Wow. That's quite the life for a cat that wasn't supposed to make it.

I know exactly what you mean regarding the blurry area that exists when trying to figure out what's best for the cat, in terms of overall quality of life. I adopted a cat (from my cousin who has cats of her own, and thus couldn't care for this one) that was a stray - very underweight, sickly and generally very skittish. After visiting with the vet a few times, we've found that the cat has FLV, and quite possibly FIP, as the two often go hand-in-hand. We opted not to do the tests, as we can generally get an idea of the cat's state of health through careful observation, but that's where the whole blurry area comes into play.

We have to deal with the inability to keep food down at seemingly random times, which have gotten less frequent as time goes on. And there's the occasional coughing/wheezing fit that sounds absolutely horrible, but for the most part - like yours - the cat seems happy, energetic and generally healthy, considering.

I've encountered a lot of people who think we're crazy for keeping the cat, but I simply can't deal with the idea of putting the cat down because he has occasional bouts with an upset stomach, or things of that nature. If the cat has a quality of life that is generally good, how could anyone?

I just hope that my cat can defy the odds as your has done.

I have had cats all my life. Fluffy, my first cat, was 13 years old when she had to be put down. At 15, it was devastating to me.

Since then, I've had to put down 4 more, and it doesn't really get any easier to deal with. Only one was put down because I could no longer deal with the issues. He was peeing everywhere, furniture, carpeting, he even soaked a friends jacket that was draped over the sofa. It wasn't a medical problem but a psychological one. After two years of dealing with it, his un-adoptability due to his age, his penchant for biting, and being very pregnant with Ian, we opted to put him down.

People who think of their pets as "just animals" seem to have an easier time dealing with it. Those of us who become very attached to them feel the pain more succinctly.

When Chubby was diagnosed with feline leukemia, I knew he didn't have much time left, but I opted to keep him until I could tell his quality of life had deteriorated to the point where he would be better off if I ended his suffering.

When Sassycat was diagnosed with kidney failure at 20 years old, it was a different story. I could have put her on dialysis, spent thousands of dollars and gotten another year or two with her. But to me, that was simply keeping her alive for my benefit. Instead, I opted to put her down, holding her in my arms and comforting her while the vet gave her the injection. I cried for days. But I never regret making that decision.

I guess what I'm saying is you know Luna well enough to know when the time will come. Look at the extra years you would have missed if you had put her down after the diagnosis. I know dealing with the mess, damage and cost is a burden, but it sounds to me like you care enough about her to deal with it.