My kitty is close to crossing the bridge [View all]

I adopted Cleo last Oct. when my best friend passed away. My friend lived in Cleveland her whole life, and I moved to s.e. Ohio when I was 17. We always stayed in touch, and over the years, we both had many pets. My friend adopted Cleo when she showed up as a stray where my friend worked. Over the years, I got to know Cleo when I visited my friend. Cleo's vet records put her age as 19, but she might be older. Cleo has kidney and thyroid disease. She had been on a special diet for some time, and took prescribed thyroid medicine.
I knew my friend wasn't going to survive her illness, so the end of September, I took Cleo to her Cleveland vet, and made sure she was healthy enough for the drive to Marietta. I got her updated vacs, had her bloodwork done, and we were good to go. I told my friend I would take care of Cleo, so she wouldn't worry. The day I came home with Cleo, I drove without stopping, about 2.5 hours. We 2 old ladies really had to peeby the time we got to my house! I had brought Cleo's litter box, and a couple cups of her used litter, and rushing into the house, dumped the litter into the box, showed it to Cleo and got to my bathroom. My friend and I both had ranch style homes with a basement, so Cleo adapted really well. I asked my daughter to recommend a local vet, and was able to get into a vet who is close to my house, and was taking patients. I used my friend's prescriptions until they ran out, and then got prescriptions for food and medicine through our new vet.
Cleo has been eating less the last month or so, and finally on Wed. stopped eating. I had gotten some lickable treats, and offered them to her more frequently the last week or so. I even sauteed a little piece of chicken breast, which was the last thing she wanted. She continued drinking water. I laid out newspaper in the living room, and put a large trash bag over it, and put litter on it. God love Cleo, she used it like a champ. She is in her final stage now, sleeping away on a bed by my feet. I used a dropper to moisten her mouth with water. I am playing calming cat chakras, and she really likes them. I put them on yesterday, on my tablet, and she moved to be closer to the sound. The chakras are pulling my sadness out, so I took a break.
I'll have Cleo cremated when the time comes, and will take her ashes to my friend's sister, who will put them alongside my friend and her other pets, who are also cremated. I'll be spending time with my friend's sister, who is having surgery in Aug.
It is a tough day, breaking off another link in the chain.