Hi Catnip. I'm not sure how you'd be able to know, right at this moment, whether you are dealing with grief or depression. Did you do anything specific to commemorate the death of your cat?

I have found photos to be helpful in the past when dealing with grief. It can feel a bit like "wallowing in it" by looking at lots of photos of the person or companion animal that you have lost, but it does bring out lots of feelings.

Also, if there are other people who share some of your memories of your cat, talking to them about those memories can be helpful too.

I think it's wonderful that you have adopted another cat. I used to volunteer at an animal rescue and I always loved it when someone came through the door and said "I recently lost my cat/dog, and I want to adopt one to honor his/her memory."

Usually if someone adopts another animal within a few months of their loss, that means that they have dealt with their loss well. It's when you hear people say "Oh, I loved my dog so much...he died 5 years ago. I still miss him so much. I could never have another dog." To me, that says unresolved grief or fear of being hurt again.

If you look at pics of your cat that died and are able to smile through your tears, I'd say that you have dealt with your grief well. There may be some "aftershocks" from seeing the new cat in your household, but if that's what's going on, I wouldn't expect it to last long.

And by the way, good for you for adopting an older cat.