Oh wow, Nicole! that is awful. thank goodness they were able to help Kito.

Our Gandalf had pacreatitis and we had to really watch his diet very carefully. Thankfully he never became as ill as your kitty.

I think that the regular visits to the vet are really needed to keep tabs on potential health issues. It can get expensive, but as you said, they are members of our family. And we love them a lot.