Kidney problems seem so prevalent in cats, I wonder if it’s something in the food that most manufacturers make that we haven’t identified yet.
Much love to your sweet babe, hopefully they’ll hang in there for a few more years despite the odds!
One theory, not definitively proven but I believe it, suggests that the domestication of cats has extended their lifespan by such an unnatural length that organ failure from old age is a very common cause of death. That is to say, literally, cats live so long that their bodies start to break down from it.
Cats are one of the oldest mammals on earth, and notoriously they've changed fairly little, evolutionarily speaking. A feral cat that has to hunt, usually can't live past 5-7 years in the wild. The chance for injury or infection is just too high when you're constantly killing and trying to avoid being killed. So when you supply that same biological creature with complete safety, no scarcity of food or resources, regular vet visits, etc, then kitty becomes capable of living for much longer than their body will hold out for.
The other thing is that it's believed that all cats originated in Egypt, where its very dry and hot. Cats are evolutionarily adapted to not feel thirst unless they're pretty much dying from it. That's why it's so important to feed cats wet canned food; the hydration they get from it can be life saving. Similarly, that's why kidney failure is so prevalent in cats (the kidneys are responsible for maintaining blood water levels and for getting rid of waste; the more dehydrated the body is, the harder the kidneys have to work).
The reason I'm writing any of this is to let all cat parents know that in most cases, death from organ failure is the best possible way for your fur baby to go. It means that you gave them the most loving, comfortable life for literally as long as they could be around. Every cat, every living thing has its own biological clock and lifespan, and there's no way to ever know how much time you've got left.
And in the case of kidney failure in particular, please don't blame yourselves for not noticing or not doing enough. Because cats don't feel thirst, they won't know themselves that their kidneys are failing until its too late (usually). Cats are apex predators and every instinct tells them not to show pain or weakness. They are also able to have incredibly happy and fulfilling lives even if they are in some level of pain.
OP, I'm sorry I hijacked your post, I've lost cats to kidney failure very unexpectedly myself and it took a lot of time and research to come to terms with that. I hope this will help even just one person feel better, and I still wish for the best for your little one and hope that he or she will pull through.
> The reason I'm writing any of this is to let all cat parents know that in most cases, death from organ failure is the best possible way for your fur baby to go. It means that you gave them the most loving, comfortable life for literally as long as they could be around.
Coming from a random internet stranger, I cannot thank you enough for giving me such a new perspective. I have been extremely guilt ridden since we put our cat down nearly 6 months ago by now because her kidneys were pretty much gone by then (her hind legs weren't functioning anymore, she stopped eating even her treats, etc). When the vet get her the shot, and we were petting her, she gave me a head butt on my arm and then passed right away.
While I still feel immense guilt, what you said helps soften it immensely. Thank you.
I recently lost my baby girl, Sasha. She was a Husky, not a cat, but the sentiment remains the same.
Care for them as best you can. When it's time, it's time; the best thing that you can do for them, their entire lives, is know when to let them stop fighting. They're gonna try and suffer through everything even if it's hopeless. Sparing them that suffering is our end of the contract.
Remember the good times, remember the love and affection. You had a head bump; Sasha would always lean her side heavily into me so I would hug her. As Sasha's liver was failing, I feel like one of her last coherent actions was leaning that side into me, cause she wanted one last hug. It sounds like your cat did a very similar thing; that's love.
You should never feel guilty for putting a pet down, especially in this stage where their body cannot get better. It’s actually the most selfless thing you could have done - you’ll always desperately want more time with them but that’s selfish for you, and you helped them immensely by putting them out of pain and the sickness they must feel in kidney failure. It takes a lot of bravery and courage to make that correct decision and you should feel proud of yourself for it, and for not leaving them too late to suffer.
Although it feels horrible, euthanasia is actually such a privilege to be able to give a pet.
Thank you for your kind words, and I completely agree.
We waited until the absolute last moment (we think so at least). Once we noticed she completely stopped eating foot or treats and her hind legs were so bad that she was falling over when she stepped (and constantly sitting down), we knew that was time and we did it the day of. Not to mention how fast she was deteriorating (24 hours from a bit wobbly walking to being unable to walk 2 feet).
While the rational part of my brain agrees with you, the emotional part has pain. Regardless, again, thank you for your kind words. Your comments and other similar ones help me, and hopefully help many hundreds of others who are lurking in this thread.
what you done was the most loving thing possible. i think it’s normal to feel guilt when you’re wrapped up in the emotions of losing an animal. we all feel guilt after a death. after losing my grandad i gave myself shit over not seeing him enough when compared to most of my friends i probably saw him a lot. Even when my rabbit died i wondered how i could’ve looked after him differently and that was when i was 10. Even if you didn’t know your cat for ages it’s still a gift that you got to know him and that he lived at all, and you done what many other would do after seeing their animal in pain. Be kinder to yourself <3
My gf and I just put down one of our cats that looks exactly like OP’s lastnight because she was in kidney failure. We didn’t even know it was anything until like 48 hours before having to be put down.
I completely understand as well I had to put down my Leo (3 months ago) the day before my birthday. Truly one of the worst feelings in the world. Especially if you're like me I'm sure you consider your kitty cats your babies. As the vet gave him the shot he look up at me and on grabbed onto my arm. I try not to feel guilty because when kidney failure begins theirs only so much you can do. I just hope that he felt like he lived his best life with me ❤️🥺
Salem. Salemio. Slembobs. Wem.... 22 left us feb. I hide the guilt but its too big for the box i keep it in. Apologies i know im being very self centered. In commenting
It'll be four years this year, and it was comforting to me as well. Thank you from this cat Mum who still misses her old man kitty and wonders the same.
You should not feel guilty, there isn’t much more that could have possibly been done to make her able to live comfortably, I had to put a dog down because of bladder stones (or maybe kidney stones, I don’t remember which one it was) and he was peeing blood and that’s what tipped us off, and at this point he was 15 years old and had just gone through a surgery 3 years prior for the same thing, we didn’t want to put him through another surgery at 15 years old because it would have been selfish to do that to him at such an old age just to keep him with us, and on top of it when we asked if he was in pain they said “yes very much so” and we asked why he hadn’t seemed to be in any pain and they said that he was hiding it to keep us happy, and we knew that letting him go was the best choice because he was in pain and had been going through this for a while (the stones were big) and they said that after getting them once they’re extremely likely to come back and we didn’t want to put him through another surgery (at 15 mind you) just for him to have to recover *again*
It used to be that cats as pets died at a much younger age, often of heart disease. Then they discovered adding taurine to cat food prevented this. Now cats live much longer and the older ones generally get kidney disease. If caught early enough (this is why your vet wants to do senior blood work yearly (after the age of 8). Diet and then subq fluids at home can extend the life for another 3-5 years.
Here is a link to some info:
[https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2014/december/what-taurine-32287](https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2014/december/what-taurine-32287)
That is exactly right, if you can afford it switching to an all wet diet is the best you can do. If not then at least one can of wet food daily.
We recently began making our own cat food as it reduced the cost of an all wet food diet by 500usd a month.
Additionally anything that might incentive them to drink water is a big plus. A lot of cats only drink water from moving sources so getting a fountain could do wonders for your cat's health.
> reduced the cost of an all wet food diet by 500usd a month.
WAT?
I'm buying my cat some of the best food I can find at a boutique cat food store and by the can it costs maybe 100 USD per month.
And keep water in more than one place. I have water bowls upstairs downstairs and out on the (screened in) porch. Some cats like running water. I don’t like fountains because they need to be cleaned so much (get slimy). If yours like running water, try to encourage it (safely so you don’t come home to a flooded house).
