Good news for you there: my mother's cat lived to the ripe old age of 26 would you believe it! (Good, as long as they are still able to totter about and suck up some food happily enough that is.)
Still, we have the memories for ever more (and in Kleo's case - if this isn't too morbid sounding for your: a little tin with her cremated remains, what I imagine to be teeth and bits of bone, to rattle ever so gently as if to summon her spirit again. Something I had to grow used to having on my mantle piece -discretely tucked away - but helpful in processing her demise for my autistic son.)
It's always difficult to lose pets and I don't think it get's any easier the more it happens. We're not looking forward to losing Merlin but at 22 we know it will happen. We will have good memories of him though. Cleo too. 26 is old for a cat an we would be really glad to have Merlin around for that long!