My cat was supposed to be dead 2 years ago due to Kidney problems.
She's in the next room right now watching the acedamy awards.
Seriously though, I've done a lot of research on the topic of CRF and I am convinced that the large numbers of cats suffering from it is due to their diet of "convienient" cat food - especially that dry kibble crap. I have her kidney levels tests periodically and it is not getting better, howeer, the rate of deterioration has slowed.
I have been feeding her a natural diet of chicken, supplements, and a bit of veggies now for 2 years. (As recommended to me by a very good local vet.)
I have ranted quite a bit about it in the pet food thread and if you want to read about my thoughts and experiences, go here:
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=109562