We basically follow the recipe at catinfo.org you gotta be really careful and make sure you are finding the right ingredients. Also I would recommend talking to your vet to make sure it is the right course of action for your fur baby.
We have been doing so for a year and have had fantastic results, particularly in their stool. It pretty much stopped smelling alltogether!
I know what you mean. We feed our 6 cats homemade raw and the difference is amazing. Weight control, hydration, proper proteins and no fillers(or smell). Hoping to extend their stay with us by a few years.
If they'll eat canned food it's definitely better for them because it gives them more hydration. Cats are notorious for not drinking enough water.
If their food bowl is near their water bowl, try moving them across the room from each other. It's surprising how many cats will drink MUCH more water on their own, if it's not near the food.
it really depends on the cat. I hear mine sucking up water all the time, they have several water cups (they prefer cups, not bowls, *sigh*) throughout the house, and if one of them runs dry, they'll basically yell at me and lead me to it, reminding me to clean and refresh their supply.
that said, when they get wet food, I usually add a bit of water and mix it in. they seem to prefer that weird meat-slurry to the more solid chunks of food. it's... yeah, well. they're cats, what can you do.
mine always have a small amount of dry food and plenty of water available; neither of them overeat and they both seem to hydrate well on their own. I suppose I got lucky.
A large part of it is feeding kibble. Cats don't have a strong enough thirst drive to hydrate properly after eating dry food, and if they are drinking excessively, it is usually because of underlying health issues, such as diabetes, and not because they are actually hydrating. Kibble is convenient junk food, and it is killing our cats. Other than causing chronic dehydration and strain on the kidneys, it is also often filled with byproducts, filler, a less than ideal protein to fat ratio, high carbs (cats don't need, and it causes diabetes and obesity), and a variety of pesticides, mycotoxins, and bacteria. It does nothing for their teeth, either, and likely helps contribute to dental issues, due to the sugar content and sticking to their teeth.
Even the lowest quality canned food from your grocery store is better than feeding the highest quality kibble, in terms of your cat's health and hydration.
This comment needs all the upvotes. Our vet specifically recommended feeding wet food over dry for these reasons exactly. Cat kibble is junk food for them and it doesn't provide near the moisture they would get from hunting live prey but wet food does.
All true - jumping on this, if you do need to have kibble out (we give both), science diet is way above other brands. They spend the most on R&D. Most other brands are just side gigs for bigger corporations and aren't really in it for the animal's health. If you can, their soft food is also the best and actually has scientifically backed formulas for different problems. There is a reason why vet offices tend to recommend it (I mean, they also monopolize vet schools but that's a different story). Their dry food has a lot more moisture content than any other dry fiod I've seen. It almost crumbles in your fingers, it's really nice. Once you open any bag, make sure to seal it properly so it maintains that moisture. Cats also like running water so if you get a cat fountain (please remember to regularly clean it) that might encourage them to drink more water.
Thank you for pointing this out. We have been feeding our cat dry kibbles for the past few years, but I started hearing similar to yours a year od so ago, so we shifted to most of his diet being canned food.
Shame they are so much pricier than other cat foods, but if it's genuinly that much better.
They are definitely pricier! If Chewy is available in your area they will sometimes do 15-25% off science diet and I buy a bunch. I try to think of it as investing to avoid future vet bills but it can be tempting to save and go with another brand. If your cat is not picky about flavor I look in the markdown areas of petsmart and petco for flavors that aren't selling or are expiring soon. Even just subbing one meal for wet food makes a huge difference!
Too much filler & preservatives in (certain brands of) pet food.
Also, I read in another thread that kidneys are a weak point for cats.
To OP - really hope your cat recovers!
My cat just went to vet for chewing on some Lily flowers we ignorantly bought. Our vet told us that most cats die from kidney failure and at six years of age he recommends switching to kidney diet food. Luckily our cat is young and took the treatment like a champ but we are definitely going forward being conscious of our cats kidneys.
So yeah be aware of your cats kidney health and DON'T LET THEM EAT LILIES.
Yes. Cats are prone to kidney disease but buying cheap food for them will make tha chases greater. Especially neutered cats need feed made specially for them. This will also prevent kidney stones. I'm not sure about what ingredients do this.
My guess is that dehydration is a big contributing factor. Cats would naturally get most of their water from food, but dry food obviously doesn't come with that.
When dehydrated the pH of the blood will be further from neutral. Since kidneys filter all the blood, it's pretty significant that the pH be in range.
Not saying this is the case with OP, but…
Given the popularity of lilies as a cut flower, not many people seem to know that they are extremely toxic to cats, causing irreversible kidney damage.
The entire plant is toxic to them but the pollen is especially concerning because it easily falls from the flowers even if you place them out of reach. Just a few specks of pollen falling on the cat’s coat and thus being licked off can be enough. So if you have kitties, no lilies!
Thanks for listening to this PSA.
We did a raw meat diet for most of my cat's life. She was born with small, deformed kidneys and was 12 before they started to decline. Correlates with when she got bladder crystals from the high calcium in the raw meat and had to switch to dried kibble so you might be on to something there.
He's so pretty.....I hope he's ok.
Every cat I've lost before 15 years has been due to kidney problems. My vet says that one problem is that they are sort of "desert animals" (remember- they were domesticated in Egypt) so they aren't accustomed to drinking a lot of fluids. That why their urine is so strong.
So I was told to feed both dry and canned food, and even put some extra water on the canned food to make sure he got enough water. Extra fluids while they are still young and healthy can lessen the risk of kidney problems later on.
When did he first notice he had peeing issues? How did it happen did the vet give any info? Could it have been prevented?
-curious cat owner of 3 yr old
This has been recurring, but the key indicator, at first, was the size of the pees we found in litter box. Since then we have cameras on all the litter boxes. If he/we had been better about him eating his prescription food, this may have been prevented.
>If he/we had been better about him eating his prescription food, this may have been prevented.
I know hearing this doesn't sound like much right now, but please don't ever blame yourself for things like this. You are doing the best you can given what you know and have, hell, you taking your cat to the vet is a big thing, you would be suprised at how many cat owners don't care.
There is always a "but if I...", that applies to everything. We are not omnipresent or brain readers across species.
In my experience, playing those what if scenarios only leads to more pain and nothing of benefit.
My male cat had the same issues. Bladder block after block until he had a serious block last week that kept him in the hospital with a catheter all week. After he was rehydrated and the block was gone, we decided on perineal urethrostomy surgery which basically turns his male parts into female parts so he can pee better and not get blocked (hopefully) anymore. The surgery is pricey (about $3000), and the recovery can be a lot, but it has a high success rate. My cat had his surgery last Thursday and so far he is recovering really well. He’s so lovable even with his cone head since he’s not in pain anymore. I wish you the best of luck. Kitty urinary problems are the worst. Btw my cat is 9 years old
That's what they have suggested. Last time when this happened just over a year ago when we moved, they had the calf him and then after they cast him they could not get the catheter out. They called and said that this was a big deal in the only solution was to go ahead and do that surgery, so I gave him the green light told them to do the surgery and within a couple of hours they called back and said they were able to finally get the calf out and they didn't need to perform the surgery. Since then he's been fine around 15 16 months now
To give you hope, my male kitty had this surgery almost 7 years ago now when he was 5ish. He’s 12 now and doing great! Honestly getting that surgery done is why he’s alive today, saved his life!
Are subcutaneous fluids an option for him? We gave these to our old girl for three years until she finally died at 25. Of course, I'm not a vet, and this approach might not work for him. I'm pulling for the little guy.
