What is the kindest outcome for my elderly cat?

[GreenLadyBird5]

I have a 15yo female cat (Petal) that I have had since she was 4 weeks old. I rescued her from a group of teens who were playing catch with her & rolling her around the ground in a cut-off water bottle. God knows what her life had before I found her. She's never got over her early trauma. She's extremely jumpy, pulls her hair out at the slightest upset (like me taking too long out shopping). She was savaged by a fox last summer so no longer goes out. That said, she's had a happy long life with me and is super affectionate.

Here comes the issue. Due to the economic situation I am now moving into an HMO and I can't take her with me. I have no friends/family or neighbours who would take her. She has late-stage kidney failure (saturates a whole litter tray daily). She has no issues with his teeth but she refuses regular cat food. I puree wet food at each meal. She often wipes her pooey bum across the floor or bedding. She struggles to lie down due to arthritis. The vet doesn't think she's deaf but she shouts VERY LOUD non-stop when she wants something. She also dribbles a fair bit. She's fully vet checked at the mo & we can't say how long she has left but she could live to Christmas or so..

So my dilemma is, do I try and rehome her or ask for her to be put down? I've been beside myself trying to work this out. I think she'd be super super stressed sat in a strange cage waiting for adoption & she wouldn't be a popular choice due to all her old age issues. I think kittens go first. I can't bear to think of her miserable & upset at her stage in life. I've cried buckets over this. Wwyd?

Even without the pending house move, it's time to let her go. Soiling, poor movement, distressed calling - all point to her being currently in some pain. Vets value quality of life not life itself. They will likely be glad to relieve her suffering now.

Don't feel guilty, you cat is old, I'll and would not be re-homed so left in a crate. It would not understand. Cats are so good at masking pain so if your cat has arthritis it is already in pain much of the time. Time to say goodbye. I took lots of photos of my cat and made a collage. You could take that with you. Sorry you are having to move to HMO.

Cats are incredibly clean animals so if she is messing bed linen that's not a good sign. She may be sicker than you think.

Vets prioritise quality of life. Maybe you could take her for a consultation.

What an awful time for you both.

The only way you can guarantee her future is to plan her final days. Once she is no longer yours, you have no say or influence on her final days.

End stage kidney disease is rotten for cats as they can hide it well for ages and then go downhill very fast. I had an 18 year old cat with kidney failure and honestly when I look back now at the photos of her in her last few weeks of life, I wonder why I didn't see the obvious and hung on to her for so long. She was clearly losing weight fast and could not groom her coat properly, she looked thin and matted. I wish now that I'd taken her to the vet sooner as we ended up having to rush her there in crisis to be put to sleep.
Petal is unlikely to cope well with being rehomed and her health does sound quite precarious, honestly it sounds as if the kindest thing you could do for her is to chat to the vet and see what they say about the situation and her quality of life.

Massive sympathy, she sounds like a lovely cat and you've obviously had a wonderful life together.