We had a registered oriental shorthair who we loved dearly but evidently didn't love enough to take to the vet regularly - my fault and it troubles me to this day. Anyway, he developed gum disease and we didn't know it. By the time we figured it out, his kidneys were damaged and he died a year later. We didn't notice he was in pain because the little guy talked a lot anyway and always wanted to be held so being sick didn't really seem different. However, if we hadn't been negligent in our healthcare duties, he would have lived several years more.
