About my 16 year old cat that passed away recently

Question
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my email, and answering my question. I am a 27 year old female, and I had a Callico cat that just passed away on 09-19-06. She was 16 years old, and here is what happened. She was always very picky about her food. She was actually my grandmothers cat, and my grandmother passed away 2 years ago, so I took care of her cat. Since she was always picky about her food, all her life she ate wafer meat. She did eat dry cat food, but wouldnt ever eat the wet cat food (canned food) Well, she also like tuna fish, and when we could, we would get it for her. The past few weeks, she had been loosing weight. She was still eating fairly good. She had not been to the vet in a little over two years. Reason being, is our family is very low in income. Anyways, my cat loved to drink water, and always demanded for water, especially running water from the vath tub. The past two days before she passed, she wouldnt eat anything. The night before she passed, we got her some tuna fish, thinking maybe it is just because she was just being picky, and wanted tuna instead of wafer meat. She did eat some of the tuna, but didnt eat it all, as she would have normally. She acted very weak that night, and layed around, with her head slumped over alot. She also had alot of flea's. I couldnt put any over the counter products on her because she was an older cat. So, the next day, when my sister woke me up, we couldnt find her, and then I heard her meowing, like crying out. I found her up under my bed, and I thought she was stuck. Me and my sister raised up the bed to let her free, but when she got up, she fell over. I picked her up and sat her in another room. She tried to stand, then she fell over again. She then tried to stand, and used her fron feet, and drug her back legs. She was meowing the whole time, like she was hurting, or just scared because she couldnt walk. Me and my sister rushed her to the vet. The Vet took her temperature, and could not find one. They said that she was very cold, and she was very sick, and was anemic. They didnt do any tests. My cat was breathing very hard, and was getting weak. The vet said that she had kidney failure. Though it was very very painful and hurtful, they said the best thing to do was to put her to sleep because she was too sick, and was dieing. So, we did have her put to sleep, cause we didnt want to see her suffer. My question is, all the symptoms I just told you, does that sound like kidney failure? My cat has always wanted water, even when my grandmother was taking care of her. Could it have been that she was diabetic, then at old age, just started having kidney failure? What do you think may have been wrong? She was 16 or 17 years old. What could have caused both of her back legs to paralize? Im sorry for the long email. I truly appreciate your help. I am just greiving over loosing her, and I feel guilty of putting her to sleep. But we just didnt have any money, and they said she was dieing, so did I do the right thing? Please help me with some answers. Again, thank you so much for your help. I will keep you in my prayers, and may God bless you. Again, thank you.
Sincerely, Angela.

Answer
Yes that does sound like kidney faliure, my friends cat had it and had those systoms.Kidney faliure can effect they way they walk because they are weak and very very sick.Yes you did the right thing if she was suffering then you made her happy by doing that by not letting her suffer.Dont feel guitly at all you did what you had to.Im here for you and im sorry for your lose.

keep me updated on how your doing!!

katey