Hi!

It's great to have you posting!

You have mentioned that your anxiety gets worse when you are away from your cats. Might your pdoc/therapist help you to manage (treat) your anxiety so you are more comfortable (less anxiety) during time away from them?

Cats, if healthy, are pretty self-sufficient and do okay alone better than some animals, especially when you have more than one.

My sister has 7 cats! She works every day, goes out some evenings and even comes to visit me for a couple of days, 450 miles away from her home/cats. Her cats do just fine! They have excellent lives and are very well taken care of. Of course she cares about her cats and mentions them; yet, she can get time out of the house.

Maybe you can start by leaving the cats in small increments of time and eventually build up the amount of time you are away from them? Maybe start with 15 minutes, then 30 minutes, then 1 hour, etc.? I think you'd find the cats are doing just fine.

I am glad you have your cats and know they are very special to you.

I hope you can find a way to love your cats AND have a full life by having a more balanced life.

Best wishes to you and to your cats!

WC