Nice thread. I haven't read it yet, but I like that there are people like me who love cats.
All my life I had dogs, but after the loss of my last dog, I thought I couldn't handle the loss of another dog, and I said never again, and I meant it. Never had another dog.
And then came this semi-feral cat who found me shortly after the last time I said I can't do this anymore because the pain of losing them becomes unbearable.
She found me when she was around four years old. Found out her age from neighbors who filled us in that she had been around the neighborhood for that time span. Her owners moved and left her behind. Their loss, our gain. She's about seventeen now, and what many would consider special needs. Besides her advanced age, she had become deaf and blind, in the last year or so. Hard to see this happen to such a loving, special cat who is so grateful for having a safe and loving home. I don't know what lies ahead for her, but I am here for her until the very end. What a gift. I used to say I hated cats. I was just another cat bigot. LOL