I ran across a picture of a Russian Blue in rescue and he was a near duplicate of my kitty when he was younger. He is about an hour and a half away in a good foster home. To make a long story short I plan to adopt him and bring him home sometime next week after the snow clears out a little. He sounds very similar to my boy and with a similar story of abandonment and being found by good people. I honestly believe this is what I need to get over my loss.

 

[rubysmama]

I'm happy to hear you've found a new kitty to help heal your broken heart. Be sure to come back with pictures once he's settled in.