Terry, So sorry for your family's loss. As you can tell, most of us here have furry family members and can understand the feelings of loss that you are experiencing.
Op my condolences. I am not a cat person, but pets are pets and we love them all.
I lost the best lab I have ever known to a similar situation. He made it to the vet but not to surgery.
Animals do the oddest things and we cannot anticipate or protect them from everything.