Dear Prudence,
I have a cat. She is the first pet I’ve ever had and has been with me for five years. This might sound sad, but she is my rock. Through breakups, moves, and family illness, she has been with me through thick and thin. I am single, so I love having something to come home to and take care of that accepts me unconditionally. All of this to say, I do not know how to handle the devastating eventuality that one day she will die. I’m afraid that it will destroy me. With no previous experience of a pet, I don’t know how to cope with this at all. Is there a way to pre-emptively prepare myself? I would like to just not think about it and enjoy the many years I have with her, but I am also afraid that if I don’t learn how to deal with it now, I won’t be able to in the future.
—Cat Lady