I'm also someone who doesn't shy away from taking on another pet after losing one. It depends. I've had 20 rats over the past 5-6 years, they live 2-3 years and I always kept a big group (6-7 but one cycle I had 7 girls and 5 boys, that was a lot of work but so worth it) every so often when one or two or three would pass I'd end up finding a single or couple or trio of baby rats to bolster the mischief numbers, rats are so damn happy in a big group and I was always devoted to them. One time I took in a pregnant female I found in a bin of males (poor girl was probably only 8-10 weeks old) she popped two days after she came home. Some of her babies went to a good home but I kept her, two of her daughters, and all her five boys. Separate, always, lol. Those boys specifically were the light of my life, absolute best period of my life ever and I intensely cherished them and miss them more than any, and all of my rats have been awesome pets so that's saying a lot. Now I only have 2 and one will pass soon, taking a break from a big group for a while
Whereas, I had a dog who lived 16 years (from childhood beloved family member) she passed from old age around the time I moved out, and then my boyfriend's senior female cat Muffin chose me, so she was my heart cat for 5 years until she passed at 16 as well from breast cancer. Muffin was the most special kitty that ever graced this green and blue ball we live on. She was a little angel, and I miss her every day
She has been gone a year now and I wasn't planning on getting any more pets, but my boyfriend (now ex) adopted a senior pit bull (Cleo, 11) in summer and she chose me, she's old and slow and I'm sick and slow (lupus) and we are never apart and she is my devotion. She understands me on a level no one else does, and I do her, too. She's had some health scares since, but she will be with me a while longer, I hope a long time... I'm grateful every day she's my companion, but just how amazing she is makes me happy to think about getting another dog one day. She's so much different than my childhood dog, who was sweet and vibrant but stubborn and unaffectionate, Pekingese tend to stick like glue and worship one person but treat everyone else in the family with pleasant politeness - very haughty doggos lol. Needless to say, though I was the only one who would actually walk her regularly and drive her to different fun things, we didn't have a super deep bond. I loved her but she was definitely not MY dog. Whereas with Cleo, she is intensely sensitive to my moods and she really wants to make me happy, she is a little stubborn but only because she's trying to do what she thinks is best for me, it still comes from a selfless place lol. She is a little dog reactive - though I have been working on it with her - but she loves every person she sees (while still loving me most, and her papa too) it's fantastic and I love her personality so dang much. Oh and she almost never barks, only when I ask her to (she gives me "the look" when she has to go outside and I ask her to "tell me" what she wants? Does she want to go outside? -Cleo does a little hop and boof noise- What was that? You wanna go outside? Cleo, speak! -BAROOOOOO- Omg it's absolutely presh) I just can't stop loving on this one :,)