apparently healthy cat suddenly developed renal failure and died in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile skeletal older cat carries on.

When I said I thought Toke would be around for a long time, Tim said, "I didn't, because she was so fat." I said "Hey!" and pointed to my belly, and he said "You exercise! Toke slept 22 hours a day and spent the other 2 eating!" So, fair point.

I feel like the skeletal older cats (Slinky is *barely* 4 pounds, which is an increase from last year) are just too stubborn to die.

That was Gracie, for sure. She made it to 22.

Okay, THAT is an eternal cat.

I think the longest a domestic cat has been recorded to live was 24 or 25? I knew a cat named Daughter who lived to be 22. She'd been owned by the same woman since she was a kitten so there was no doubt how old she was. She was a furious kitty in her old age, we used to say Death was just too scared of her to get close enough.

Slinky may have deflected the grim reaper towards Toke. I would believe that 100%. Slinky is wily.

And yeah, interpreting cat signals is tough.

So true. They instinctively hide weakness, even from us who just want to help.

Yeah, we worked out Gracie's age from my sister's - H was just starting in middle school when we got Gracie, and she's 36 now.

I kind of hated picking Koogie up when he was so bony, I couldn't help thinking having your bones handled like that had to be uncomfortable.

Performance review done - 4% raise. Last year was 3.5 and the year before that 3, so I guess I'm okay with this trend. I have very little idea what the impact will be on my take home will be, but there's at least a possibility it will noticeable.

I think the longest a domestic cat has been recorded to live was 24 or 25?

Longer than that, my cousin's cat made it to 24.