I was thinking about that too, if I could ever deal with the loss of another pet. We have another little girl, Stella Lou, and I'm going to love her to pieces until the time comes and after, but I just don't want to go through the pain again.
You sound like a great fur-mommy, with your six cats! I've always wanted a cat, but have to wait until next year to get one, because I just moved into a new place and started grad school.
Kathy