Sensitive question for those who have lost cats

[FabulousBakerGirl]

Apologies for asking this.

My cat is nearly 15 and has an illness that shouldn't kill her but I am aware that she is getting older.

Do cats generally get obviously ill before they die or have to be put to sleep? Or is it quite sudden? Is that as stupid a wuestion as how long is a piece of string?

My cat seems fine at the moment - if sleeping a lot - but I worry so much about losing her.

No I know, hindsight's a wonderful thing.

I don't suppose the post partum hormones helped either. I don't think I've ever cried for a whole hour in my life, not even saying goodbye to much loved grandfather at his funeral did I cry that much.

It will kill me when my cat does go, she means such a lot to me. She represents a rotten time which she got me though and then an exciting time when I moved into my own flat. I used to love coming home and seeing her sat on the windowsill waiting for her dinner me.

In a way I'm glad my other cat just went off on her own. I'd had her since I was 11, she was my birthday present from mum and dad, and even though she was pretty wild she always used to come to me and sit (and dribble) on my lap. I don't think I could have coped with having to put her to sleep. I had to do that with the dog I got when I was 13 (she died when she was 15 and I was 28). Seeing her face at the vets as they put her to sleep nearly finished me off. But I was really glad I was the one cuddling her as she fell asleep too, so in a way I'm glad I did go with her, hard as it was.