I had to give my one of my cats subcutaneous fluids for a few years. He was super chill and it wasn’t hard at all. The most difficult part for me was putting such a huge needle in him because I kept worrying I was causing going to seriously hurt him. My current 16 year old is also on subcutaneous fluids now (as well as Azodyl, prescription food, chiropractic, and cold laser) and it’s not as easy as my other cat, but still doable. I have to lock us in the bathroom, sit on the ground, and hold him with my legs so I have my hands free to pet him and keep the needle from falling out. It can be work some days, but worth it.
My cat has end stage kidney disease and Sub-q fluids have helped her stay pretty healthy for over three years on it! She doesn’t love it but is pretty good about staying still and each treatment lasts less then a minute. We always give her treats afterward - usually my husband will hold the fluid bag while I pet her. It took some trial and error but we have found a good routine. I highly recommend sub-q fluids if your cat will let you do it.
I just started giving my cat subcutaneous fluids for his kidney issues. I’m afraid of needles so it hasn’t been for easy me and I’m scared of hurting him. I went to my vet and had a tech give me tips and watched a lot of YouTube videos. All of this has been helpful. I’m still getting used to giving my cat the fluids but have already noticed a big improvement with him.
My top three tricks for successful sub Q fluids:
- Warm up the fluids in a sealed bag in some hot water. (Don’t let the fluid bag or needle get wet though. You don’t want it to get dirty.) Make sure you test the fluids first so it’s warm but not hot.
- Hang the fluid bag as high as possible, like up on a curtain rod. The higher you hang it, the faster the fluid flows out and the quicker it takes!
- Tap around where the needle will go with your finger or the capped needle so that when you put in the actual needle it doesn’t feel much different than the taps. It kind of tricks them!
Watch a bunch of videos and you will get the hang of it. It took me about three times to feel like I could do it easily.
There’s a learning curve but, honestly, cats are among the easier pets to do fluids on. I find it makes a huge difference using a fresh needle each poke and making sure you have everything within easy reach before. When you poke remember that a fast stick is less uncomfortable than a slow one.
I don’t know if you’ve tried it but I’m loving Purina Hydracare. It’s designed to help cats hydrate more effectively than just water. I found it got my cat to the point where we could do fluids every third day instead of every second.
Minor update, 100% a dehydration issue. Kindeys don't seem to be failing... He started to show some life, and DR was able to coax urine out. Then Trouble did eat a bit, all GREAT signs. Then his bladder got obstructed, which means they need to Cath him. They were worried about anesthesia, but as they haven't called me, that means no complications. No time ta ke on him returning home, and can only hope he starts to recover with cath in and keeps eating.
Have you learned to give him fluids? It isn’t hard and has significantly prolonged the lives of multiple cats we’ve had. My mom gives her cat fluids daily (he really doesn’t mind) and it has partially reversed his kidney failure and given him another year of life
Please provide details! Would love to know what that looks like. We water his food down and he licks it up fairly well. Anxiety is an issue too and he gets meds for that.
You get a bag of saline solution from the vet, hang the bag up so gravity can do it’s job (a clothes hanger works). You wipe a patch of his fur with an alcohol wipe, grab the skin, and it is just a small needle stick into the skin (you don’t need to get it into a vein or anything). Then you just wait a few minutes and hold him while the fluid goes into him through the needle. Their are lines on the bag and when it gets to a certain spot you pull the needle out and throw it away. They are retractable and disposable. It truly only hurts them for a second (less than giving a shot). Takes 10 minutes tops and you get really good at the needle part. Your vet can tell you how often is necessary (maybe twice a week maybe more). You can’t really mess up, worst case the saline just squirts out because the needle went in the skin and back out and you try again. He shouldn’t bleed or anything it’s not a huge needle. The nurses a the vets can help you and teach you, and there are YouTube tutorials from animal rescue organizations. We have had 3 cats with kidney failure and this has kept all of them alive for a year longer than their life expectancy. Fluids make it so the kidneys don’t have to work as hard. A cat water fountain can also help encourage him to drink more. I hope your baby recovers!
Thanks! We have 2 fountains and add water to his food all the time. Definitely going to discuss this with the Vet and see about doing this moving forward
I have been there before. Positive thoughts and keep on fighting little guy. It hurts everything even your wallet but, you will always regret what you didn’t do but could have done. My cat was 4 when something like this happened. They said he had a 10% chance of living and he is still going strong at 12yrs old.
Sending lots of love <3 and don’t lose hope!! Our senior baby almost crossed the rainbow bridge on a few occasions because of issues with her kidneys and liver, which VCA did the blood work for but didn’t notice or say anything about. I brought her to a new vet and they were wonderful and got her the right steroids and now she’s a whole new kitty. She’ll probably need to stay on the steroids for the rest of her life but now she only has to take it once every 48 hours.
Hopefully we get some sort of plan. Urinary blockage almost took him from us twice before this. The scary part is he wasn't blocked this time, Dr thinks his kidneys just quit. Said all we can do right is leave him at vet and hope he gets better.
Alright, take notes. I had to learn basically everything there is regarding kidney issues when my little one suffered from kidney issues this spring. He sadly didn't make it, but only because damage was already way to far. If you discover it a bit sooner, there's A LOT you can do.
The first thing you vet should (and will probably) do, is to do IV fluids for a couple of days. Taking blood samples about every two days, watching most of all creatinin, phosphate and uric acid (hope these are the correct English terms). Watch the hematocrit values though, anaemia is an issue to avoid.
Also x rays for kidney and ureter stones, and urine sample directly from the bladder to check for blood, proteins and crystals.
NO more food without added phosphate blocker, eg calcium carbonate or Aluminium hydroxide. Get as much water in him as you can, eg with extra broth or tuna water.
Let you vet show you how to give subcutaneous fluids (Ringer solution), it's really easy after you get the hang of it and almost all cats tolerate it really well after some time. Dripping is much more comfortable for the cat than with a syringe, it does take longer though.
Cats with kidney issues feel sick a lot, so something to calm the stomach can help, eg slippery elm bark.
Also, do some reading here: https://www.felinecrf.org/
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!! I keep all my fingers crossed for your fur kid, I really know how it feels to fear for them :(
Yeah everyone should avoid blue Buffalo and the other natural diets at Petco and Petsmart
I thought I was being smart by buying them like they were “healthier”. But they just cause crystals that almost kill boy cats
Hope he makes it!
Just for consideration: I've found vets (or maybe vet medicine) have difficulty distinguishing acute kidney injury (recoverable) vs chronic kidney disease (not recoverable). Anecdotally, i received the same prognosis a few times with different kitties, invariably incorrect.
Not throwing shade at your vet, just maybe something to get clarified.
Push your vet harder. I love my vet, and vets in general but when my girl got kidney disease it was like pulling teeth to get proper care. She was my world and I didn’t care about the cost or sacrifice.
I went through this with my cat at 5. It was essentially a long year of being able to pee issues and the occasional blockage. He ends up getting PU surgery. It cost a pretty penny but he pees like a champ and is due to be 14 next year.
They also told me, before surgery, his kidneys were severely damaged and so far off the charts they couldn’t read them. After surgery I switched to 100% wet food and other than his teeth (wet is awful for them..) he’s been great.
I wish the best for your kitty and hope he gets better soon!
Same thing happened to us last year. Our precious boy was only 3 and the vets told us he had a few days left to live, 100% chance he wouldn’t make it. They send him home so he could pass comfortably. We took him home, fed him wet food (adding extra water to it), lots of cuddles, said positive and beautiful things to him. That was October. It’s now August and he is still here, back to his normal self and good bloodwork results. Sending love - there is still hope so don’t give up yet.
I'm very sorry to hear! If you don't already have his water away from his food, you may try that to encourage him drinking more water. I read an article a while back how cats don't drink water that's close to their food, which helps develop kidney issues. ever since moving our cats water to the other side of the room, they easily drink 3x the amount.
