I haven't gone from pets to none as an adult, but I so feel everything you said here. Combined H and I had 4 cats, and even though cats are pretty good at taking care of themselves, the vom and boxes and feeding, and waking up in the night to one slamming a cabinet door... it's a lot. It's going to be worse now that It's just me. I go down to two cats, but I'm going to need a sitter if I'm gone for more than a week. which, admittedly, probably isn't likely to happen.

But yeah, I am all for the natural scaling down for now. which is also not to say that I look forward to losing any of them.

My oldest made it to 23, and it was getting so rough. he lost control of his bladder, and I had to move to CA for two months for an internship. it was either keep him in a rabbit hutch, or put him down. I felt bad, but he had a good, long life.