mellowtigger | my feline indecision (Reply)

On Thursday morning (just 3 days away), I return Hope to the shelter. She'll have her spay surgery, recover (quickly, for a kitten), and then probably reach the adoption floor on the weekend. I don't have long to decide whether to adopt her.

Reasons for and against have emotional components, and it's not at all clear which side will win.

For:

CUTE! Hope is watching the cursor move on the screen as I type this sentence.
The animal comfort of physical contact. Hope gives every indication that she'll actually be a "lap cat", unlike T'Reese. She's already settled onto my lap now, as I near the end of my blog editing session.
The relief of ensuring that she doesn't stay in a home where roughhousing is encouraged. She's prone to biting/kicking (time spent in the wild?). I've seen what becomes of cats who are indulged as simply being "playful", and I want Hope to avoid that personality.

Against:

I'd lose any opportunity at Remaking myself, if I commit to another decade+ of time spent responsible feeding another mouth. That option is "a lot" to give up. It's my main concern against adopting Hope.
Yes, I'd be responsible for feeding another mouth. I expect economic times ahead to be even worse than now. I have no idea what to expect long-term from my nerve issues. Can I keep up with the responsibility?
I'd face household warfare as I spend weeks/months negotiating the peace with T'Reese and Hope. Even now, playful Hope bounds into T'Reese which prompts a very hissy encounter from both.
I'd have to maintain a solution (other than declawing) to scratching for the next decade. Very annoying problem.

Here's a random houseguest of my landlords on the couch. Everyone is Hope's friend, which is very unlike my scaredy cat T'Reese.

*sigh* Decisions, decisions.