Should I get a pet even if I still struggle with suicidal ideation?

[RosebyAnyName]

I was very suicidal last year and earlier this year. My situation has improved and I am no longer actively suicidal, but I still struggle with ideation.

Would it be irresponsible to get a cat? Maybe even two cats? I'm confident that I have the energy to take care of them and I don't have executive dysfunction, but I worry that something bad will happen and I will be a position again where I feel like suicide is my only answer. I wouldn't want to bring an animal into that.

My main concern is my job / income. It's a stable 9-5 with a union, yet I also fear I will be replaced by AI in five to ten years (no solid evidence, but I try to stay on top of tech news and it's looking bleak).

What should I consider?

 

[Canto XIII]

I think cats can greatly help with mental health, so if you're stable enough as of now I wouldn't deny myself it. I would advise to start with one, preferably a moggy, but I know of people who started with several cats and were just fine.

Edit: But keep in kind that acclimated house cats don't always react well to the introduction of other pets they haven't grown up with into their territory.

 

[PugnaEnjoyer2137]

even if it's only a miniscule thought at the back of your head, that things can work out better (and there's hardly anyone without them) then go for it. I don't know if that's irresponsible, but if you take those cats from street or pet shelter I assure you then won't complain about being finally loved and cared for.
I have two little cats, and even though it was, and sometimes is difficult, I don't regret anything, especially when they jump on you while you're having a mental breakdown.

 

[petmom]

I'd lean to yes. But research A LOT

My mental health has gotten so much worse over the years but I still love my babies so much. They help me a lot and I think I'd be worse without them. It's very nice to have something so positive and wonderful in your life

I think you can have pets while being suicidal. But they are a lot of responsibility. Mental health will impact ability to adequately care for them and has for me. Make caring for them easy so that you can still do it on bad days and in bad seasons. I think for mental health, keep it simple, and that's basically what I've done both with my babies and in other areas.

Financial concern is very valid. I somewhat regret personally not saving up an additional amount before I got mine because of veterinary cost, higher expenses initially (before I knew what I was doing), and then employment and life changes I wasn't expecting. What helped me a bit is knowing the numbers so I can plan, having savings both beforehand and maintaining that fund during, and budgeting and keeping things affordable.

You can search up all sorts of ideas for finances and find good books (I like the ones recommended in the Personal Finance Canada subreddit info. The information applies to many countries)

For pets there may be pet insurance, affordable hacks, ways to build savings and emergency fund, etc. And learn financial literacy if you haven't already. A stable job makes planning easier so you could be in a decent place already

 

[plimeix]

Maybe give fostering a try first, and see how that goes and how you feel about it? I believe some (or most) programs offer financial support as well and you get a trial run of sorts while being a safe space for an animal in need :)

 

[hellstar_paradox]

Honestly I'm still very suicidal after adopting my cat but on tge other hand receiving a cat's affection is one of the best feelings in the world. I will say though if you feel the need to declaw any cats you get before letting them in your house you should drop the idea immediately. If you don't want a cat scratching you or your stuff then you shouldn't get a cat, period.

 

[memo]

Maybe set up a "godparent" of sorts for them. It's a good idea for anyone with pets and doesn't have to be suicide coded. Just a simple "hey if something happens to me can you take them?"

 

[usernamesarehard]

You are in the recovery section, so I'll assume your goal is to eventually recover and not ctb.

With that said, if you can take care of them, getting a cat might not be a bad idea. I live at home and my mother has 2 cats. One of them is attached only to me and greets me at the door almost every day. Going home is one of the highlights of my day because of that. They also sleep in my bed and I feel a lot less alone just having them there.

Having a pet can really help your mental health. Also, it gives you a reason to at least try to keep on going instead of ctb if things get bad. A situation that you thought was impossible to come back from might resolve itself after a while or you'll find a new opportunity that you wouldn't have if you had ctb when you initially thought things couldn't get better.

As far as whether or not it's irresponsible, I think if you catch a cat off the street or adopt one, then it's not really irresponsible (this is of course my opinion). Cats in those situations could be killed by a car or euthanized and never get to experience having individual care/attention in their lives. Even if you ctb, you made their lives better, even if it was just for a few years.

Also as far as the job worries go. I don't want to downplay or ignore your concerns, but I do want to say that most companies are over blowing how useful AI really is. Most, if not all companies want AI to be just as good as, if not better, than people so they can save on labor costs. But the reality is that AI just isn't all that useful. It can plug in things, so jobs like data entry might not be available in the future, but even then the work that AI does needs to be checked by a human to make sure it didn't fuck anything up. If your job is more complex than filling out spreadsheets, copy pasting things, sending basic emails, etc. you'll most likely be fine. If you want a video that highlights some of the fails of implementing AI to save costs on labor look up 'Why Replacing Humans With AI Is Going Horribly Wrong' by tech codes.

 

[diviosd]

well, i guess it depends on if you think it's just ideation or how close you get to actually doing it, but i wouldn't, cats dont do well with rehoming. thats not fair to them. if anything go to the shelter and get older cats so you wont have to commit to staying for potentially over 20 years for them.

 

[RosebyAnyName]

well, i guess it depends on if you think it's just ideation or how close you get to actually doing it, but i wouldn't, cats dont do well with rehoming. thats not fair to them. if anything go to the shelter and get older cats so you wont have to commit to staying for potentially over 20 years for them.

This is actually what I was considering. I don't *need* to adopt a kitten that could live for another 10 years if I'm that worried about the future, and there are plenty of senior cats that need to be rehomed. I have a lot more confidence that I can stay alive for the next 5 years compared to 10+ years if that makes sense.

Maybe give fostering a try first, and see how that goes and how you feel about it? I believe some (or most) programs offer financial support as well and you get a trial run of sorts while being a safe space for an animal in need :)

I'm not sure about fostering, I'd have no clue where to start. I guess I just need to contact local shelters and ask about it.

 

[Pluto]

 

[plimeix]

This is actually what I was considering. I don't *need* to adopt a kitten that could live for another 10 years if I'm that worried about the future, and there are plenty of senior cats that need to be rehomed. I have a lot more confidence that I can stay alive for the next 5 years compared to 10+ years if that makes sense.


I'm not sure about fostering, I'd have no clue where to start. I guess I just need to contact local shelters and ask about it.

Feel free to PM me any questions if you want to go the fostering route. Happy to help :) no pressure though. Hope you find your fur baby!

 

[never mind me]

I'd say go for it, if you feel like having a cat and can take care of it. Nobody really knows what is going to happen in 5 or 10 years, even people who don't have suicidal ideation might get some sickness that makes it impossible for them to care for a cat or just die unexpectedly. As you write that you are feeling better now, I can imagine that having a cat or 2 would possibly help you with recovery and I think that it would probably also make the option of ctb less attractive. So if you are ok with that it's probably a good idea. And getting a cat that is a bit older might be a good compromise as it doesn't put too much pressure on you to stay alive for much longer than you might wish to.

 

[nayomi]

you can always find a neighbor with a pet and cuddle with them sometimes

 

[westerly_merlin]

I still have ideation but a cuddle with my dog reminds me he relies on me. Not just for food but fir his welfare as well.

I love my dog, he is always happy to see me when I get home and never judges me, no matter what I tell him.

It is really hard to think about suicide with a puppy licking your face