I've been through this more than once and I know it hurts. What helped me most was to adopt a rescue cat. Not exactly a replacement, because all cats have different personalities, but the new cat settled in and filled that hole in my heart. I wish you all the best.

There is no set time. When we lost our first two, and then our kitten a few short months later, we were devastated beyond belief, and it took a very long time before the sharpness of our grief began to dull. There will always be an ache in our hearts for the ones we lost, but we are proof that it is possible to love again. We don't miss our departed cats any less, but we do find much love and comfort in the ones with whom we now share our lives. They are our babies just as much as our others were and I am grateful that they are in our lives.

You have my utmost sympathy and my deepest condolences on your loss. I know how much you are hurting and wish I had the words to take away your pain. I wish you peace in the days a weeks to come.

(((HUGS)))

I'm very sorry for your loss.

I don't know how long it takes to "get over it". Getting over the initial shock and loss is a pretty individual process.

Eventually, you'll be able to recount funny/touching moments without the accompanying heartache. To this day, I can get a bit wistful about some of my special ones that have been gone for years. It's hard at first, especially when it's so blatantly obvious that something's missing from your home, but you had a good long run with Twinkie, and you should be proud you were able to care for her as well as you did.

I am so sorry for the lost of your cat, Twinkie. I had a small dog that I had for 18.5 years and after having them so long they are trully part of the family. Time will ease your loss but it will take time.

I am so very sorry for your loss. Our critters become such a huge part of our lives, I think it's because they are with us every single day and always there through thick and thin. They leave huge holes when they are gone.

I am so sorry for your loss. I have been thru it many times and it is never easy. Maybe in time you can rescue another.

I know. So, so, so sorry.

It can be so hard. You had a special bond with this cat so it's much worse. My cat Julien, a rescued Maine Coon, was very close to me. We were soul mates. And when he died, I was devastated. Finally, after a couple of months, I adopted 2 small kittens. And that helped.

My prayers go out to you...I just lost my fur girl Lucy a week ago......kidney disease.....my heart goes out to you..it will get better...but it is so painful.......I am so sorry hon

I lost my 2 best buddies within 5 months of each other and almost a year later, I am still haunted. I adopted 3 shelter cats as different looking as possible from my 2 tigers. To this day, I can't look at a tiger without seeing mine... Yes rescuing a cat from your local shelter would be a great thing to do for your Twinkie. You gave him a great life, he gave you so MUCH in return.. It's in you to help out another cat in his mame.. this is how I felt. I owed it to them.. However wonderful the new cats are, they are not 'replacements', but 'additional', great friends who have brought back some sunshine in my life.
Take the time to grieve. The hardest for me is to erase the last months when their decline was so painful to watch in spite of everything we tried to do...I just hope this will be easier for you.
I wish I could find better words for you.. all I can say is.. I am very sorry!
Anne-Marie

I want to thank each of you for taking the time to respond to my post and to help me with your kind words. This means so much to me. I agree with you, Anne-Marie, that the last week, watching the decline was soooo painful. I will take the time to grieve for her. I swore I would never have another pet but I think I know myself better than that. Hopefully, I will be able to find a shelter cat who will need me as much as I will need her. Big hugs and thanks to all of you.

I hope things go better for the next cat you own. Its not easy to loose a pet.
We had blue a siemese that had the same issue.... died also

A tip for the next time around

If you feed brands like Innova EVO, instincts,ziwi peak or Orijen the cats will hopefully live longer and wont die from some physical issue resulting from crappy grain based foods, some cats fed right can live to be 30+ though 20's is more the norm.

I'm so sorry. It is a good tell the kind of loving cat owner you are that she lived to be 18, which of course makes it harder. Twinkie's memory will live in your heart forever, that is the only consolation I can offer.

Elderly cats do get kidney disease plus heart congestion, our 17 year old cat did and we gave medication, special foods and he hated it and was so thin.

Talk about hard, I phoned and got an appointment and told my mom I did and started sobbing and she told me to cancel it. I did puzzled why? She said if its too hard, we won't do it. I said no, its time and I phoned back and my dad and I sobbed all the way there to the vet and then we had to wait while this lady had 4 cats to get checked and then it was our turn and the room they took us in was the same as they check the cats and there was others behind us and so it was a rushed goodbye and I didn't like that at all.

We all sobbed and cried, he was my precious, I can still see him coming down the hallway upstairs in my parents place and him yelling his head off and I would say he needs his four hugs a day as he demanded them daily. He was my beloved and I miss him still alot and its been 6 years since we said goodbye.

Its a huge gap in our lives when we lose our beloved pets, doesn't matter how little or how long they are with us, that bond is so deep and so strong.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))