Valentine would have been twelve in December. Evidently, I didn’t have her spayed early enough. I feel like I have phantom limb syndrome.
I know how you feel. My feet are cold in the winter now. My late kitty was the alpha in the cat kingdom. He ran the house. We were his servants.
We did get another kitten though. It’s helped. Not replaced a friend mind you, just made another friend.
Once you’ve grieved a bit why not ask a vet or shelter about the fostering situation. My dad has a barn cat (she was always an outdoor cat and she has a heater out there and her own finished ‘room’ and keeps my dad company while he does auto restoration) the vet ‘perma-fostered’ to him 3 or 4 years ago. She’s a sweet cat that needed a home because her owner died unexpectedly in a car wreck.
My kid brother, who isn’t responsible enough to make a long term committment to a pet IMHO, fosters for a local shelter. Lately he’s been keeping a part wolf dog that someone just left out front of the shelter chained to a gate. He may end up keeping this one though as he’s gotten attached.