@Wilse,
As a person who's allowed to live in a home which actually belongs to three cats, you have my condolences.
Our first feline companion, Samantha (a black shorthair) passed away at age 12+ of a combination of old age and irritation (at the new kitten) shortly before we left New Orleans. I still find myself looking for her today and she is the basis by which all my current cats are judged.
We drove all the way home, 6+ hours because we wanted specifically to bury her at home rather than a place like New Orleans.
Wayne