So Tom is about 9-10 years old? I had a cat once that was older than me by a year or so, he lived for about 16 years before we had to put him to sleep. He had issues with one of his eyes so we had that eye sewn shut, then it starting developing in his other eye, so we knew it was the beginning of the end. It was hard to deal with because I was only in 8th grade at the time, but you just have to stay strong. You have to realize nothing is going to live forever. But if your cat doesn't have any health problems, he should be fine for a few more years.

Thats quite sweet. Its what I hate about pets. With most you know you will outlast them.
But really if it was a choice between the pain of loss or never getting them id always opt for the first. My dogs getting on and hes my 2nd so i aint looking forward to that. I dont even know that id get another because i dont want to have to deal with the inevitable.
But then i remind myself of the preffered choice i just highlighted.
When youre cat goes the best thing you can do is get another.not a replacement since theirs no replacing family/friends, but more a distraction from the saddness. In time you will have a new friend as well as the fond memorys of your last one.
I wouldnt say its ideal, but i would say its life, you play the hand your given and try to keep out of the red.

P.s senior citizen kitty cat made me chuckle.
Any reason you used a 3 year old pic? Not that it matters, just curious

I would NEVER advocate for someone to place human life above a pet's life.

That being said, I -completely- understand what you mean by describing that level of affection. I've had Dorito for only 6 or so years... maybe 7.  However, he is my best real life friend.  He always wants to be near me, comes the instant I call, tries to comfort me when I'm sad, and is the most gentle animal I know.  I'm kind of surprised sometimes by just how much I love him.

I'm glad you have such a friend as well.  Just make sure you enjoy every moment!  It's sad indeed, as thenumberone said... but we will hardly ever be outlived by our pets.

hunter31626 : Your cat looks cute and "big".....i have a cat also but i really dont like cats...(i always get attacked by my cat for no reason)...but anyway..i dont see how this is depressing.

I believe that when animals die, they go to live on forever in a state of eternal bliss.  So when Tom does pass away, you can rest knowing that he's indeed in a better place, and that you'll be able to see him again.  That's my belief.

hunter31626 : That is so sweet~ and your cat looks cute and pretty cool too. It must be really nice to have a cat. I love cats and I really want one, but my grandma hates them, so I'm not allowed to have one...

I find it really sweet that you will choose your life over your cat. That just shows how much you care for him. I am very positive your last years with him will be wonderful and worth it. Continue having fun with him.

hunter31626 : KITTY! FJIOT:UFNGHFSADFL:FKITTYKAT!

Sorry, I was overwhelmed with cuteness! I had a cat once, I was in high school when he passed. Was very devastating for me. So I understand how you feel. Its been 4 (not sure) years since he passed. Name was Jack. We had him from birth. We even had  the birth mother who gave birth behind our stove. LOL. Anyway, Jack wasn't supposed to live. He was a sickly kitten from the beginning so we didn't know what to do. But my mother said she would take care of him, because the mother cat wanted nothing to do with him. He had both eyes glued shut from birth, then one eye opened and we called him One-Eyed Jack, then both eyes opened and we called him Jack. All my mother did was wipe his eyes with a warm wash cloth and she did that about 4-5 times a day. Since then, he lived for 9 years (Kind of cliché when you talk about cats with "9 lives") and died from what should have killed him in the beginning. He had  a brain tumor that we had removed MULTIPLE times. But I guess in the end it got him. 

I loved him. He was a weird cat. He salivated over Olives. He was fat, Lazy and would ALWAYS beat up the Dog (who we STILL have to this day. She's getting old though). And of course he was the MOST curious of cats I've seen. He fell off of ladders, he went INTO the Christmas Tree and we saw him up top. Was so funny. He has fallen off of TV's, Crashed into the sliding glass door trying to get at the birds outside, killed Lizards, and most of all, he was the boss of the house. The dog HAD to wait for the cat to finish eating till she could eat. She would just WAIT OUTSIDE for him and most times he took his time eating and cleaning himself after. I miss my Dak-dak, but I've grown used to not seeing him in the house anymore.

Emoteen134