That's basically what the vet said too. In school, he was taught that hearts are weak for humans, livers for dogs, and kidneys for cats...they just plain wear out if nothing else goes wrong.
Fortunately, at least in Smokie's case it really didn't cause anything more than a little nausea and...
Here's Smokie...she sadly passed away February 27 due to kidney failure, just short of 21 years of age. But she had a good life up until then and gave me a lot of great memories!
They say that time heals all scars. It's been a month since Smokie died, and I now find that I can look at her photos and smile, thinking of the years of good memories she gave me instead of focusing on the end. It also helps to commiserate with others and to hear their own stories - how their...
I don't mean to keep bumping this topic, but it helps me, so I hope no one minds!
Here's Smokie's last photo - taken a mere 9 hours before she passed away, when I first started suspecting today might be the day. As you can see, the kidney disease had done its damage - she didn't have an ounce...
This is Smokie, my companion of over 20 years. Sadly, I lost her earlier today after her kidneys completely failed; happily, until the last 12 hours or so she was quite happy, enjoying her tummy rubs, treats and canned food, etc. as always. Unlike many cats, she didn't seek out a hiding spot...
Sadly, I don't know anything I can say other than that I can commiserate. My companion of nearly 21 years, Smokie, passed away earlier today after a long fight with kidney failure. Up until the last twelve hours or so, she was still very active, very happy, and in the words of the vet, both...
Thanks again, everyone. It has been very cathartic (pun not intended!) to share this story and to celebrate her life. I wish I'd found this site sooner.
I donated all of the leftover perishable supplies to the local veterinary clinic and animal shelter, and have begun cleaning up and...
Thank you, everyone, for your comments and suggestions. Sadly, Smokie passed away a little over an hour ago; happily, she did so peacefully, with me petting her and while lying on her favorite blanket, and she was happy and alert until 12 hours or so before the end.
After all of this, she...
Boy, I don't know what to think. Smokie still gets excited whenever I get canned food or her favorite (non-onion) chicken stock out to drink, and enjoys belly rubs, petting, sleeping on my lap, etc. as much as always. And she also seems to be in little pain - she sounds a bit asthmatic due to...
Thanks for the link! It gave me some good advice and helped me realize it's not quite time yet. As if to reinforce that, she crawled up on me earlier tonight, nuzzled me a bit, started purring, and promptly fell asleep.
The above photo is of Smokie, the cat I've had since the age of 3 months, and would turn 21 years old in May. (She is 17 or 18 in the photo.)
She has suffered from advanced kidney failure for 3+ years; we've addressed it by giving her plenty of water, low-protein canned food, prescription...
Perfect! I was browsing online to try to figure out what type of cat I have, and came across this thread through a generic Google search.
This is Smokie - she is a 20(!) year old female that I've had since the age of 2 months. She's seen better days - she has to have fluids daily due to...