About us

Who's behind Cat Kidney Guide?

We're not veterinarians — and we want you to know that up front. We're a small team of cat owners and health-content researchers who got tired of seeing owners like us leave the vet clinic with a diagnosis and no real plan.

Why we built this site

When a cat is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the first thing most owners hear is a list of lab values they don't understand, a prescription diet they can't pronounce, and the phrase “just keep an eye on it.” The information that actually helps — what each number means, what to feed, when to give fluids, what to expect in each stage — is scattered across veterinary guidelines written for other veterinarians.

We built Cat Kidney Guide to fix that. Our handbook and articles translate the published veterinary guidelines into plain English, organized the way an owner actually needs it: by stage, by symptom, by decision.

How we research

Every piece of content on this site follows the same process, which is why we can stand behind it:

  • Start with primary sources. We begin with the published guidelines of the organizations below — not forum threads, not hearsay.
  • Cross-check every claim. Each medical fact is verified against at least two independent sources before it goes live.
  • Translate, don't invent. Our job is to explain what the guidelines say clearly and completely — not to add our own medical opinions.
  • Date everything. Veterinary medicine moves fast. Articles show their publication date, and we review them when guidelines are updated.

Our sources

These are the organizations whose published guidelines our content is compiled from:

IRIS (International Renal Interest Society)

The global staging and treatment guidelines for feline CKD — the backbone of everything we publish.

ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine)

Veterinary consensus guidelines on CKD diagnosis, monitoring, and long-term management.

Cornell Feline Health Center

Cornell University's feline health resources on CKD diagnosis, nutrition, and home care.

IDEXX

Veterinary diagnostic reference — including SDMA, the earlier kidney biomarker.

What we'll never do

  • Give treatment advice without reminding you to consult your veterinarian. Medical decisions always belong to you and your vet.
  • Fabricate credentials. We're not vets and we won't pretend to be — our credibility comes from transparent, source-based research.
  • Sell your trust. We don't run ads, sell data, or recommend products we don't believe in.

Get in touch

Found an error? Have a question about a topic we haven't covered? We read every message. Email us at tbelly037@gmail.com.

And if you're here because your cat was just diagnosed — start with our free IRIS staging calculator to understand where your cat is, then browse the blog for stage-by-stage guidance.