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User Name: Twyst
Parent Forum: Cat Health Forum
Posted: 7/17/2009 9:22 AM
On Tuesday morning of this week, our cat, Flower, died suddenly. It has been very traumatic for us. He was nine had been to the vet six months prior and had no symptoms of anything. He experienced the same morning he always did, with the same energy level. He bounced around the bed for a while, knocked some stuff off my dresser, the usual. With no warning, he suddenly cried out, collapsed in a seizure with a little bit of foam at his mouth and was dead in seconds! My fiancee could not abide an autopsy. Can anyone help me? I need to know what likely happened in order to put this behind me. Any idea what might have happened to him?
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Reply to Twyst
Oh my gosh. I am SO sorry to hear about what happened. I think I would die if that happened to me.Is there a chance your cat was stung by a bee? I'm no expert, but the symptoms sounds like anaphylactic shock or some other violent allergic reaction.
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I'm no expert either, but did you consider he might not have been able to yack up an overly big hairball & couldn't breathe so went into seizures? I've heard it can happen...but there's really nothing you could've done to save the cat that I know of. Sometimes these things happen, even to humans! How many times have you heard of humans just having a yearly checkup w/a doctor then have a heart attack a wk. later? I am so sorry for you though, it would just kill me if it happened to one of my cats. I can't imagine your pain!
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My beloved kitty Tao died suddenly on Friday. He was only 8 years old, seemingly very healthy (had just been to the vet a month ago). They believe he had cardiomyopathy, which it sounds like your cat may have had as well. Taoie was his usual active self that morning, but let out an unusual meow while sitting on the bed with his sister. He was short of breath and died very suddenly. There was nothing that the vets could do. I don't think he was in any pain.
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Reply to meganr1980
well he or she may have had a heart attack and died cause I had a cat like that and he had heart problems and I am sorry to hear that your cat has died are you going to get a new one????
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Without a necropsy you will never know what killed your poor cat. With that being said there is an ofter overlooked disease that is not uncommon in cats. That disease is Heartworm. Most people think that Heartworm only effects dogs but this thinking is not only untrue but potentially deadly to cats. Cats can and do get Heartworm and in the cat it is much more deadly and untreatable. The treatment that is used in dogs with a high rate of success is ineffective in the cat.
When a cat gets Heartworm there are often no symptoms until the cat dies. The worms will get into the lungs, heart, and nerves system. When a worm dies it will often cause sudden death.
There is only one way to stop Heartworm in cats and that is to use a preventative like Heartgard for cats. I do not work for that company and I am not promoting them for any other reason except that many veterinarians still do not consider Heartworm as a problem in cats.
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I am so sorry to hear about your cat Flower.I write this through tears because yesterday my furry little friend Buttercup died suddenly while I was playing with her. She had a seizure and died. We are completely devastated. She was only 1 year and 3 months. After a sleepless night I came downstairs this morning ready to feed her. I have two daughters. I told my 14 year old yesterday and today plan to tell my 8 year old. How do you get through this? The vet told us that it was more than likely a heart defect. She never showed any signs of illness! I feel like I am living a nightmare right now. Any suggestions how to break the news to the 8 year old?
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Reply to sherryc
When I went downstairs this morning my baby Leah (2 1/5 yr old cat) was laying in the floor. I called out to her, I thought she was sleeping, when she didn't move I walked over to her and realized she had died. She looked perfectly fine. She had no marks, cuts, bites, etc. There was no foam on her mouth. She looked like she was just walking and fell out. I actually tried mouth to mouth to revive her but it did not work. She had urinated on herself. I am devastated. My husband and I love cats and have adopted many, we just installed an 8 ft fence with a cap on the top so our babies can go in and out of the house and be protected from the dangers outside. Our cats are well taken care of and we spend thousands on pet care. I can not imagine that this has happened. It does appear that she just had a heart attack.
