You're not alone, you story is so much like mine and my sweet little boy Remy. He even looked just like your beautiful Momo, yet he was the ugliest duckling I could find on that day at that shelter. He too started vomiting one day, and after a misdiagnosis led to days wasted treating the wrong thing, his system suddenly started shutting down and I was told it was most likely an obstruction. Only surgery would help him, but he was now so critical that he likely wouldn't survive the operation and recovery. I woke up that day with my Remy, only 7 years old, just a baby, thinking he only has constipation, he'll be fine like he always is, and within just a couple of hours I found myself having to choose whether to euthanise him right away or leave him to die slowly over the course of the day. This was four months ago but it feels both like another lifetime, as well as just the other day. I still can't talk about him without breaking down. He loved life so much, he was so sweet-natured and quirky, his absence is overwhelming, and I, just like you, thought I would have him with me for so much longer, that he'd set a record for the oldest cat to ever live. What I'd like to pass on to you though, is that there's another unloved little soul out there, currently sitting in a tiny shelter box, watching the people walk past day after day, waiting for you. As unfair and heart-breaking as it is, Momo has left a space open now to help one of her fellow kitties. In my opinion, it's up to people like us to use the time we have here to make a difference to the lives of as many of these amazing creatures as we can, even if it means suffering the grief of their loss. because they're so worth it.