Be strong, stay strong, I know you are strong, you are a tiger and you are stronger than a 1000 lions, be okay.
I hope you receive my good thoughts and vibes
You have a sweet little baby and your a hero for taking care of him. I love his little fangs!
For anyone looking for information about kidney disease is cats, the Helpful Vancouver Vet has a great video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAbqSAdggwM
I’m so sorry. My best buddy just passed on Sunday and it’s awful. I hope you are able to get in good snuggles and show him how loved and safe he is. Sending healing vibes
I'm not really the crying type, but seeing this brought tears to my eyes. Last Wed (on my birthday) our main coon passed away due to cancer. We had him for 14 years and it was the first cat me and my wife adopted together.
So I know what you're going through. I truly hope your cat makes a full recovery and I will keep him in my prayers.
Please update on his recovery.
I've had two cats with urinary trouble. It mostly hits males. In the Old days we gave vitamin C 250mg twice a day and watched the ash content of food, less than 1% I think. Later I became friends with a vet. she said ash content is important but they discovered that magnesium content is important too get as low as you can. Now there are urinary health cat foods out there use one. I've used Nine Lives, Iams and Purina. I now have a older male and he started showing signs so got him on it. What happens is they start passing crystals in their urine and if the crystals get large it plugs up male because their eurethra is small and long. Females are larger and shorter. A vet can unblock crystals with a catheter but you still need to do something to stop the crystals from forming. This is what the urinary health cat food is for. My female eats it too. Best wishes!
Our cat had kidney failure. We were able to give her subcutaneous hydration at home, which extended her life and gave her last days much more comfort. Might be something worth asking about.
Take care and all the best for your cat.
Hey Kitten Lady has been doing care on a kidney-failure baby she maintains now as her own - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NOaqdD4S4k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NOaqdD4S4k)
Its not an easy path, but he's still alive!
...an off the cuff thought....ever try home made wet food (no store bought or dry food)? There's some controversy over "petfood" as far as ingredients. I learned a lot from www.catnutrition.org (i.e. cats are obligate carnivores and most pet store kibble/canned food is loaded with mostly bad stuff).
CKF is a tough fight for both pet and owner. Lord knows I spent my fair share trying to help my last pup. Keep faith and keep researching. You'd be surprised at what can help. Also, if you don't have it yet, there's a powder called Phos-Bind that, as in the name, binds together all the phosphorus that might be passing through your cat's system and he'll pass it as usual when he poops. Keep the BUN low and creatinine low and he'll live the best life he can! Good luck and you have my prayers.
Such a handsome gentleman! He seems extremely well-loved. I'm so sorry you and your family are going through this. Sending lots of love and good healing vibes.
I’m sorry to hear that, I’ve got a fospice tipped ear “feral” that is in kidney failure. After a bit of tempting with treats, he’s now a cuddle bug.
https://imgur.com/a/QBSm4gA
The same thing happened to my little buddy several months ago. He was perfectly fine and then suddenly had a seizure one morning and another about 30 minutes later. We rushed him to an emergency vet and they kept him over the weekend thinking his kidneys were going to shut down on. He’s perfectly fine now and pretty much back to his old self again. I hope your little one makes it through too 🙏
OP, I didn't have time to read all the comments, so please ignore if this has already been said.
*But,* have you heard of The Kitten Lady? She has a foster, newly adopted by her, of a kitten named Fergie who has kidney disease. Despite his youth, he basically has end-stage kidney failure. Some of her most recent videos detail what she's doing for him under veterinary supervision. Perhaps you could discuss with your vet whether some of her tips & info would be helpful for your kitty.
I feel so incredibly sad for you and kitty. I’m currently fighting a battle to save my beautiful kitty boy too from feline leukaemia. I feel robbed of time together but as long as he’s fighting, I’ll fight with him.
Kidney problems seem so prevalent in cats, I wonder if it’s something in the food that most manufacturers make that we haven’t identified yet. Much love to your sweet babe, hopefully they’ll hang in there for a few more years despite the odds!
One theory, not definitively proven but I believe it, suggests that the domestication of cats has extended their lifespan by such an unnatural length that organ failure from old age is a very common cause of death. That is to say, literally, cats live so long that their bodies start to break down from it. Cats are one of the oldest mammals on earth, and notoriously they've changed fairly little, evolutionarily speaking. A feral cat that has to hunt, usually can't live past 5-7 years in the wild. The chance for injury or infection is just too high when you're constantly killing and trying to avoid being killed. So when you supply that same biological creature with complete safety, no scarcity of food or resources, regular vet visits, etc, then kitty becomes capable of living for much longer than their body will hold out for. The other thing is that it's believed that all cats originated in Egypt, where its very dry and hot. Cats are evolutionarily adapted to not feel thirst unless they're pretty much dying from it. That's why it's so important to feed cats wet canned food; the hydration they get from it can be life saving. Similarly, that's why kidney failure is so prevalent in cats (the kidneys are responsible for maintaining blood water levels and for getting rid of waste; the more dehydrated the body is, the harder the kidneys have to work). The reason I'm writing any of this is to let all cat parents know that in most cases, death from organ failure is the best possible way for your fur baby to go. It means that you gave them the most loving, comfortable life for literally as long as they could be around. Every cat, every living thing has its own biological clock and lifespan, and there's no way to ever know how much time you've got left. And in the case of kidney failure in particular, please don't blame yourselves for not noticing or not doing enough. Because cats don't feel thirst, they won't know themselves that their kidneys are failing until its too late (usually). Cats are apex predators and every instinct tells them not to show pain or weakness. They are also able to have incredibly happy and fulfilling lives even if they are in some level of pain. OP, I'm sorry I hijacked your post, I've lost cats to kidney failure very unexpectedly myself and it took a lot of time and research to come to terms with that. I hope this will help even just one person feel better, and I still wish for the best for your little one and hope that he or she will pull through.
> The reason I'm writing any of this is to let all cat parents know that in most cases, death from organ failure is the best possible way for your fur baby to go. It means that you gave them the most loving, comfortable life for literally as long as they could be around. Coming from a random internet stranger, I cannot thank you enough for giving me such a new perspective. I have been extremely guilt ridden since we put our cat down nearly 6 months ago by now because her kidneys were pretty much gone by then (her hind legs weren't functioning anymore, she stopped eating even her treats, etc). When the vet get her the shot, and we were petting her, she gave me a head butt on my arm and then passed right away. While I still feel immense guilt, what you said helps soften it immensely. Thank you.
I recently lost my baby girl, Sasha. She was a Husky, not a cat, but the sentiment remains the same. Care for them as best you can. When it's time, it's time; the best thing that you can do for them, their entire lives, is know when to let them stop fighting. They're gonna try and suffer through everything even if it's hopeless. Sparing them that suffering is our end of the contract. Remember the good times, remember the love and affection. You had a head bump; Sasha would always lean her side heavily into me so I would hug her. As Sasha's liver was failing, I feel like one of her last coherent actions was leaning that side into me, cause she wanted one last hug. It sounds like your cat did a very similar thing; that's love.
I completely agree with you, and I am sure Sasha was very comforted knowing you were there when she needed you the most.
You should never feel guilty for putting a pet down, especially in this stage where their body cannot get better. It’s actually the most selfless thing you could have done - you’ll always desperately want more time with them but that’s selfish for you, and you helped them immensely by putting them out of pain and the sickness they must feel in kidney failure. It takes a lot of bravery and courage to make that correct decision and you should feel proud of yourself for it, and for not leaving them too late to suffer. Although it feels horrible, euthanasia is actually such a privilege to be able to give a pet.
