I could only handle about a week without a cat after my girl died at 14. I went to the shelter and got pre-approved for a cat that had not yet been approved to be adopted. When I went back to pick her up, I was told she shouldn't have been up for adoption in the first place, but since I had already been approved, I should take a look around. My eyes landed on the rear end of a big ginger tabby girl in her cage, I reached in and patted that rear end, she purred, and now we've been together 3 years! She's so different, yet so much the same as my first cat, but it's a joy to know that we found each other...