Adopt a Pet

My beautiful calico, Sassy, recently developed kidney failure and I made the decision to put her to sleep. I miss her terribly. I loved Sassy for over 16 years, from the time she weaned from her mom at 8 weeks. She was well taken care of. Totally an inside cat. She visited the very when she needed, just like any human. Unfortunately we moved around a lot. I did not keep records from every visit. I never kept records from all my doc visits.
Now that I would like to adopt a best kitty or cat, because I did not keep records, I am being denied one after another rescue or shelter. Maybe I should just lie and tell them I never had a cat. Then there would be no vet records to check. How would they know if I would be a good candidate for adoption?