Left with nothing but kitty litter

For a little while now I have been contemplating getting a cat. The thought came about originally as part of my dissolution into becoming an "old woman with cats", which Max Liebermann makes look serene, rather than just a little pathetic.

After cat-sitting for S for a bit last year, I have even happened upon a breed that I quite like. But, as yet, I have still not taken the plunge and purchased my own little four-legged friend. The excuses are many and varied. I am away a lot, leaving a cat to the clutches of my flat-mate. I have never had a cat before, so am not quite sure what I am in for. I don't think my lease actually allows animals on the premises. These are all fairly sound excuses, but the over-riding factor for me not getting a cat yet is that I am scared it will leave me.

There is a scary little window into my psyche, n'est-ce pas?