I had tears in both knees, and surgery on both - 6 months apart. I was on crutches for a few days only and had no problems driving my stick shift car. As long as you give it as much rest as you can, especially for the first week, then you shouldn't have too much trouble. I had both done on a Friday, and was back to work the following Monday. Perhaps if you could stay with a friend for a few days so you don't have to deal with all those stairs, since that's the only drawback I can see. You could get someone to check on and feed the cats, right? I did the therapy route with one, but not the other. There are exercises you can do at home that are just as effective.

Good luck!