Basically what happened is what we feared for a long time. Miep was turned 18 in September and back then she started to get really thin (2 kilos thin!) so we took her to the vet as she was tired and lethargic a lot. Turned out her kidneys were the size of a walnut, probaly from old age but they weren't sure. So she was put on renal food immediately and started getting so much better instantly. Just back to her old cuddly self, ended up back at 2.8 kilos which is more normal for her, she's never been more than 3 anyway. Of course her old age started showing, she had a harder time jumping on things (finally the kitchen counter was a safe area to leave food!
) she was already deaf for a few years now, she had a couple accidents at night so she couldn't stay in my bed anymore, but nothing really major. We moved her box from the attic to the hallway, which was met with no problem. The new food really seemed good on her, absolutely nothing seemed off until she fell off my dad's lap on that bloody sunday in January. It was early in the afternoon, I tried to feed her a cat candy but she wouldn't take it, and after that she went to the box, puked as she got out, and went to sleep in her 'cat cave'. It's one of those fluffy things with a scratch pole on top, she hadn't been lying there in ages as she preferred the couch or one of us, but I didn't really focus on it. She occasionally switches her main spot anyway. I had an exam the next day so was studying most of the day. Then at dinner, she didn't pay any attention to us. Which is extremely odd as the last couple of months she's pretty much been sitting on my chair with me, watching us eat and getting some meat during dinner (was ok with the vet, she said I didn't need to deny her that as she was so old already). Yet now, nothing, just still in her cave. I was a bit worried but had to focus on my exam, so the next day she was still in there, told my dad to look after her, make sure she has water available nearby, left some food near the entrance and went for my exam. When I got back around 6pm, she had hardly moved the entire day according to dad. She did come out to drink a few times, but far less than normal, and she hadn't eaten at all. We tried feeding her her favourite, crust of brie cheese, but still nothing. So I called the vet and they made space for us instantly. When I tried to lift MIep into her travel cage, she hissed when I picked her up. It clearly hurt her a lot. During the trip she usually meows annoyed at everything, now it was just a sad, lethargic whine every now and then.. When we got there, I was already feeling like shit as I knew what was going to happen. And when the vet looked at her jaw, she already saw the ulcers indicating complete kidney failure. She was completely dehydrated as well. They could've saved her a couple more days by cleansing her system, but it would've only given her a few more days before the pain would return. So we had to put her down.
That was pretty much the hardest moment of my life.. I don't bond well with other humans, but she was everything to me. I grew up with her, been through so much and she was always there for me. Wow, even typing this almost a month later breaks me down completely.. it's still weird going in the living room not having her jump up from the couch waiting till you sit so she can steal your lap..