It can't have been that bad.
She was a fantastic cat but free and easy with the claws. I was the only family member never to be attacked by her - because I left her alone!!!!
If we ever put down food that she didn't like she would leave the house and within minutes would be eating a kill outside.
Her senses were super efficient. We had a concrete floor with the heating pipes running in channels and one day sprang a leak that the plumber couldn't find as water was coming up at various points. I saw the cat with her ear on the floor and, true enough, that was where the leak was - she could hear it through the carpet, underlay and skim of concrete!