I recently adopted a cat. He is perfect in every possible way--that is, he's a cat and he's also mine. He is exactly what I hoped for when I spent years researching cat care and crying over pictures of adoptable cats on shelter websites in anticipation of the day I would eventually adopt one. The one unexpected thing is how stressed and anxious this has made me.
I've already had one anxiety attack over the fear that I can't be a good enough pet owner. "What ifs" have been totally destabilizing me--fears of accidentally hurting or poisoning him, fears of circumstances changing in ways I can't anticipate that require me to be out of the house a lot more or move somewhere new entirely, fears of just being so anxious about this poor cat that I stress him into an early grave. Plenty more where those came from, but you get the idea.
He's such a sweet boy, and taking care of him has already brought so much comfort into my life. He's only been with me for a couple of days and I already know I'd be absolutely devastated if anything were to happen to him. As much as I adore him, though, there's a part of me that's convinced I should make it my personal mission to find him the perfect home with people who don't live in a rented space and won't be looking to move anytime in the next decade and can dedicate more time and attention to him without worrying every time he's out of their line of sight. As much as it'd break my heart, I've already cried more than once when hit with the realization that--unlike when I visit other peoples' cats--when he gets sick or hurt, I'll be the only one he really has to help him through it and make sure he's okay.
Is this normal for new pet owners, or am I just a neurotic individual who has no business having a cat?
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/js13lu/new_pet_anxietyplease_help/
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