Sorry for your loss Mouser. The passing of a best bud is always difficult. I'll miss Crabby when she desides to leave. (most things are up to her)
Although 18 years is considered elderly... some live over 20. I attribute this longevity mostly to proper diet.
---------------------
I didn't want to clog
Saffrons thread with my blog.
NOTE: I am not a vet or even a doctor; this is just my past experience with 3 indoor cats.
My first cat passed at age 2 from kidney disease. Smokey was a purebred Persian. There were known health issues with Persians including kidneys.
The vet said feeding her only canned food may have weakened her system as well. After-the-fact advice always sucks.
Sorry Smokey
Squeeky left after 17 years (from boredom i think). She was an abandoned stray kitten. We met when she was about 6 hr old.
Dry cat food with an occasional soft-treat. I used a very basic auto-feeder (bad idea). She became 22 pounds of fur and bad attitude.
She may have lived longer if I hadn't used the auto-feeder.
Like some humans... she ate when she was bored. Sorry Squeeky
Finally there's the crab.
Crabby is 19. Crabby is 10. She was an abandoned stray kitten as well and we met when she was about 1 day old.
No auto-feeder and dry cat food only. She's a lean mean couch potato. She gets fed 1 cup, whenever her bowl is empty, about every two days.
She also gets some stuff i eat.
Assorted meats, processed cheese, ice cream and an occasional 1/4 cup of 2%.
No shortcuts with Crabby but she seems to know what's good and what isn't. At times I'll trash some of my food that she won't eat.
No auto-water either. She plays with the water, splashing all over the place, until the gallon's empty.
---------------
For those who may want to switch to dry food...
Always make a change in diet gradual - per several days at least and sometimes over a few weeks if your cat is fussy.
Start by mixing a very small amount of the new food with your cats old food, and make sure it is well mixed.
Only increase the amount of the new food slowly.
