it varies so much. My Who-cat was 14 when she died. I took her to the vet because she didn't seem well and she died right there. I believe that she died because our dog that she grew up with died just a few months before that.

I made the decision to have Lucy put down. She was 11 years old when she became sick. X-rays showed a tumor. I opted not to have surgery because she seemed so weak that I believed that she wouldn't have survived it. Did I make the right decision? I honestly don't know - but my decision wasn't guided by finances but by what I believed would give her the best quality of life.

Crystal lived to be 17 or 18, we're not exactly sure how old she was. She was diagnosed with kidney failure two years before she died. We had her on special food and once had to bring her in for some intensive treatments involving a lot of water to flush out her kidneys. We finally had her put down because she became very sick and listless and weak and we realized that we couldn't just keep her alive to waste away.

We never know how long we'll have, so try not to worry, and enjoy the time that you have now. Your kitty could be around for a year, or for 10 years