It was on December 7, 2015, that my cat Gucci passed away. She had been my cat for my entire adult life and when she died it left our house feeling empty.

Gucci Boss Lucy
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Yes, we have other animals. A cat, Hugo Boss and two dogs, Lucy the Wonder Dog, and Roxie the Beagle. Our animals are such a huge part of our family and pretty much run the house.

Gucci was a special one for me. She lived with me as I was chasing dreams from Portland, OR to New York City, NY and then finally laying down roots in Colorado. She was with me through early morning wake-ups, break-ups, getting fired, moving, you get the picture.

After she had died I didn't think I would ever be ready for another kitty cat, after all, Hugo Boss was finding his way as an only cat for the first time in his life. I would look at pictures of cats up for adoption daily but would immediately feel guilty. I didn't want even to believe for a second that we were looking to replace Gucci. It wasn't the case; she was irreplaceable. But, at 10-years-old I thought that Hugo Boss needed a companion. The dogs had each other, Hugo loved having Gucci around, so we thought he would likely enjoy having another cat at the house.

Like I said, I have been looking at cat pictures since the creation of the internet. On Friday as I was looking through photos, a kitten stood out to me. It felt like a punch to the gut but like a good punch because I knew this was the kitten. Yes, she looked like Gucci, but

Townsquare Media, Alana Lynn
Townsquare Media, Alana Lynn
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there was just something else about her that I couldn't quite place. I called. She was still available but was headed out over the weekend to several adoption events. I was told she might not be available for adoption on Monday but to check back. Sunday night we got a call saying she was available. That night I tossed and turned and wondered if we were doing the right thing. The anxiety of wondering if we were making the right decision was quickly put to rest when we met our newest family member.

She has fit in wonderfully with our family. She's cocky. She's brazen. She cuddles. She is a talker. And she snuggles up to Hugo Boss, and he has quickly taken on the role of teaching his 8-week-old sister how to cat.

I guess the best advice I can say is that if you have recently lost a pet, you will know when you're ready to adopt another. There's no time limit, and though everyone has an opinion, that's exactly what they are, someone else's opinion. Another thought I would add, adoption is critical, there is just something so comforting adopting an animal from a shelter knowing that you can provide them with a roof over their head, food in their belly, and a whole lot of love.

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