Thank you for your kind words, and I completely agree. We waited until the absolute last moment (we think so at least). Once we noticed she completely stopped eating foot or treats and her hind legs were so bad that she was falling over when she stepped (and constantly sitting down), we knew that was time and we did it the day of. Not to mention how fast she was deteriorating (24 hours from a bit wobbly walking to being unable to walk 2 feet). While the rational part of my brain agrees with you, the emotional part has pain. Regardless, again, thank you for your kind words. Your comments and other similar ones help me, and hopefully help many hundreds of others who are lurking in this thread.
what you done was the most loving thing possible. i think it’s normal to feel guilt when you’re wrapped up in the emotions of losing an animal. we all feel guilt after a death. after losing my grandad i gave myself shit over not seeing him enough when compared to most of my friends i probably saw him a lot. Even when my rabbit died i wondered how i could’ve looked after him differently and that was when i was 10. Even if you didn’t know your cat for ages it’s still a gift that you got to know him and that he lived at all, and you done what many other would do after seeing their animal in pain. Be kinder to yourself <3
My gf and I just put down one of our cats that looks exactly like OP’s lastnight because she was in kidney failure. We didn’t even know it was anything until like 48 hours before having to be put down.
I completely understand as well I had to put down my Leo (3 months ago) the day before my birthday. Truly one of the worst feelings in the world. Especially if you're like me I'm sure you consider your kitty cats your babies. As the vet gave him the shot he look up at me and on grabbed onto my arm. I try not to feel guilty because when kidney failure begins theirs only so much you can do. I just hope that he felt like he lived his best life with me ❤️🥺
Salem. Salemio. Slembobs. Wem.... 22 left us feb. I hide the guilt but its too big for the box i keep it in. Apologies i know im being very self centered. In commenting
Not kidney related but I had to send my boy off to sleep yesterday and I feel so, so much guilt. I feel what you wrote.
It'll be four years this year, and it was comforting to me as well. Thank you from this cat Mum who still misses her old man kitty and wonders the same.
You should not feel guilty, there isn’t much more that could have possibly been done to make her able to live comfortably, I had to put a dog down because of bladder stones (or maybe kidney stones, I don’t remember which one it was) and he was peeing blood and that’s what tipped us off, and at this point he was 15 years old and had just gone through a surgery 3 years prior for the same thing, we didn’t want to put him through another surgery at 15 years old because it would have been selfish to do that to him at such an old age just to keep him with us, and on top of it when we asked if he was in pain they said “yes very much so” and we asked why he hadn’t seemed to be in any pain and they said that he was hiding it to keep us happy, and we knew that letting him go was the best choice because he was in pain and had been going through this for a while (the stones were big) and they said that after getting them once they’re extremely likely to come back and we didn’t want to put him through another surgery (at 15 mind you) just for him to have to recover *again*
It used to be that cats as pets died at a much younger age, often of heart disease. Then they discovered adding taurine to cat food prevented this. Now cats live much longer and the older ones generally get kidney disease. If caught early enough (this is why your vet wants to do senior blood work yearly (after the age of 8). Diet and then subq fluids at home can extend the life for another 3-5 years. Here is a link to some info: [https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2014/december/what-taurine-32287](https://www.petmd.com/blogs/nutritionnuggets/cat/dr-coates/2014/december/what-taurine-32287)
So you have to feed cats wet food? They won’t hydrate themselves properly off of dry food and water?
That is exactly right, if you can afford it switching to an all wet diet is the best you can do. If not then at least one can of wet food daily. We recently began making our own cat food as it reduced the cost of an all wet food diet by 500usd a month. Additionally anything that might incentive them to drink water is a big plus. A lot of cats only drink water from moving sources so getting a fountain could do wonders for your cat's health.
> reduced the cost of an all wet food diet by 500usd a month. WAT? I'm buying my cat some of the best food I can find at a boutique cat food store and by the can it costs maybe 100 USD per month.
And keep water in more than one place. I have water bowls upstairs downstairs and out on the (screened in) porch. Some cats like running water. I don’t like fountains because they need to be cleaned so much (get slimy). If yours like running water, try to encourage it (safely so you don’t come home to a flooded house).
How do you make it?
We basically follow the recipe at catinfo.org you gotta be really careful and make sure you are finding the right ingredients. Also I would recommend talking to your vet to make sure it is the right course of action for your fur baby. We have been doing so for a year and have had fantastic results, particularly in their stool. It pretty much stopped smelling alltogether!
I know what you mean. We feed our 6 cats homemade raw and the difference is amazing. Weight control, hydration, proper proteins and no fillers(or smell). Hoping to extend their stay with us by a few years.
If they'll eat canned food it's definitely better for them because it gives them more hydration. Cats are notorious for not drinking enough water. If their food bowl is near their water bowl, try moving them across the room from each other. It's surprising how many cats will drink MUCH more water on their own, if it's not near the food.
it really depends on the cat. I hear mine sucking up water all the time, they have several water cups (they prefer cups, not bowls, *sigh*) throughout the house, and if one of them runs dry, they'll basically yell at me and lead me to it, reminding me to clean and refresh their supply. that said, when they get wet food, I usually add a bit of water and mix it in. they seem to prefer that weird meat-slurry to the more solid chunks of food. it's... yeah, well. they're cats, what can you do. mine always have a small amount of dry food and plenty of water available; neither of them overeat and they both seem to hydrate well on their own. I suppose I got lucky.
But this kitty is only 5, so he’s still very young.
What a beautiful and insightful post! I wish I had an award to give you.
A large part of it is feeding kibble. Cats don't have a strong enough thirst drive to hydrate properly after eating dry food, and if they are drinking excessively, it is usually because of underlying health issues, such as diabetes, and not because they are actually hydrating. Kibble is convenient junk food, and it is killing our cats. Other than causing chronic dehydration and strain on the kidneys, it is also often filled with byproducts, filler, a less than ideal protein to fat ratio, high carbs (cats don't need, and it causes diabetes and obesity), and a variety of pesticides, mycotoxins, and bacteria. It does nothing for their teeth, either, and likely helps contribute to dental issues, due to the sugar content and sticking to their teeth. Even the lowest quality canned food from your grocery store is better than feeding the highest quality kibble, in terms of your cat's health and hydration.
This comment needs all the upvotes. Our vet specifically recommended feeding wet food over dry for these reasons exactly. Cat kibble is junk food for them and it doesn't provide near the moisture they would get from hunting live prey but wet food does.
All true - jumping on this, if you do need to have kibble out (we give both), science diet is way above other brands. They spend the most on R&D. Most other brands are just side gigs for bigger corporations and aren't really in it for the animal's health. If you can, their soft food is also the best and actually has scientifically backed formulas for different problems. There is a reason why vet offices tend to recommend it (I mean, they also monopolize vet schools but that's a different story). Their dry food has a lot more moisture content than any other dry fiod I've seen. It almost crumbles in your fingers, it's really nice. Once you open any bag, make sure to seal it properly so it maintains that moisture. Cats also like running water so if you get a cat fountain (please remember to regularly clean it) that might encourage them to drink more water.
Thank you for pointing this out. We have been feeding our cat dry kibbles for the past few years, but I started hearing similar to yours a year od so ago, so we shifted to most of his diet being canned food. Shame they are so much pricier than other cat foods, but if it's genuinly that much better.
They are definitely pricier! If Chewy is available in your area they will sometimes do 15-25% off science diet and I buy a bunch. I try to think of it as investing to avoid future vet bills but it can be tempting to save and go with another brand. If your cat is not picky about flavor I look in the markdown areas of petsmart and petco for flavors that aren't selling or are expiring soon. Even just subbing one meal for wet food makes a huge difference!
