What will Judge Hodgman rule?
A: Your plan is more responsible for both cat and dog. See if an organization will help you foster older dogs that are looking for homes. Not only is this good for all dogs, but if you find one that your cat doesn’t hate, then you can keep it. B: Your cat is going to hate this dog no matter what. But at least if you get a puppy, you can choose a breed that is less likely to herd or hunt it. You might even find a dog too dumb to even notice your cat (golden retriever). And you can commit to training it properly, together as a fun family project. C: Call it all off until the cat dies. This is a happy occasion, but it’s naturally going to be hard too. Both your cat and (even more) your de facto stepson deserve a life of minimal disruption, stress and confusion. You don’t want to be the boyfriend that denied a puppy to a child so his cat would be happy. (Nor should you have been put in this position.) Start fresh when you can focus first on the emotional health of the humans involved.