Harry died of kidney failure at age 12
I adopted Harry 5 years ago from a rescue shelter. He was a healthy, playful, adorable cat…an “indoor cat” with a sweet personality. He’d been vaccinated at the shelter, tested negative for HIV and Leukemia….ate only cat food….he seemed healthy for 5 years.
I never imagined that he had Chronic Renal Disease (kidney disease) and it was silently progressing as the days passed. Almost 80% of cats die of this disease which, if detected early is not cureable, but adjustments in diet and fluids can prolong the cats life and keep it comfortable.
By the time symptoms show themselves (like vomiting, excessive thirst, no appetite and weight loss) it is often too late to save the kidneys and the cat is doomed.
I learned the hard way to be diligent about taking your pet to a vet to get examined annually.
This story is so sad, and all too common. It’s what most cats develop and die from in this country. They also develp obesity, diabetes, liver diseases, urinary blockages and bladder stones from what you’ll see in the next sentences that we lovingly give them every day.
Why this disease was slowly progressing in poor Harry goes against the everyday practices and very misunderstood feeding promotions of most traditional vets – the inappropriate food we feed our kitties. Not because we’re horrible people, but because we’ve been persuaded by marketing techniques that convenience (bags of dry food) holds the taste and nutrition that cats crave and need. What they need is a species-appropriate diet of 70% moisture – real meat – not kibble – like their natural diet that would consist of mice, voles, birds, etc.
Next to a raw diet, that I transitioned my dogs to last April, a high-quality canned wet food with real pieces of meat is preferred (Holistic Select and Earthborn come to mind). Get rid of kibble, or feed it in small amounts and monitored, not a free-for-all, any time, all day fest. It’s a major contributor to what is killing our kitties.
See and “Like” my page for info on diet, nutrition, and vaccines; peruse my “Notes,” and check out my “Likes” for the places I get my best info – like Dr. Karen Becker and MercolaHealthyPets for one.