Reader, we made a snap decision. Meet Mr. Wizard and Cheese:
After we tried meeting a dog in June, I wasn’t going to even think about another animal until the winter. Then I got laid off and thought, “Yeah, that’s for the best, we don’t need another mouth to feed.” But THEN my brother sent me a bonded pair of kitties at the shelter because the orange one was named Cheese just like our childhood cat. We met them Friday, they both sat on my lap, and we took them home.
When I immediately wrote about getting laid off, I said I wasn’t panicking yet, but as it sunk it, I’d been starting to panic, literally–waking up and having my heart start to race, upset stomach, needing to do my breathing exercises. NOW I have two lap cats who wake up with me and need snacks and pets and have the best purr motors. Now I have two little guys to keep me company in the office as I send out applications.
We think these two are pretty young. Mr. Wizard might be older but their fur texture and body type are so similar that they might be litter mates. I’ve never had a bonded pair of cats and they’re just a delight. Mr. Wizard makes sure little Cheese is OK; when Mr. Wizard is around, Cheese is so much braver.
They’re also good boys, settling in and letting us sleep through the night. I have had to move some houseplants around and buy two more scratching posts, but they’re pretty chill overall. 
Was it the most responsible thing to take on extra responsibility and expense without a steady income? Maybe not, but I don’t regret it. I guess part of me was ready to blow up everything about my old life. But I think the new life with the kitty boys will be pretty good.