It feels like I let my cat down and her death will be my fault

[Tristen481]

My 16 year old cat is deteriorating very quickly. I feel like this is completely my fault for bringing new kittens into the house. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t have gotten the kittens.

My girlfriend had always wanted a pet of her own and I suggested getting a kitten. We rescued a bonded set. 

My elderly cat was not taking to them, but I thought it would just take some time. The kittens wanted to play with her. She seemed in almost perfect health before we got the kittens. Maybe losing her eye sight a bit, but nothing else.

After six months of having the kittens she all the sudden could barely walk and I rushed her to the emergency vet. The vet said she had super high blood pressure and was completely blind and had a lot of pain in her spine. 

She is currently at the emergency vet again and is staying over night. I don’t know what to do. It feels like this is all my fault and feels like I abandoned her for new pets.

Now I see all these reddit posts that talk about kittens being a bad idea for super senior kittys. I didn’t want my girlfriend to have to wait years for a new pet, but I also feel like I may have caused my cat’s premature death 😭. 
 

I’m not sure what I am looking for on this forum. Does the guilt pass? Is it actually all my fault? Is the answer that I will never know?

[KayC]

I am so sorry you are going through this but please put those thoughts out of your head...our animals love us and accept us unconditionally and forgiveness is instant.  I lost my soulmate in a dog nearly five years ago and 25 1/2 year old Kitty 4 1/2 months later.  It was a hard year and then Covid...

Keep posting here and let us know what you find out tomorrow...don't worry about what you're looking for, we know, we get it, we've been there.  💕  Prayers for your kitty.

 

[AJWCat]

16 is a very good age for a cat. It does NOT make it any easier... but it should be a factor in what's happening. She's older, and the kittens being there likely didn't have anything to do with her getting ill. It happens at that age and when cats get sick, they tend to go very fast because they hide it for a long time. Don't blame yourself! 

I am very sorry.