Review: Nine Lives, One Mission: Vet-Approved Home Treatments for Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

This post contains affiliate links*

If you’ve followed me for a while, you may remember our Ask the Cat Vet with Dr. Kris column on The Conscious Cat. I recently reconnected with Dr. Kris and learned that he just published his first book, Nine Lives, One Mission: Vet-Approved Home Treatments for Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Dr. Kris Chandroo (DVM, MSc, HBSc) has spent years in the trenches of real-life feline medicine, traveling from living rooms to laundry rooms to help cats live longer, happier lives. He’s turned his clinical know-how into vet-approved, lifesaving playbooks, videos, courses and blogs. He is the founder of 100x Mobile Vet, a mobile veterinary service with several locations in Ontario, Canada.

Nine Lives, One Mission is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of CKD. You’ll learn:

• The BITE strategy that is the foundation of your cat’s CKD battle plan
• When to bring in mirtazapine, potassium, and phosphorus binders—and when not to
• How fluids, gut support, and tiny shifts in supplements can transform outcomes
• What to do when your cat still won’t eat, even after you’ve tried everything
• How to give SQ fluids without turning your living room into a feline protest zone
• What to do if your cat won’t accept SQ fluids
• The surprising connection between your cat’s gut and their kidneys (it’s a weird and wonderful thing)
• How to spot and treat silent co-stars of CKD, like IBD, arthritis, hypertension, infections, constipation and hyperthyroidism, and how to catch them before they crash the party
• When “NO” might be the most loving word you say

This is not a dry, “just the facts” kind of guide. Every page of this book is infused with Dr. Kris’ compassion and determination to give cat parents the tools and the confidence to make the right decisions, always in partnership with their veterinarian. By gaining a thorough understanding of CKD, this guide will help both those whose cats were newly diagnosed, and those who have fought in the CKD trenches for years.

But this book is so much more. If you followed Dr. Kris, and wondered where he had disappeared to, you’ll read about the challenges he faced over the past few years. Even if you’re new to Dr. Kris, you’ll be in awe at his resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Presented with a raw, sometimes painful honesty, Dr. Kris gives us a very personal glimpse into his life, “complete with emotional whiplash and a side of mayhem,” as he wrote in a recent email. Despite going through some very difficult times, he never lost sight of his mission: to provide the best solutions to support your cat’s health and your bond with your cat.

Written in a breezy, often humorous style, Dr. Kris is a master story teller who makes the science behind CKD accessible and entertaining. Never preachy, always practical and compassionate, his love for his profession, and for the cats he works with, shines through his writing.

As a little aside, each chapter starts with a Haiku. The chapter on how to get your cat to eat starts with

I sniff the bowl,
my eyes judge every tiny bite,
at last, a small chew.

The chapter on subcutaneous fluids starts with

Liquid hope flows in,
thirsty veins find calm relief,
life extends in drops.

These little special touches made me love the book even more.

From a practical standpoint, this the most comprehensive guide to CKD I’ve seen in a long time. More importantly, everything in this book, whether it’s advice on what questions to ask your vet, or how to get your cat to take meditation, is presented within the understanding that each cat is an individual. Dr. Kris offers different solutions for different feline personalities. Keeping each cat comfortable and happy is a priority with any treatment.

I didn’t expect to cry reading a book about CKD, but found myself tearing up at times reading about the challenges Dr. Kris went through in his personal life. I was openly crying during the chapter titled “Titanic Decisions: When No is the Only Answer.”

“This book is, in many ways, a guide to ‘doing’—taking action in a sea of uncertainty and pain,” writes Dr. Kris. “I’m a major advocate for that. But I want to carve out space here to talk about something equally vital: the power of not doing. Of pressing pause. Of saying ‘maybe not that test,’ or ‘let’s wait,’ or the hardest of all—’it’s time to let go.’ Because when your cat is sick, you become their voice. You are the one who must say YES when it’s right. But you are also the one who must say NO—firmly, lovingly—when the time comes to pivot, or protect, or part.”

This beautiful book is a must read for all cat parents, regardless of whether you’re dealing with CKD or not. It will help you make better decisions for your cat in all aspects of his or her health, which will enhance and deepen the precious bond between you and your cat.

Nine Lives, One Mission is available from Amazon.

*Purrs of Wisdom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves. I received this book from the author. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. All reviews on Purrs of Wisdom will always reflect my honest opinion, or, as the case may be, Allegra’s honest opinion.