As far as diet goes, a lot of alt med sources try to give the impression that mainstream medicine ignores the role of diet in disease while on the other hand they pay proper attention to it (which usually means promoting unproven supplements and fad diets). The reality is that proper diet has long been emphasized by mainstream medicine as a key part of preventing and treating heart disease (and numerous other medical conditions). A recent review by the American Dietetic Association stressed the following keys to a heart-healthy diet: "The panel examined the state of current research on the effectiveness of foods, nutrients and food components in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors while also meeting a person's nutrient needs, and identified areas where further research is needed. "Numerous dietary factors/nutrients have been identified that affect (cardiovascular disease) risk factors," the researchers write. "An individualized dietary pattern is recommended to optimize CVD risk factor reduction while meeting nutrient needs." The review identifies effective "dietary considerations" including a diet that: Is low is saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids and dietary cholesterol; Is "ample" in total dietary fiber with emphasis on soluble fiber; Includes fat-free/low-fat dairy foods and/or other calcium/vitamin D-rich sources; Is rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants from multiple servings of fruits and vegetables and low in sodium; May include plant sterols and stanols in high-risk individuals; and Achieves a healthful body weight and calorie balance with the recommended dietary intervention by increasing physical activity and maintaining adequate calorie intake. " Here's another good article on the basics of a heart-healthy diet.

sshrivastava: I always enjoy reading your posts as you have gone into great detail about your own situations in the past and I've totally enjoyed reading about them and have taken some of your advice in the past, particularly about using less detergent; I have cut back but then went back up when things weren't coming out clean or smelling too fresh. I've been all over the scale as far as detergent dosage but it didn't seem to make much difference. ArliVie: I read the post the other day about using a hairbrush to soften/fluff up the towels. I was curious about that one, so I got out a clean hairbrush that's I found had never been used and tried it on a hand towel which was rough and stiff and all and was shocked as how fluffy/soft it became. Very interesting idea and most unique. I don't know if I could do it for 8 full size towels as my arm might fall off - LOL Anyway, it was a fun experience; I must have been bored or something ;-)

JJ, Renal failure is extremely common in elderly cats (and often in not-so-elderly cats). Unfortunately, it is as variable a disease as are the number of cats who endure it. There really are no "norms" where renal failure is concerned. There are cats who live for years after diagnosis, and there are cats who fail very quickly. The only thing you can "expect" with renal failure is the inevitable end. It is a terminal diagnosis. As lf mentioned, many of the symptoms of CRF are manageable. The keys to management of CRF are education and vigilant caretaking. You have already been given the URL to one CRF website, but the website which I consider to be the "CRF Bible" is linked below. If you spend as much time as possible reading through these sites, you will learn a tremendous amount about this disease, its associated ailments, and its management. There is nothing more important you can do for your cat right now than to educate yourself about CRF. To answer your questions, at-home subQ fluid administration is a critically important skill to acquire and practice. Your vet can and should teach you how to do the fluid administration, and the websites offer pictorial tutorials to reinforce the procedure and offer helpful tips that your vet might not mention. You'll probably find it a bit nerve-wracking at first, but you'll get the hang of it, and your cat will become more and more cooperative as you become more proficient. It really is a life-saving procedure that provides considerable health benefits to the CRF cat with negligible (if any) discomfort. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of CRF is that a cat's condition can change from day to day, sometimes hour to hour. A cat who is critically ill one day may rally to relative health the next ... or not. We CRF caretakers tend to hold out for the next rally because it's so difficult to tell when a bad day will turn around or when it really does mark the end. If your cat does require hospitalization at some point, you will just need to trust your instincts and your knowledge of your own cat to help you decide whether to give him a chance to rally or to let him go. I, too, have a cat who is in the early stages of CRF with slightly elevated BUN and CREA values. He's my fourth CRF cat, and I know that he could become critical at any moment, or he could live in reasonable health for years. I've been down this road before, so I know what to watch for. I'll be having bloodwork run on him every 3 mos or more frequently if he becomes symptomatic. When his brother developed renal failure a year ago, I couldn't get his condition stabilized and was having to run bloodwork every couple of weeks to keep up with his changing blood values and symptoms. Unfortunately, I lost Bitsy just 3 mos after diagnosis. My first CRF cat, though, lived quite happily for 4 yrs after diagnosis. That's how variable this disease can be. I know you must be feeling overwhelmed right now, and you'll probably feel even moreso once you start reading the CRF websites. Don't let all the info make you crazy. I had to read the same info many, many times before it sank in and stuck. Just remember that the more you know about this disease, the better you'll be able to manage your boy and keep him comfortable and reasonably healthy for as long as possible. I wish you and your cat the best, Laurie Here is a link that might be useful: Tanya's CRF Information website

Hmmm. Well, I will start with your cubbie design. I am concerned with your under-bench area. Are those meant to be shelves? And, what will their purpose be? I'd probably instead opt for just open floor there--easier sweeping and easier retrieving of "lost" shoes (think about a 3 yr olds shoe getting pushed all the way back in one of those narrow shelves. You'll never find it and/or have to bend all the way over to see it and to reach it...) (I'm tall, so generally don't like deep narrow places where things get lost--think deep kitchen pantry cabinets without rollouts...) Is your broom closet accessible from within the mudroom area, or on the other side? I am not clear on that. I would use your "opposite" side for hooks for guests. And, I'd put beadboard in that area as well. I'd line the beadboard all along the wall of the entire cubby (up into the upper shelving area at the back, too). I think I'd wrap the bench around the far end (where it is only 37" wide), but maybe not wrap the cubbie portion. Hmm... hope that makes sense! And, that is just what I'd probably do.