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I can totally relate to the sad posts here. My dear cat, Tiger, died suddenly on Friday night after a normal day of playing and cuddling. However, I had a warning of sorts; the vet had wanted me to euthanize him exactly one month before, due to a congenital heart defect. I told her no, and took him home, along with Lasix and Clavamox. He had gone to the vet at the end of January because one day he began breathing rapidly, with mouth closed. About an hour later we were at the vet. The vet gave him an x-ray and said his heart was enlarged, and that he had a murmur, and his lungs were congested. She put him on these meds and said to call in the morning if he hadn't improved. Well, the next morning he was worse, so I took him again to the vet and he went into an oxygen 'tent' (a box), and stayed there from 8:30 until 3:30. All the while he was getting IV Lasix, and monitored constantly. He even got nitroglycerin on the ear. The vet took another x-ray and said it was bad. The lungs were even more congested and he wasn't responding to treatment. She said I should euthanize him that day or the next. Naturally I was distraught, but as long as he wasn't in pain, I was going to keep him alive. I took him home, asked all my friends to pray for him, and he made what seemed like a huge turnaround within days. I kept him on the antibiotic til it was finished, and continued the Lasix. His energy level was good, as was his appetite, and what had seemed like a one-week scare had passed.
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Reply to bikepattydc
We share your grief. This morning our beautiful, sensitive tortoise shell female, Cinnamon died in my husbands arms. She wasn't quite 8 years old. No signs of anything amiss. She sleeps beside him all the time and she gave an awful cry, jumped onto his chest and died. Her urine leaked out and when he handed her to me, she was so soft and warm I couldn't believe she had died. We have cried and cried. Took her to the vet but decided against an necropsy. When we googled this we are surprised by the number of people who have experienced this tragedy. We believe it was a heart attack as her shots were up to date and she is an inside cat. We have another cat, Fluffy, a part rag doll who we know will be yowling soon, looking for her. He has limited eyesight so he always called for her in a special way when they would have their little tussels. We are so sad and in grief. We share all of that with all of you. May their little spirits rest in peace and may we all be united one day with our beloved animals. God hates death, He seemed to impress that on me. That is why Jesus came to abolish it. The grief we feel over the separation is a small taste of what God feels for us when we are separated from Him/Her. May you know His/Her comfort.
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Dear all,I would just like to say thank you for sharing your stories. They have been a small comfort to my wife and I today after our beloved three-year-old indoor cat Billie suddenly died this morning. She was sitting on a stool that we had set up for her to see out of the window and we were dozing in bed when suddenly there was a huge crash - she had fallen to the floor. She lay on her side in the 'haloween cat' position that someone else described, clearly having great difficulty breathing. But within probably 30 seconds she had died. We don't know exactly what caused this - she had been playing happily only last night and we'd taken her to the vet about something else less than a week ago, where she was given a clean bill of health - but reading all your stories has given us a clue as to what may have happened. Poor Billie - we loved her very much and will miss her terribly.Thanks again to all of you for the little bit of support we've got from you today.
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Reply to monsieurjosh
We are sad at the loss of your beloved Billie. It is hard to believe we can love an animal as much as we grow to love our cats.
This morning at 9:00 AM, we took our 6 year old Midnight for her annual exam. She put up the usual fight getting into the carrier, but that is how all four of 'the babies' react to vet visits.
She weighed in at a little over 15 pounds, up from last year and a growing concern to us.
As the doctor examined her she cried a few times, jerked her entire body, let out a long loud cry, and fell back on the exam table, her tongue out and saliva dripping from her mouth.
The doctor & tech tried for 30 mintes to revive her, but she was gone. We did not want an autopsy, and accepted the explanation of Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that is hard to detect, and can kill a cat almost instantly.
We loved, and miss our Midnight, still feeling both shock than sadness.
Your Billie could have had a similiar ailment. Have read many similiar stories today, sudden collapse, loud neow, no advance warning.
The loss is terrible. But we are thankfull for the 6 loving years Midnight shared with us.
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Reply to drth15
Our cat George died very suddenly and unexpectedly tonight. He was only 9 years old, and a little overweight, very loving and playful up to the day he died. Shortly after we went to bed he let out a loud meow. My boyfriend went to check and called me from the other room and said George seems to be dying. He was no longer breathing by the time I got there, but his body was still warm and his eyes were open. We took him to Angell Memorial hospital and are just returning home at 2am. We both loved George very much, and are grateful for the time we had with him. Your stories are helpful because we now know we are not the only cat owners to experience this tragic loss of a beloved member of the household.
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I understand entirely...
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Reply to Virgotango
the exact same thing happened to my cat Asher this past weekend. i came home from my birthday dinner with my family and he seemed fine when he greeted me at the front door. a few moments later i heard an awful cry from my kitchen, and he was in front of his water dish howling. i sat next to him and he started gagging what i thought was a hairball, and then he vomited white foam. i thought it was over then he peed on the floor and started acting like he was choking and his mouth and tongue turned blue. i tried breathing into his nose, but he was just gasping and struggling to breathe. his eyes were wild and looking at me as if to say, " mommy help i cant breathe!" he stopped fighting and just died in my arms. about a minute later, blood poured out of his mouth. ive been sobbing for days.