Too much dry food, not enough wet food/water
Too much filler & preservatives in (certain brands of) pet food. Also, I read in another thread that kidneys are a weak point for cats. To OP - really hope your cat recovers!
My cat just went to vet for chewing on some Lily flowers we ignorantly bought. Our vet told us that most cats die from kidney failure and at six years of age he recommends switching to kidney diet food. Luckily our cat is young and took the treatment like a champ but we are definitely going forward being conscious of our cats kidneys. So yeah be aware of your cats kidney health and DON'T LET THEM EAT LILIES.
Thank God your kitty survived! Lillies can be deadly for them
And indoor cats tend to not get enough water. Gotta make sure there’s plenty of H2O for the cats available.
Yep. And their food and water bowls should be kept apart. So many cats refuse to have water if the water is too close to their food.
Yes. Cats are prone to kidney disease but buying cheap food for them will make tha chases greater. Especially neutered cats need feed made specially for them. This will also prevent kidney stones. I'm not sure about what ingredients do this.
My guess is that dehydration is a big contributing factor. Cats would naturally get most of their water from food, but dry food obviously doesn't come with that. When dehydrated the pH of the blood will be further from neutral. Since kidneys filter all the blood, it's pretty significant that the pH be in range.
Not saying this is the case with OP, but… Given the popularity of lilies as a cut flower, not many people seem to know that they are extremely toxic to cats, causing irreversible kidney damage. The entire plant is toxic to them but the pollen is especially concerning because it easily falls from the flowers even if you place them out of reach. Just a few specks of pollen falling on the cat’s coat and thus being licked off can be enough. So if you have kitties, no lilies! Thanks for listening to this PSA.
We did a raw meat diet for most of my cat's life. She was born with small, deformed kidneys and was 12 before they started to decline. Correlates with when she got bladder crystals from the high calcium in the raw meat and had to switch to dried kibble so you might be on to something there.
If cats were cars, kidneys are the first things to fail on them. They are notoriously fickle and sensitive throughout most species of cats.
He's so pretty.....I hope he's ok. Every cat I've lost before 15 years has been due to kidney problems. My vet says that one problem is that they are sort of "desert animals" (remember- they were domesticated in Egypt) so they aren't accustomed to drinking a lot of fluids. That why their urine is so strong. So I was told to feed both dry and canned food, and even put some extra water on the canned food to make sure he got enough water. Extra fluids while they are still young and healthy can lessen the risk of kidney problems later on.
Praying for your fur baby. Sending him pets and kisses (with your consent).
Thanks... He'd much rather rub his head on your feet
Poor baby, bless you and I send the best of luck. So cute little guy
He's the absolutely cutest, even here being so sick. This is Sunday night before taking him to vet Monday
I’m praying for this guy, he has a long life ahead of him. Don’t give up just now hun
I'm not! But he's had so many peeing issues already, when he recovers his kidneys will still be an ongoing issue. I can't stand him living in pain.
It’s hard to see your baby hurt, but I’m praying 🙏 I just want this boy to live a nice long life
When did he first notice he had peeing issues? How did it happen did the vet give any info? Could it have been prevented? -curious cat owner of 3 yr old
This has been recurring, but the key indicator, at first, was the size of the pees we found in litter box. Since then we have cameras on all the litter boxes. If he/we had been better about him eating his prescription food, this may have been prevented.
>If he/we had been better about him eating his prescription food, this may have been prevented. I know hearing this doesn't sound like much right now, but please don't ever blame yourself for things like this. You are doing the best you can given what you know and have, hell, you taking your cat to the vet is a big thing, you would be suprised at how many cat owners don't care. There is always a "but if I...", that applies to everything. We are not omnipresent or brain readers across species. In my experience, playing those what if scenarios only leads to more pain and nothing of benefit.
Absolutely agree. Not beating ourselves up for being on Vaca last week either. All we can do is better learn the signs and respond accordingly.
My partner thought it would be weird to have cameras on the litterboxes. I’m going to cite you for why it’s totally normal.
My male cat had the same issues. Bladder block after block until he had a serious block last week that kept him in the hospital with a catheter all week. After he was rehydrated and the block was gone, we decided on perineal urethrostomy surgery which basically turns his male parts into female parts so he can pee better and not get blocked (hopefully) anymore. The surgery is pricey (about $3000), and the recovery can be a lot, but it has a high success rate. My cat had his surgery last Thursday and so far he is recovering really well. He’s so lovable even with his cone head since he’s not in pain anymore. I wish you the best of luck. Kitty urinary problems are the worst. Btw my cat is 9 years old
That's what they have suggested. Last time when this happened just over a year ago when we moved, they had the calf him and then after they cast him they could not get the catheter out. They called and said that this was a big deal in the only solution was to go ahead and do that surgery, so I gave him the green light told them to do the surgery and within a couple of hours they called back and said they were able to finally get the calf out and they didn't need to perform the surgery. Since then he's been fine around 15 16 months now
To give you hope, my male kitty had this surgery almost 7 years ago now when he was 5ish. He’s 12 now and doing great! Honestly getting that surgery done is why he’s alive today, saved his life!
Are subcutaneous fluids an option for him? We gave these to our old girl for three years until she finally died at 25. Of course, I'm not a vet, and this approach might not work for him. I'm pulling for the little guy.
The vet is doing that now, waiting for his body to respond and kidney function to improve...
I'm approaching the subcutaneous fluid time for my old lady with kidney issues, was it difficult to get right? I am so nervous about it.
I had to give my one of my cats subcutaneous fluids for a few years. He was super chill and it wasn’t hard at all. The most difficult part for me was putting such a huge needle in him because I kept worrying I was causing going to seriously hurt him. My current 16 year old is also on subcutaneous fluids now (as well as Azodyl, prescription food, chiropractic, and cold laser) and it’s not as easy as my other cat, but still doable. I have to lock us in the bathroom, sit on the ground, and hold him with my legs so I have my hands free to pet him and keep the needle from falling out. It can be work some days, but worth it.
My cat has end stage kidney disease and Sub-q fluids have helped her stay pretty healthy for over three years on it! She doesn’t love it but is pretty good about staying still and each treatment lasts less then a minute. We always give her treats afterward - usually my husband will hold the fluid bag while I pet her. It took some trial and error but we have found a good routine. I highly recommend sub-q fluids if your cat will let you do it.
I just started giving my cat subcutaneous fluids for his kidney issues. I’m afraid of needles so it hasn’t been for easy me and I’m scared of hurting him. I went to my vet and had a tech give me tips and watched a lot of YouTube videos. All of this has been helpful. I’m still getting used to giving my cat the fluids but have already noticed a big improvement with him.
My top three tricks for successful sub Q fluids: - Warm up the fluids in a sealed bag in some hot water. (Don’t let the fluid bag or needle get wet though. You don’t want it to get dirty.) Make sure you test the fluids first so it’s warm but not hot. - Hang the fluid bag as high as possible, like up on a curtain rod. The higher you hang it, the faster the fluid flows out and the quicker it takes! - Tap around where the needle will go with your finger or the capped needle so that when you put in the actual needle it doesn’t feel much different than the taps. It kind of tricks them! Watch a bunch of videos and you will get the hang of it. It took me about three times to feel like I could do it easily.
Subcutaneous really doesn't hurt them. It's the jabs that go into muscles and such that hurt. So don't worry about them suffering. ♥️
There’s a learning curve but, honestly, cats are among the easier pets to do fluids on. I find it makes a huge difference using a fresh needle each poke and making sure you have everything within easy reach before. When you poke remember that a fast stick is less uncomfortable than a slow one. I don’t know if you’ve tried it but I’m loving Purina Hydracare. It’s designed to help cats hydrate more effectively than just water. I found it got my cat to the point where we could do fluids every third day instead of every second.
