My cat is dying

[EnjoyTheSimpleThingsInLife]

My lovely cat Crystal is very poorly. We took her to the vets a few days ago because she can't walk properly, not eating, strong urine everywhere. The vet said it is most likely a kidney infection or failure.

She has been given a steroid injection & antibiotics but I really don't think she is going to get better

Now she is not eating at all and only drinking tiny amounts. I feel fucking awful, like somehow it's my fault I don't know if a few of you will remember my cat Charlie who I posted about a few months ago. He died of cat flu and I am still absolutely devastated and can't believe I am about to lose another cat

We found Crystal last July in our garden, she was a stray and literally days away from dying. She had something wrong with her kidneys then but all the time since she has been so healthy, put loads of weight on. I can't understand why she has got so ill again, seemingly out of nowhere.

Sorry for this being so long, just needed to talk about her somewhere.

I'm sorry

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that -it's just devastating when that happens, isn't it? I've lost 2 cats to kidney disease.

I know you won't feel so now, but you have given her so much happiness and love, that made such a difference to her.

It's very hard, I know. And kidneys are really not your fault - particularly in a cat that already had kidney problems. The surprising thing is really that she improved so with you, even if it was only temporary.

Is she an older cat?

Thank you for replying. I've got 3 other cats as well and I am so scared about them catching anything even though the vet reassured me what Crystal has got isn't contagious.

She was fine on Monday/Tuesday this week, then by Thursday she was so skinny and poorly, I just can't understand it.

It does come on quickly, doesn't it?
Have you done all the things like warming up food slightly, feeding little and often, and offering different tasty morsels?

Kidney failure can do that sometimes. It's almost always individual to the cat though so not contagious to the others.

The vet said last year she is around 4 years old but I think she is a lot older, a few weeks ago we re-homed a 10 year old cat and she seems a lot younger/lively than Crystal.

I haven't even had her for a year

It was a good^^ time for her though don't you think?

TheSpottedZebra Yep been warming food up, rubbing it around her mouth and she just isn't interested at all. I keep trying to get her to drink water as well.

I've tried her own food, tuna & chicken, is there anything else you all think I could try? My cat Charlie stopped eating near the end and I just can't bear for this to happen again.

Living rough can take it out of animals, though. I have a vague memory that feral cats for example only live to between 3 and 5 years of age.

I hope she knows how much we have cared for her and loved her. When we found her she was in such a bad state the vet didn't expect her to survive any longer.

I think you're right, at least she has had a short but good life with us

My darling Twoago died of severe kidney failure and I bitterly regret that I didn't intervene at an earlier stage with him. (The decision was taken out of my hands for him.) I would consider carefully, how long you should support her in the circumstances.

Take care - of yourself and the others.

There is a very wise saying about the right time to PTS: better a day too early than a minute too long. You have done right by your darling Crystal and now is the time to put her interests foremost.

Thank you, I understand what you're both saying, it would be too cruel to leave her suffering. My local vets aren't open today but I will try to ring them and see what they say.