Aww Freesia, I'm sorry you lost your buddy. Our family had two cats we adopted when they were around 6 months old. We lost the first one when she was 17yrs old. She had a very hyperactive thyroid and did not tolerate meds well. One day her body just shut down and by the time we realized it she was almost gone. She passed peacefully with me holding her.

Our second kitty, had to be put down last summer. At 18 yrs old her body just decided to shut down. She was in a lot of pain, so we said that's enough and took her to our vet. I held her as she passed.

We still are not ready for another animal in the house. Not sure we ever will be. We pet sit for neighbors to save them boarding costs and get our animal fix that way. We also try to volunteer some time at a no-kill shelter when we can.