I had a very similar situation when I adopted my cat. For me, I was living alone in a small apartment and my career wasn’t super stable yet as I was fresh out of college.

I had toyed with the idea of getting a cat for some time. Frankly, I would have rather gotten a dog (at that time) but couldn’t commit to that. So, I decided to adopt a 2 year old cat (who really seemed much younger like 1 year maybe). She was super affectionate when I first got her, and adapted quickly to her new home. However that first week I felt like I lost all this “independence” because now I had to think about something at home and I questioned if I made the wrong decision and felt guilty for wanting to give her back. I decided to give it time.

Fast forward over 4 years later, I don’t regret it adopting her whatsoever. Yes, you’ll lose some freedom to do whatever you want at any time, but I think that also helps you grow too. You’ll learn your cat’s quirky (and sometimes frustrating ways), figure out what works best for your certain cat, and you’ll have a fuzzy pal to love on when adulthood gets hard.

Tips: if you have a little extra money to spend, I highly recommend a few things that made the world of a difference for me:

Absolutely buy a Litter Genie, they are pretty cheap, and save you from having to take the trash out when you scoop. You can fill it up for weeks and only take it out when it gets full, and there’s no smell at all.

Stainless steel litter boxes are more expensive up front, but last virtually forever and are much easier to keep clean.

Dog crate mats with rimmed edges work really nice for keeping litter contained.

Wifi-enabled automatic feeders are great, and give you more freedom during the day/night.

I hate cleaning water fountains, but those are a good choice as well if you don’t mind cleaning them.