What to Log for a Cat with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Chronic kidney disease is one of the defining conditions of a cat's later years — and unlike a broken leg or an infection, it isn't fixed in a clinic. It's managed at home, quietly, one day at a time: a renal diet, maybe subcutaneous fluids, an appetite you watch like a hawk, and a body weight that tells a story only if you're writing it down.

That daily record is the whole game. CKD moves slowly, so the difference between "caught it early" and "didn't notice until it was bad" usually comes down to whether someone was tracking the trend. Here's exactly what to log, why each thing matters, and how to turn it into a picture your vet can act on.

How common is kidney disease in cats?

Common enough that most cats who live into old age will face it. CKD affects an estimated 30–40% of cats over 10 years old, rising to as many as 80% of cats over 15, which makes it one of the leading causes of illness and death in geriatric cats.¹² It's also often silent early on — by the time signs appear, a large share of kidney function may already be lost, which is exactly why home monitoring matters.

What are the IRIS stages of feline CKD?

Veterinarians stage CKD using the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) system, based mainly on a blood marker called creatinine (and often SDMA), with sub-staging for protein in the urine and blood pressure.⁴ Stages run from 1 (earliest, minimal signs) to 4 (advanced). Stage matters for expectations, too: cats diagnosed in IRIS Stage 2 have a mean survival of roughly two to three years in many studies.¹ Knowing your cat's stage tells you what to watch — and your daily logs are what let your vet see whether the stage is holding steady or advancing between blood tests.

IRIS also sub-stages using SDMA, urine protein, and blood pressure. Your vet confirms the stage from bloodwork, not from home logs. Source: IRIS Staging of CKD.⁴

What should you track every day for a CKD cat?

Six things carry most of the signal. Consistency beats completeness — a simple log kept every day, ideally by whoever is home, is worth more than a perfect record kept sporadically:

• Subcutaneous fluids (volume and time). Log the exact volume and time. SubQ fluids are easy to forget — or to give twice — and doubling up too close together can overload the heart.
• Appetite and food eaten. Note how much, and whether they accepted the renal food. Appetite loss is often the first sign of nausea from toxin build-up.
• Water intake. Increased thirst is a hallmark of CKD; a sudden change up or down is worth flagging.
• Body weight. Weigh weekly on the same scale. Weight loss is one of the earliest markers of progression.
• Nausea signs. Vomiting, lip-licking, drooling, or sniffing food and walking away all tell your vet whether anti-nausea medication is working.
• Every medication and supplement. Phosphate binders, anti-nausea drugs, appetite stimulants, blood-pressure medication — logged with the time given.

Does diet and home care actually change outcomes?

Yes — measurably. Therapeutic renal diets are among the best-evidenced interventions in feline CKD: in controlled studies, cats fed a kidney diet had dramatically fewer uraemic crises and longer survival than cats kept on standard food.³ Omega-3 fatty acids and careful phosphate control add further benefit. None of it works if the cat won't eat it, though — which is why tracking what your cat actually consumes is as important as the prescription itself.

How do you build a vet-ready CKD history?

Your vet's questions are always the same: How's the appetite? How often has he vomited this month? Are you keeping up with the fluids? Answering from memory is hard and imprecise. A clean summary of the last 30 days — fluids given, appetite scores, weight trend, medication adherence — makes the visit faster, cheaper, and far more accurate. If a check-up is coming, our vet visit preparation checklist shows what else to bring.

Managing CKD also means watching comfort, not just numbers. If your cat is a senior, pair this with our senior pet care checklist, and learn the quiet signals in our guide to telling if your cat is in pain.

Veterinary medical disclaimer: SteadyTails is a logging and coordination tool, not a substitute for veterinary care. Feline CKD requires close veterinary supervision. Never start, stop, or change subcutaneous fluids, diet, or medications without explicit instructions from your veterinarian.