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Reply to hilaryhokrein
To Hilary
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I can completely relate to all of these posts.
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Reply to peachykeen
Thank you all for sharing! My perfectly healthy 5 year old jet black kitty was found dead by her food bowl just over an hour ago. She was still warm and we picked her up to rush her to the vet but I could see she was not breathing and her eyes were fixed and dilated. She was in perfect health. I assumed she may have eaten antifreeze or a poisoned mouse but now I assume she had heart failure. She looked like she was sleeping but her tongue hung out and she peed on the floor. It was quite a shock to my family. We also have her mother and one sister and they all slept together which will be very sad for them when they can' t find her tonight. I hope you have all found new pets to love and honor in the memory of those you have lost.
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It looks like this thread has been going on for quite a while, but I was very surprised to find it when I Googled 'sudden cat deaths.'. Last week I walked down stairs and found my daughter's 11 year old cat, Jessie, dead on the floor. Ten minutes earlier she had been playing normally. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was to go back upstairs and tell my 14 year old that her "baby" had died. She had had her since she was 3, and had never experienced death before. It has been heartbreaking for us all.
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There is comfort in hearing others' stories, so I'll post mine too I guess ...This basic same thing also just happened to me and my very loved cat Zebediah ... just a great little boy cat who roamed the house, slept in the bed, both ran from and tried to stand up to the dog, and was generally just a great little boy. I found him dead on his side lying under the dining room table first thing in the morning after hearing in my sleep a little trying to trip you run-in on the stairs with my husband and Zeb quickly running past the dog at the bottom of the steps while the dog waited to be let outside the front door. Mainly assuming it was a heart-attack. My husband said after he ran under the table he hissed a little at the dog and meowed a bit of a weird meow ... and generally no one really saw him until I woke up and went downstairs. No marks, no sign of any foul play in any sense. I guess he could have been scared by having to run past the dog, but he was still hissing and meowing once he got under the table. He had slept in the bed that night but when I woke up to go to the restroom, he followed me, and when I went back to bed, I closed the bedroom door and Zeb couldn't get back in. Just after that was when I heard the little scuffle on the steps. It just breaks my heart that I closed the door. If his little date with destiny was going to happen that morning I just wish he had been in the bed. Just breaks my heart. I called my husband and he came right back home from work - made him a box - and we buried him in our yard. My little girl and I really miss him...
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I left work early a few days ago. My daughter was coming for the afternoon and I was eager to visit with her. She was already at my home, heard my knock and opened the door saying "Roscoe is dead". What! This was impossible! Roscoe was the perfect picture of health. That morning he had been engaged in all of his usual stuff prior to my leaving the house at 11:00AM. He ate, played around opening and closing cupboards and finally jumped up on my bed for his usual all-day nap.
Our magnificent Roscoe came to us several years ago. I am guessing that he was about 5 years old. He was a show stopper of a Tuxedo: about 21 lbs, beautiful shiney coat and perfect symmetrical markings. He fell in love with my son and followed him everywhere. Our entire townhome community was fascinated by him for he had no fear. In a neighborhood dominated by dog lovers Roscoe could be seen tagging along with anyone and everyone as they walked their pets.The world was his oyster, he loved life and he was going to to have it and live it his way. Personally, I have never been more captivated by an animal than I was by Roscoe.
On first sight my daughter thought that he was asleep and walked around him as he lay on my bedroom floor. Then she saw that his eyes were open as well as his mouth. I came home just minutes after and when I laid my hands on him he was still warm. We were in total shock. How could this happen to such a perfect speciman? No symptons, eyes clear, nose clear, no evidence of urine or feces. He lay on his side with feet crossed and tail relaxed in a soft curl as though he was simply sleeping. This just wan't happening; couldn't be happening.
Long story short, we pulled ourselves together enough to get him to the vet for cremation. I was wild with questions and disbelief. When I got home, I poured through the internet looking for answers. It appears that it was a case of cardiomyopathy or possibly heartworms, though we will never know. One thing I do know for certain, our Roscoe was a one-in -a-million. His character and shenanigans were the basis for a great cat story and he left us rich in memories and destitute over losing him.
