Chronic kidney disease is among the most common conditions in older cats. Dietary management and supportive care significantly extend comfortable life expectancy.
Feline CKD is a life-limiting condition with significant welfare implications, but modern management can substantially extend comfortable, high-quality life for many affected cats. The welfare challenge lies in balancing necessary dietary restriction — cats with CKD should eat phosphorus-restricted diets — with the cat's food preferences and appetite, which may already be compromised by nausea. Forcing an anorexic cat to eat an unpalatable prescription diet is counterproductive. Quality-of-life assessment for CKD cats requires regular evaluation of multiple factors including appetite, mobility, grooming ability, and interest in environment. The decision to pursue more intensive management versus palliative comfort care, and ultimately euthanasia, requires ongoing dialogue between owners and veterinarians using validated quality-of-life frameworks.