Magical and kitty feelings

This was another set I'd been meaning to repost. After I adopted

Marina...

I thoroughly enjoyed these. Thanks for reposting them.

Betty, we immediately developed an attachment to each other. That was
mostly due to Betty. She seemed to already be experienced in
enslaving hoomins, and took the lead in our relationship, giving
affection, and eliciting affection.

While Betty was alive, I spent those three years in a constant state

Betty will disable the neutral setting in your life. I can't get over
the sadness of her being gone, and I couldn't get over her charm when
we were together.

I tried to write about the magic, and the wonder, and the happiness,
although not always successfully. But if you love your cats as well,
then that will fill in the gaps, and I think you'll know what I was
trying to say.

CATherine...

Your descriptions of Betty help us all see our own cats in a more
poetic way. You have a beautiful soul that Betty appreciated.

Joy...

Yes, I understand, and I know you're hurting terribly. It is a terrible
pain when you lose such a dear creature, and they do know how to worm their
way into your heart. I hope that someday, maybe soon, you will find another
wonderful relationship with another cat. It won't be Betty, and it won't
replace Betty, but it will help to fill the hole that you are currently
feeling in your life. Some people feel that they are being disloyal to a
beloved pet if they love another. I don't feel that way. Love is infinite.
Loving another doesn't take away any of the love you felt, and feel, for
Betty. Nothing will ever do that. What it will do is add still another
dimension to your life, just as Betty did originally.

Purrs,
Joy

Takayuki...

It's true that there's a lot of sadness and hurt, but I feel that I'm
experiencing that in a healthy way now.

Betty's influence is very strong. I seem to spend every moment
thinking about her, and I've even started to take out the cat dancer,
playing with it by myself and remembering how much Betty loved to
play, and absent-mindedly scratching the carpet post I got her, which
she never used.

I don't know how another kitty would fit into all of this. I think
that cats deserve a warm and loving environment. But would I just be
sad and emotionally distant to a new kitty who reminds me of Betty,
yet is not Betty? And even with Betty, it turned out that I wasn't
able to keep her alive and healthy for very long.

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

If you think you might feel sad and emotionally distant because the
new kitty isn't Betty, that tells me that you're probably not ready for
a new kitty. It sounds to me like you still need more time to grieve,
now that you can grieve in a healthy way.

Think of all the people who, after a bad breakup, jump right into a new
relationship (often called a "rebound" relationship). Then they resent the
new person because the new person isn't the ex who broke their heart. If
you don't give yourself time to really miss the ex (or the cat who went
to the RB), then any newcomer will just feel like an intrusion, or a cheap
imitation, second best. It's hard to appreciate someone for the unique
person (or cat) they are, when you're still focused on missing someone else.

But you have made tremendous progress in your healing, so you might feel
open to a new cat sooner than it seems like you would. And I think you'll
know when you're ready. I say "when" rather than "if" because it seems
clear to me that you are a true cat-lover - you're someone who needs to
be sharing your life with a cat. When the right time comes.

Karen...

I didn't think I would come to love Pearl. She wasn't my choice, she
was my duty and she was so different in personalitythan any cat I ever
had (and that is a lot of cats!) Instead, I've come to love her in a
completely different way than any cat. She makes me laugh everyday.
Both she and Sugar seem to do new things even though I've had Sugar for
10 years and Pear for 4 years that take me by surprise and charm me
every day. Cats, as a whole, are just an amazing multifaceted species
with as many sides to them and personalities as there are stars.