We have two Himalayan Persians, half-sisters, who are ten years old. It occurred to me recently that these will be my last cats.

I've had a few dogs, but I've had a cat almost my whole life: Socks, Peter (Grandma's cat), Lochinvar, Samantha, Minou, Itchy, Fluffy, Cookie, Ivy, Cooper...and now Cindy and Peach.

Day-to-day care is no problem: feeding, brushing, etc. But the little vet episodes, cat box problems, barf-cleaning and the like keep getting harder and harder. We're both less steady on our feet and more trip-prone. We couldn't afford a major feline health situation.

Is it POSSIBLE that someday we might temporarily foster a cat? Possibly. But considering our age and health realistically, there will be no more kittens. Now I'm not going to ruin the next few years with Cindy and Peach with a gloomy attitude, but it does make me sad.