Deciding When to Let Precious Pets Go to a New Home

Meet Angel, the kitty love of my life. I've had her since she was six weeks old. She was left with me "for a few days" by the daughter of a friend, so she could get settled into her new house, and she never came back for her. She had a sister, who we found a nice home for, but my then-fiance decided he wanted to keep this one. He named her Angel, which I thought was a stupid and unoriginal name, but it turns out she has been my angel for many years.

Angel decided she liked me more than she did my fiance (wise cat), and she drove me literally crazy. She insisted on being with me everywhere I went, and had to be sitting on my lap when I was at the computer. When we got a computer desk that didn't allow that, she sat right next to the chair on the floor. If I was watching t.v., she was on my lap. If I was in the kitchen, she was curled up on the floor. She just would not leave me. It was so annoying. I almost hated her. 

When we split up, he left Angel with me, again "temporarily" and never came back for her. That was in 2004. I had another cat -- my cat -- and they were so bonded, having grown up together, that I could not in good conscience separate them. My cat was inadvertently killed by a well-intentioned neighbor who fed him melamine-laced cat food as a treat (like he wasn't well-fed at home), and it was just me and Angel. I got another cat, but that didn't work out as he had a bad habit of winding in and out of my feet when I walked, so I was afraid he would make me fall. After we found him a home, it was just me and Angel again, and has been since then.

She isn't so bad about never leaving me now, unless she knows I am sick or upset, and then she has to be right there. She does sleep as close to me as she can get during the daytime, and when it's cold, she loves to snuggle up at night. I have finally (hopefully) broken her of trying to sit directly on my right hand. Sort of hard to use a mouse with a cat sitting on your hand.

Unfortunately, I must find her a new home, which is breaking my heart, but it's what is best for her.

Angel is 12 years old now, and is not as tolerant of other cats as she used to be. She hates it here, mostly because of the male cat, who has never warmed up to her and tries to beat her up on a regular basis. She has learned to defend herself, but I'm afraid it has traumatized her to the point where she will never be able to live with another cat in the house again. Plus, there is a real problem with fleas and worms here which I have never had with her before. I've run out of over-the-counter options for treating her, as the fleas and worms seem to have developed an immunity to them.

In short, Angel needs good veterinary care, and I can't afford to give it to her. She needs a new home, where she can be the only animal, have access to the outdoors, and live with people who will keep her litter box meticulously clean. She isn't good with new people. It took her a year before she didn't run under the bed when my roommate came into the room, so she needs someone patient, who will let her warm up to them at her own pace. This means no small children. Her ideal home would be with one mature person or an mature couple who would lavish her with lots of love for her remaining days.

If you know of anyone in the area of Sarasota County, FL who would fit that bill, please let me know. My roommate is looking for a home for her too.