My cat makes me not want to CBT

[attackingvertical]

I adopted him back in July of 2025 when he was just barely two months old. He's a big, fluffy baby. When I'm home and especially around others he loves to act aloof. He'll pretend to not be cuddly. He'll mainly hang out with my roommate's cat or sleep.

When we're alone though, he's a total cuddle bug. He's pressed against my leg right now. In the mornings after I feed him breakfast, he comes and lays on me. If I'm in another room with the door closed he'll chirp and whine until I open it.

I feel awful because I know if I did CBT he wouldn't understand where I went. Back in December I went home for a couple weeks to see my family and relax. I brought my kitty with me of course. If I ever left the house, my parents said he would cry and refused to leave my room. I would notice when I got back he'd cry until I made it up the stairs to see him. Hearing for even a few moments broke my heart. I can't imagine how much he'd cry if I was gone forever. I wanted a cat for twelve years before I finally got one, but sometimes I regret doing so and letting the both of us get attached to each other. I can't imagine not having him though.

 

[Pluto]

 

[GodzillasBiggestFan]

i feel the same though she's my housemate's cat and not mine. i wonder a lot of she will miss me or if it will make sense to her since my housemate had the cat before i moved in. maybe the cat will think it's normal? because i used to not be here so maybe? though i used to come over to the house. so she knew who i was. maybe i will seem gone to her in a weird way. i play with and pet her a lot. sometimes she meows at my door when im in my room.

 

[jojobanana]

oh god this is the realist thing i've seen today. it's probably my biggest protective factor. My fat stupid ginger cat and my sassy spoiled black cat.

 

[COP2CON]

I once didn't ctb because of my pet rabbit. Well my wife's but he later became my buddy. Had the shotgun and everything going to the bathroom and I noticed he was out of food or something. I wanted to make sure he would be OK till I was found so I went to refill whatever it was. He leaped onto me and began licking me, he had never done anything like that before. I cried like a baby and me and him were BFF's until he died. Sometimes that one thing is enough even if its a pet or only for a little while. Its just enough to get you through the day because you have them and know they love you and rely on you no matter how the rest of the world is. My advice, f*** the world. Be there for your cat for however long that is and make his life better than he could have ever imagined. reevaluate later. Pets are special to me and I was a bun and dog dad. Enjoy your cat, my bun and later buns was a better friend to me than anyone in my life at that time.

 

[turtle2]

Cats are such a joy. He's your protective factor now.

 

[MicahBell]

The thought of leaving my cat is killing me!! Hes 17 years old and doesn't really like anyone but me. He follows me around like a dog. I don't want him to feel like I abandoned him.

 

[metfan647]

I have a cat too. Not sure what his fate will be. I'll have to just the courage and find him a good home. He's definitely helped my wellbeing over the last year.

 

[CatLvr]

I guess the cat is outta the bag with me. I have 5 cats right now. Had to put my tuxedo cat to sleep a few months ago because his chronic kidney failure was never gonna improve and he was hurting. He was King of All He Surveyed here and I miss him and his crazy antics. But the rest of this crew, with their 2 dog brothers, keep me as sane as I have ever been.

I didn't want a houseful of cats. In fact, I had JUST said to my husband that when the 2 dogs and 2 cats we had passed on I thought maybe we shouldn't replace them because neither of us are spring chickens and neither of us knew anyone who would be able to take them and keep them together. But the dogs were playing on the backyard and found a litter of kittens under the chicken coop. They killed the one that bolted, but I managed to save the other 3.


At that point I was screwed. What do you do?? Well, I dunno about anyone else but I take them in, feed, water, pet and tame them. I do not know what I would do without them.

Then some people down the street abandoned a young adult. She came down here and never left. And she's a doll, literally. The people who had her before had two little girls who treated this cat like she was one of their baby dolls. She did not even know how to jump when she got here. She is on a mat on top of my fridge right now, sound asleep, after her morning snack.

And then my OG dog had to be put to sleep. He was 12. The young adult Shar pei I have was crushed. He was raised with the kittens so I mean he has buddies (all my critters act like some kind of weird cat/dog dog/cat hybrid kinda animal. But then a Boston Terrier showed up on my doorstep. Looked all over for his owners but nothing, so now he is mine. Far as I can tell he and Snoop are about the same age -- so young adults.

I have to take care of my buddies. They give me SO much and in return ask for nothing. And they love me no matter how bad I am feeling -- I don't have to "pit on airs" for them. They take me as I am and don't judge or try to change me. The least I can do for them is give them a good home until their time comes. When the last one goes I will join them. But until then, the ones who are still here have a home until their time comes.

 

[ad astra]

Same

I have the sweetest 4yo kitty... well, he's technically my mom's cat, but he loves me to pieces.

Mom and I went to a pet shelter a few years ago and while she was looking at some other cats, there were older kittens (around 10 months old) that were let out of the cages, playing around on the floor, so I decided to play with them, and one basically chose me. He wanted to be by me the most and wanted cuddles. He was the one who came home with us.

He purrs when I'm near him and does the thing where he rubs his whole body on my legs.

He BEGS to go into my room if I'm in there or even if I'm about to go in there; so many times he'll follow me in when I'm just grabbing something from my room to take to the living room. Only thing is if I'm just in my room for a few minutes to get something, he'll give me a hard time when I have to then get him back out of my room I think he sees it as a safe space since I usually keep the lighting low and the TV volume very low in there due to my own sensory problems.

If I'm laying on the couch while sick or otherwise feeling like shit, he'll stand up on his hind legs and peer over to check on me. I've spent many nights just cuddled up with him on the couch.

I know he'd miss me if/when I CTB...

 

[grizzlycamel]

same, when I start crying enough my cat used to come up to me and start licking me and try to distract me from crying. She'd even try to distract me from relapsing too. I've had her since I was a kitten and now she's so old. She has kidney disease so it's only a matter of time. I might just wait until she passes on first and then I might join her