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You are lucky to have been there with him and rushing him to the vet would probably have not made a difference.
Our neighbors cat of 14 years had a seizure induced by a blood clot and we are 3 minutes from the vet, it made no difference at all.
I am sorry for the loss of your beloved critter but I'm sure he was very happy and healthy all of the years with you.
Sorry for your loss. As others have said, you obviously took very good care of him for him to have lived to be 18. You can't blame yourself. And it's very likely that rushing to the vet would not have helped. It sounds like he went peacefully and without suffering. You gave him a good life.
Your kitty died in his own home with the person he loved nearby. That's not so bad. Sounds as if you took good care of him. I'm sorry, because no matter how old they are, we don't like to part with our pets. I lost mine (she wasn't that old but she had kidney disease) in December, and I still miss her. Each one is individual and special to us.
At 18, it was his time to go. I'll guarantee you he had some kind of cancer and there was nothing that could have been done. My roommate's cat is 13 and in bad shape, and we were just talking about how almost every older cat we know of has died from either kidney failure or cancer.
You have obviously lost a long-time companion and you will feel bereft for some time. But please don't feel guilty. As others have pointed out, cats are notorious for hiding pain. My little cousin's cat was literally eaten up by cancer to the point that it had eaten a hole through her flesh before there was any sign that she was feeling poorly. And my dog had a growing spleen tumor that only made it's presence known when it actually ruptured.
I'm really sorry for your loss. It's hard to lose a companion that you've had for almost 20 years.
I agree with Meemur and Ohiogirl; you couldn't have prevented it. Sounds like what happened to my Olivia in April 2012. She was acting strange and was urinating everywhere, then couldn't breathe and ran behind the washer and dryer. Dad thought she was having a heart attack and she could have been. We called the pet ER, but that was a half an hour away. Dad said she most likely died as we put her into his 2000 green Honda Civic. She fell a few times as we broke speeding laws to get her to the ER (fortunately it was at 9:30 pm and no one was on the road). They couldn't revive her.
As much as you wish you could have done something, beating yourself over it or getting yourself sick over it, doesn't help. You know for next time. My condolences and I'm so sorry for your loss. ::hug::
Thank you everyone. I have a happy update. So today I found out the local Humane Society had adoptions in the day and drove there with my parents. My parents spent a lot of time with my baby so they knew I was hurting and so were they. Anyway, we walked in the cat room where the cats are free to roam the first cat I saw looked identical to him. And he acted like him. He literally jumped across the room to jump into my arms and kept nudging. He wouldn't leave us alone.
I have a new cat now! I adopted him and brought him home less than an hour later. Oh and we got him free because it was free cat week. I still gave a donation though. I have been playing with him all evening. He is 6 and very playful.
"Everything happens for a reason."
Karma will be kind because you adopted an older cat.
It's an almost 100% certainty that sometimes you will call your new friend by your deceased cat's name. Not to worry. The cat doesn't know the difference, unlike when a new spouse or bf/gf gets accidentally referred to as the ex. Just this past Friday I caught myself about to call Seteria "Weasie," when Weasie has been gone for 2 1/2 years. Now and then when I see her approaching out of the corner of my eye I have that slip of the tongue. The two of them have in common being on the "petite" side (runt of the litter) and, increasingly with Seteria, a chatty disposition. So my instinct, when I see the outline of a small feline and hear a string of meows, is to utter the name I spoke for 19 years rather than the one in effect for the past two.
Fate, and cats that resemble each other, seem to go hand in hand. When the end was near for Weasie - the day before she left this life, in fact - I gathered the cans of food which would never be opened and took them to the city's Animal Commission. Upon entering the office I was greeted by an astonishing sight. Happily cavorting around were a pair of kittens, still blue-eyed. One bore a striking resemblance to Weasie, same markings but for some additional white in the chin/neck area and more pronounced stripes. The other was a dead ringer for her brother "Puppy," who had vanished forever many years before. The kittens immediately dropped what they were doing and scooted across the room, leaping onto the counter to greet the visitor with rubs and baby-cat purrs. My heart soared in the bittersweet moment. To my way of thinking it was a clear message that life indeed would go on. And so it is with your addition.
Congratulations!
Thank you everyone. I have a happy update. So today I found out the local Humane Society had adoptions in the day and drove there with my parents. My parents spent a lot of time with my baby so they knew I was hurting and so were they. Anyway, we walked in the cat room where the cats are free to roam the first cat I saw looked identical to him. And he acted like him. He literally jumped across the room to jump into my arms and kept nudging. He wouldn't leave us alone.
I have a new cat now! I adopted him and brought him home less than an hour later. Oh and we got him free because it was free cat week. I still gave a donation though. I have been playing with him all evening. He is 6 and very playful.
Glad to hear you decided to adopt again, and especially that you chose an older cat. I hope you have many, many happy years ahead.
Thanks all of you. Yes I am glad I adopted an older cat as well. 6 isn't that old in cat years so he's still frisky. I didn't want a kitten because too much work. This new cat is identical to my deceased cat in so many ways. He's been snuggling me all morning. Ironically I was set on getting another cat that didn't look like him until we got there. This cat would push other cats out of the way as if to say "this is my new mommy".
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Sounds like what happened to my Olivia in April 2012. She was acting strange and was urinating everywhere, then couldn't breathe and ran behind the washer and dryer. Dad thought she was having a heart attack and she could have been. We called the pet ER, but that was a half an hour away. Dad said she most likely died as we put her into his 2000 green Honda Civic. She fell a few times as we broke speeding laws to get her to the ER (fortunately it was at 9:30 pm and no one was on the road). They couldn't revive her. 
Just this past Friday I caught myself about to call Seteria "Weasie," when Weasie has been gone for 2 1/2 years. Now and then when I see her approaching out of the corner of my eye I have that slip of the tongue. The two of them have in common being on the "petite" side (runt of the litter) and, increasingly with Seteria, a chatty disposition. So my instinct, when I see the outline of a small feline and hear a string of meows, is to utter the name I spoke for 19 years rather than the one in effect for the past two. 
I hope you have many, many happy years ahead.
