I bumped into my friend Peri at the station this morning dropping OH off.
She got 2 kittens about 6 years ago, Paddy and Kissy. She told me that Paddy had died from kidney failure. He went downhill fast and she said she struggled to medicate (although management now has been a nurse for 30+ years) - the last time she took him to the vet, they said they could stabilise but he would be very poorly again in a week. They said it was a hereditary condition
Luckily, his sister is showing no signs of illness. She said that he was never a cat that drank much which probably didn't help
I remember the pair of them pushing each other out of the way to get brushed first
Peri said, Missy hadn't been 100% while Paddy was ill but after grieving, she is really picking up. Although she is a no-nonsense type, she said that she is convinced that Missy was trying to help Paddy get better and it took it out of her.
RIP Paddy