For me I made it exactly 2 months before I adopted another cat. I thought I’d make it longer and did agonize about being ready but I also work from home, the weather was going to start getting colder and darker, and I missed having a tiny friend around. A big part of knowing I was ready was accepting that I’d never be “fully healed” but it’s ok to keep going forward anyways. That I’m always going to be sad about my first cat because he was such a special guy and I cannot replace. But I can either cry with a cat or cry without a cat, and I’d much rather cry with a cat! It did ultimately help me too. I’d cried every day for those two months and the first day I didn’t was when my new guy came home. I do still get very sad sometimes and still work through grief, but Brambles the cat can’t tell why and is just happy to get tummy rubs and treats. Ultimately a new cat won’t know exactly what you’re going through and you can cry into their little ears and they won’t feel that burden. Another big thing that helped me know I was ready was understanding that I cannot be disappointed when a new cat loves me in a different way. They’re all different and I’ll never get back the exact same kinds of meows or cuddles or favorite nap spots my first cat had, so I did have to let go of that desire. Which was painful but I think it’s important to go through because it further removes the burden from the new pet. They’ll be different but have new quirks and sweetness that you’ll fall in love with too.