((((hugs)))) What our pets give us stays with us... and their loss is just that : a loss! IMO the only thing that fills that void is another pet... but you never get over the other pet.

Worrying about how the T will respond is common... but go for it anyway! This is a long time to be mourning so deeply... maybe you're mourning the loss of many things? I would think a T with a pet would be a good "bet."

TC