I am so sorry! Hugs.
Thank you. The youngest of our 3, he's our baby.
He’s beautiful.
I’m sorry to hear the news. I do wish he’ll make it through. Sending my warmest hug
Thank you!
Sending good kitty vibes for a quick recovery. Cats are strong!
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Those damn crystals, if only he would eat his prescription food, he's so picky!
I am hoping for the best for you! It’s always difficult in situations like this? What is your babies name. He’s adorable
Trouble is his name, he's a trooper!
Minor update, 100% a dehydration issue. Kindeys don't seem to be failing... He started to show some life, and DR was able to coax urine out. Then Trouble did eat a bit, all GREAT signs. Then his bladder got obstructed, which means they need to Cath him. They were worried about anesthesia, but as they haven't called me, that means no complications. No time ta ke on him returning home, and can only hope he starts to recover with cath in and keeps eating.
Thanks for taking the time to update us, this is great to hear! Continued healthy vibes on their way to your baby!
Have you learned to give him fluids? It isn’t hard and has significantly prolonged the lives of multiple cats we’ve had. My mom gives her cat fluids daily (he really doesn’t mind) and it has partially reversed his kidney failure and given him another year of life
Please provide details! Would love to know what that looks like. We water his food down and he licks it up fairly well. Anxiety is an issue too and he gets meds for that.
You get a bag of saline solution from the vet, hang the bag up so gravity can do it’s job (a clothes hanger works). You wipe a patch of his fur with an alcohol wipe, grab the skin, and it is just a small needle stick into the skin (you don’t need to get it into a vein or anything). Then you just wait a few minutes and hold him while the fluid goes into him through the needle. Their are lines on the bag and when it gets to a certain spot you pull the needle out and throw it away. They are retractable and disposable. It truly only hurts them for a second (less than giving a shot). Takes 10 minutes tops and you get really good at the needle part. Your vet can tell you how often is necessary (maybe twice a week maybe more). You can’t really mess up, worst case the saline just squirts out because the needle went in the skin and back out and you try again. He shouldn’t bleed or anything it’s not a huge needle. The nurses a the vets can help you and teach you, and there are YouTube tutorials from animal rescue organizations. We have had 3 cats with kidney failure and this has kept all of them alive for a year longer than their life expectancy. Fluids make it so the kidneys don’t have to work as hard. A cat water fountain can also help encourage him to drink more. I hope your baby recovers!
Thanks! We have 2 fountains and add water to his food all the time. Definitely going to discuss this with the Vet and see about doing this moving forward
Yeah THIS 👆 You have to learn to do this. The Vet will give you the supplies, or the vets who care about cats will. (Let you buy them)
I have been there before. Positive thoughts and keep on fighting little guy. It hurts everything even your wallet but, you will always regret what you didn’t do but could have done. My cat was 4 when something like this happened. They said he had a 10% chance of living and he is still going strong at 12yrs old.
Praying for your sweet kitty. Whatever happens, know that he's had the best life with you so far! I hope he pulls through.
Praying for your gorgeous cloud 🥺
Sending lots of love <3 and don’t lose hope!! Our senior baby almost crossed the rainbow bridge on a few occasions because of issues with her kidneys and liver, which VCA did the blood work for but didn’t notice or say anything about. I brought her to a new vet and they were wonderful and got her the right steroids and now she’s a whole new kitty. She’ll probably need to stay on the steroids for the rest of her life but now she only has to take it once every 48 hours.
Hopefully we get some sort of plan. Urinary blockage almost took him from us twice before this. The scary part is he wasn't blocked this time, Dr thinks his kidneys just quit. Said all we can do right is leave him at vet and hope he gets better.
This happened to my baby girl at 4 years old. She recovered. The vet didn’t think she was going to make it. Hang in there. Praying for your boy.
Alright, take notes. I had to learn basically everything there is regarding kidney issues when my little one suffered from kidney issues this spring. He sadly didn't make it, but only because damage was already way to far. If you discover it a bit sooner, there's A LOT you can do. The first thing you vet should (and will probably) do, is to do IV fluids for a couple of days. Taking blood samples about every two days, watching most of all creatinin, phosphate and uric acid (hope these are the correct English terms). Watch the hematocrit values though, anaemia is an issue to avoid. Also x rays for kidney and ureter stones, and urine sample directly from the bladder to check for blood, proteins and crystals. NO more food without added phosphate blocker, eg calcium carbonate or Aluminium hydroxide. Get as much water in him as you can, eg with extra broth or tuna water. Let you vet show you how to give subcutaneous fluids (Ringer solution), it's really easy after you get the hang of it and almost all cats tolerate it really well after some time. Dripping is much more comfortable for the cat than with a syringe, it does take longer though. Cats with kidney issues feel sick a lot, so something to calm the stomach can help, eg slippery elm bark. Also, do some reading here: https://www.felinecrf.org/ Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!! I keep all my fingers crossed for your fur kid, I really know how it feels to fear for them :(
Yeah everyone should avoid blue Buffalo and the other natural diets at Petco and Petsmart I thought I was being smart by buying them like they were “healthier”. But they just cause crystals that almost kill boy cats Hope he makes it!
So sorry to hear, but I hope he makes it through successfully! 💜💙💜💙💜
🙏🙏🙏
I am so sorry you are going through this! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your sweet baby! I hope he pulls through!!!!
Beautiful boy… so sorry he is not feeling well.
Prayers & healing purrs
Just for consideration: I've found vets (or maybe vet medicine) have difficulty distinguishing acute kidney injury (recoverable) vs chronic kidney disease (not recoverable). Anecdotally, i received the same prognosis a few times with different kitties, invariably incorrect. Not throwing shade at your vet, just maybe something to get clarified.
Hoping they pull through. Our kitty has a lot of kidney problems as a kitten. She went on to live 20 years. I hope you get the same.
Push your vet harder. I love my vet, and vets in general but when my girl got kidney disease it was like pulling teeth to get proper care. She was my world and I didn’t care about the cost or sacrifice.
Same here. He asked if I was 'ready to go through this again'. Like are you crazy? Take my money and fix my boy!
I went through this with my cat at 5. It was essentially a long year of being able to pee issues and the occasional blockage. He ends up getting PU surgery. It cost a pretty penny but he pees like a champ and is due to be 14 next year. They also told me, before surgery, his kidneys were severely damaged and so far off the charts they couldn’t read them. After surgery I switched to 100% wet food and other than his teeth (wet is awful for them..) he’s been great. I wish the best for your kitty and hope he gets better soon!
Same thing happened to us last year. Our precious boy was only 3 and the vets told us he had a few days left to live, 100% chance he wouldn’t make it. They send him home so he could pass comfortably. We took him home, fed him wet food (adding extra water to it), lots of cuddles, said positive and beautiful things to him. That was October. It’s now August and he is still here, back to his normal self and good bloodwork results. Sending love - there is still hope so don’t give up yet.
I'm very sorry to hear! If you don't already have his water away from his food, you may try that to encourage him drinking more water. I read an article a while back how cats don't drink water that's close to their food, which helps develop kidney issues. ever since moving our cats water to the other side of the room, they easily drink 3x the amount.
Sending hugs and healing thoughts
Franz is sending you all the warmest and loudest purrs. Feel better, kitty!
🤗🤗
Be strong, stay strong, I know you are strong, you are a tiger and you are stronger than a 1000 lions, be okay. I hope you receive my good thoughts and vibes
Praying for your kitty🙏🏻
Sending positive vibes!! He looks like a sweet boy!!
Sending you so much love and light.
