Thanks for all the feedback. I think it is right there are the cat genes we cant change, there will be always cats that get very old with minimal care and cats that got the best food and care but they die early and nobody will know why.....there are no guarantees in life.But it is also true that the food cats like very much are raw mice or birds, they are little hunters who eat raw meat, so I agree with Elisabeth. I believe raw diet is what a cat would buy if she could. I am not a friend of the in factories produced cat food anymore for many reasons. As I wrote before when I will have kittens again I will make sure that they dont get used to all the food you can buy. B.A.R.F will be my choice.

I believe we should follow what nature would do, and no cat would ever eat dry food. Raw diet is what they would eat! I guess we do not hear what nature is telling us, giving them all this processed food,which is certainly not the best for them.

It's like people I guess, all in your genes. Some breeds are also just healthier and more long lived than others. As for the food - when my sister's dog got diabetes, she started researching better food for him. The expensive stuff she bought at the vets was way less healthy than other kinds she found. Full of junk.

The truth is no one can nail down anything for sure. I've seen people take the best care of their cats only to have them leave way too soon. And I've seen others who's cats I would consider getting the absolute minimal care, living healthy to the extremes.

Well, my cats got and get always high quality food (dry and wet) you can buy at the vet only and of course I always thought this would be good for them but I am not so sure about this anymore. Of course our cats get old, older than they would ever become without us taking care of them and some vets say it is just the age that they suffer renal failure but some say it could be the food, too or both depends on to whom you talk to.......more and more cats get allergic to the cat food, maybe something to think about , too.

Mine get Wellness Core dry once a day, then Fancy Feast wet at the other end of the clock. It's horrible to think of such innocents getting such disgusting diseases.

Actually I think it is the carbs in commercial cat food that are hard on their kidneys but I'm hot certain. Also an all dry food diet. One of my cats is allergic to grain so I use a grain free food for both of them. It has more protein which is supposed to be more like a cats ancestral diet. They get some wet and some dry food.

Yes I agree. Years ago I wanted to change their food and barf them but my cats did not eat it no matter what I tried. Them I cooked for them, they did not want it.....When I will have kittens again I will make sure that they dont get used to the usual cat food.

It's all down to their protein-heavy diet! But thanks for sharing this info and may Moritz and Paulinchen continue to do well.

I talked to the vet yesterday, Moritz and Paulinchen are okay so far except for the kidneys. They both suffer renal failure in the beginnings. Because it was found out so early the prognosis is good. Although this desease is incurable, with medicine and a special food they have a good chance to live with this illness for years. So, if you have cats that are older than 10 years please get them to the vet every 6 months for a check up. When they show signs of renal failure like for example drinking a lot or losing weight then usually about 50 % of the kidneys dont work anymore........When cats are older renal failure is one of the most often causes of death.