Sorry to hear about Hobbes. Friendly cats become a part of your family. Losing them is almost like losing a family member. Best wishes for you and your family to get through your loss.

I would echo everyone's comments about getting a kitten to replace him. When we lost one of our cats a few years ago, we replaced him with an adult cat from the pound. The new cat, Seamus, is a great cat. However, he and our existing cat, Scruffy, never warmed up to one another. Three years later, they only tolerate each other. On the other hand, we brought in a kitten on two subsequent occasions. Both of them are now adults, and get along fine with Seamus and Scruffy. I think when they are small they are not threatening to the adult, so they don't develop a rivalry with one another. A kitten will be more likely to bond with your adult.