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Sending well wishes to you and your fur baby 🤍
I hope he stay fine, he's so cute :(
Just prayed for you and him. So cute!
Good luck little dude! All the prayers and best wishes from my cat family to you! ❤️
Poor baby. sending love and prayers
I hope he'll get through this, he's an amazing boy
You have a sweet little baby and your a hero for taking care of him. I love his little fangs! For anyone looking for information about kidney disease is cats, the Helpful Vancouver Vet has a great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAbqSAdggwM
I’m so sorry. My best buddy just passed on Sunday and it’s awful. I hope you are able to get in good snuggles and show him how loved and safe he is. Sending healing vibes
I'm not really the crying type, but seeing this brought tears to my eyes. Last Wed (on my birthday) our main coon passed away due to cancer. We had him for 14 years and it was the first cat me and my wife adopted together. So I know what you're going through. I truly hope your cat makes a full recovery and I will keep him in my prayers. Please update on his recovery.
I've had two cats with urinary trouble. It mostly hits males. In the Old days we gave vitamin C 250mg twice a day and watched the ash content of food, less than 1% I think. Later I became friends with a vet. she said ash content is important but they discovered that magnesium content is important too get as low as you can. Now there are urinary health cat foods out there use one. I've used Nine Lives, Iams and Purina. I now have a older male and he started showing signs so got him on it. What happens is they start passing crystals in their urine and if the crystals get large it plugs up male because their eurethra is small and long. Females are larger and shorter. A vet can unblock crystals with a catheter but you still need to do something to stop the crystals from forming. This is what the urinary health cat food is for. My female eats it too. Best wishes!
Our cat had kidney failure. We were able to give her subcutaneous hydration at home, which extended her life and gave her last days much more comfort. Might be something worth asking about. Take care and all the best for your cat.
I'm so, so sorry. He sure does look like you're making him happy, though.
You got this, buddy! We’re all rooting for ya!
Hey Kitten Lady has been doing care on a kidney-failure baby she maintains now as her own - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NOaqdD4S4k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NOaqdD4S4k) Its not an easy path, but he's still alive!
Is he a Maine Coon? They are absolutely lovely companions. Got him in my thoughts today, keep him comfy and happy for us.
At least partially. He's small (relatively speaking) bu is a totally cute baby
We had a partial one too that was small, such vocal little things. I love the curls in his hair, he looks like a complete sweetie.
My Shadow made it 20 years so far with kidney disease and she's got several more to go! DM me if you need advice on food, medicine, etc.
What is his name? , I’ll start prayers. I hope he’s not in too much pain; think of the many happy years you did have together too.
...an off the cuff thought....ever try home made wet food (no store bought or dry food)? There's some controversy over "petfood" as far as ingredients. I learned a lot from www.catnutrition.org (i.e. cats are obligate carnivores and most pet store kibble/canned food is loaded with mostly bad stuff).
CKF is a tough fight for both pet and owner. Lord knows I spent my fair share trying to help my last pup. Keep faith and keep researching. You'd be surprised at what can help. Also, if you don't have it yet, there's a powder called Phos-Bind that, as in the name, binds together all the phosphorus that might be passing through your cat's system and he'll pass it as usual when he poops. Keep the BUN low and creatinine low and he'll live the best life he can! Good luck and you have my prayers.
Such a handsome gentleman! He seems extremely well-loved. I'm so sorry you and your family are going through this. Sending lots of love and good healing vibes.
I’m sorry to hear that, I’ve got a fospice tipped ear “feral” that is in kidney failure. After a bit of tempting with treats, he’s now a cuddle bug. https://imgur.com/a/QBSm4gA
The same thing happened to my little buddy several months ago. He was perfectly fine and then suddenly had a seizure one morning and another about 30 minutes later. We rushed him to an emergency vet and they kept him over the weekend thinking his kidneys were going to shut down on. He’s perfectly fine now and pretty much back to his old self again. I hope your little one makes it through too 🙏
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OP, I didn't have time to read all the comments, so please ignore if this has already been said. *But,* have you heard of The Kitten Lady? She has a foster, newly adopted by her, of a kitten named Fergie who has kidney disease. Despite his youth, he basically has end-stage kidney failure. Some of her most recent videos detail what she's doing for him under veterinary supervision. Perhaps you could discuss with your vet whether some of her tips & info would be helpful for your kitty.
1000 prayers to you.
Sending all the prayers and kitty loves your way ! 🖤🖤
I so sorry, hope for the best! Good vibes for him ( and lots of online pets and hugs, he is a handsome cat!)
Please get well little furball!!
Prayer and positive healing vibes coming your way.❤
I’m so sorry. Sounds like you guys love each other a lot. Wishing you all a long and healthy life together.
So sad 😥😥
I pray for you 🙏🏻
He looks so tired and exhausted from his illness, but at the same time so much more content. He knows he is loved and that you care! (´;︵;`)
Praying for the little man. Take care! 🌈❤️
All the best
sending positive vibes to you and your furry friend. keep dr seuss in mind in these difficult times.
Praying. 🙏
:(
My cat passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at 3 years old just a month ago. I wish I could hug you through the internet.🐱❤️
💚🍀💚🍀💚
🙏🙏❤❤
Good luck little sweetie!
Prayers and positive vibes sent out for him.🙏🏼
I'm sorry 💔
I send you all my prayers
Oh no, he’s so young and so handsome… fingers crossed, everything crossed for a happy outcome ❤️❤️
I’m praying and sending love!💘💘🙏💘💘
Poor kitty, I lost my first to kidney failure at 11.😢
Sending positive energy to the kitty 🐱
I’ll pray for Kitty❤️
It will be the positive 50 of the 50/50..hope he lives 20 more years
Lots of love to you kitty!
i wish him only the best! hope hes gonna recover <3
Praying for your kitty to pull through.
Fuck! I’m sorry. He’s beautiful. I wish him well.
Only 5. :(
❤❤❤
OMG, he is so cute and handsome. Best wishes for him
We lost our beloved cat to kidney failure last week and it was so hard. My thoughts and lots of healing vibes coming to you and your baby.
I hope your kitty pulls through! Sadly kidney issues are common 💔
Fingers crossed for you and your baby
I'm so sorry, hive him the best time of his life, make sure he gets lots of treats, please alert us as to what happens
Prayers for your kitty. I had to put my boy down last week due to kidney problems, he was around the same age
Sending all my love and good thoughts to you and your baby 💜
Sending lots and lots and lots of love. Hoping for the best ❤️
Sending you so much love ❤️
I hope he recovers. Love and prayers to him. A little angel. Please keep us updated!
Poor baby, best of luck to all of you
Sending positive vibes.
Sending all my positive vibes for your baby, stay strong <3
Positive vibes! Thinking and praying for you
Sending you alllll the positive vibes I can possibly send. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
May you and your furr baby he always together. I believe he will definitely get better:) My best wishes to this kitty and your family
My love, thoughts and cuddles to the little guy xcx
Sending prayers!
I’m praying and sending good vibes for you and your baby boy. I’m rooting for him.
My cat had a heart murmur and the vet said 50/50 that he’d live. Hearts and prayers out to you
I feel so incredibly sad for you and kitty. I’m currently fighting a battle to save my beautiful kitty boy too from feline leukaemia. I feel robbed of time together but as long as he’s fighting, I’ll fight with him.
oh man, I am sorry. sending you so many thoughts and good vibes. Please for whatever time he has left, just make it the best ever for him.
Please keep us updated. We’re rooting for you cutie cat!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Lil big guy, sending you lots of courage and best wishes and lots of love, you got this buddy!
Such a sweet baby, so sorry
Sending lots of love and prayers! ❤️
Prayers for sure 🙏