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I can't believe how many people have had this traumatic experience happen with their cat. For me, it just happened two nights ago. Our beloved Siena had been her usual self all day.... granted, she was getting up there at 11 years old, but she seemed perfectly healthy. I had just fed her another meal before I was going to bed, and she ate normal. She curled up on the bed next to me to go to sleep and a minute later all of a sudden started screaming horribly, cramped all over, tried to get up but couldn't walk... she kept gasping for breath, and at first I thought she is choking on something. But very quickly I realized how grave the situation is, and that she dying. I screamed for my roommate to come. My poor cat was crying so much and I could see in her eyes how scared she was. I didn't know what to do. Within minutes she died while me and my roommate were petting and holding her. It was one of the most traumatizing experiences I've had. Every time I close my eyes I hear her scream and I see the fear in her eyes.
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I hope you have gotten ano..ther cat though you can never replace the one you lost.I lost my four year old white,blue eyed cat seemingly healthy cat this morning almost exactly like you described.She had played all morning layed on her favorite place [ back of the couch ] for her morning nap about an hour later she jerked ,fell into the bay window and with her tounge hanging out was dead .All this in less than 45 seconds.We were astounded.She is buried in her yard where she loved to be.She was the sweetest cat I had ever known and she will be missed deeply.I truely hope there is a heaven for cats like ours
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Reply to shawna
Hi Shawna,
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Our cat, Gus, just died last night from a sudden heart attack. He was only 1 year old. Like most of these other replies, he was totally healthy. He was just playing with our dog and not a minute later I found him around the corner on his side breathing weird. I thought he was having a seizure and it was something that could be dealt with after he came out of it but then realized he was dying. I had just got home and didn't even have time to take off my shoes before this happened.
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Reply to johnandalexia
Wow, I have been reading these posts and am surprised that there are so many. My cat Littles died suddenly last night also. He was almost 13, an indoor cat and was very healthy and energetic. I thought I had another 5 years surely.I had just gotten home from work and we did our normal petting ritual which lasts about 10 minutes when I walk in the door. I went to change my clothes afterwords and heard a sound as if a stool fell. I went to the living room to find littles squirming and trying to breathe. He started turning blue and then his eye fixed and dialated. I gave him cpr and tried everything I could. I felt as if he was dying faster then I could do anything to save him. The vet said he didn't choke on anything and might have had as asthma attack or heart failure. I was so grateful to have those last moments with him and also glad that I was home although I keep playing it over in my head, and am terribly saddened by what happened. I'll miss him tremendously. As I read the stories above it seems more clear that it was probably a heart attack. I've been crying ever since. I sympathize with everyone here and hope we all find strength and comfort in knowing that we aren't alone in our love for cats and what we have gone through with their Deaths.
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Thanks to all who have shared their posts about this terrible experience. My little girl Clover, who was a little over a year old, passed this way last Thursday. I have been blaming myself ever since, wondering what in my house could have hurt her. She had been to the vet only three weeks before it happened. That morning, I came downstairs with all five cats including Clover -- a tall, rangy calico who at 13.3 pounds was not overweight -- and stopped to pick up my glasses from a table in the living room. At the same time, one of the other cats chased her. Clover jumped up on the cat gym and suddenly fell, crying out three times. In seconds I was with her, but she was still and limp and had urinated. I put her in a cat carrier and got to the vet in under 10 minutes. They intubated her and tried to get her little heart started again but to no avail. Back home, I looked at the place where she fell -- nothing. No blood, nothing sharp on the floor. She fell from a height of between 2 and 3 feet, nothing special for a healthy young cat. The vet said that without a necropsy, he couldn't tell what it was. From what I have been reading here and elsewhere, I think it might have been HCM. (She got monthly Revolution against heartworm and was an indoor-only cat.) I miss Clover so much. Like everyone else here, I valued my cat's personality and sweetness and love and loyalty. I am lucky to have others and am feeling less nervous about some hidden danger in my house but am being super-careful and showing them a lot of love.
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I am so sorry for your loss and for everybodys loss on here I dont even know what to say as my beautiful baby clary died today at lunchtime.he was only 3 years old.he was an indoor cat and was completely loved and spoiled.i work from home and every day while im working he snuggles under my duvet in my bedroom until i finish work i check him regularly for cuddles and kisses and to see if hes ok weve done this since he was 8months old and he has always been perfectly fine.today he was fine had cuddles and kisses ate his breakfast and even played with me on the bed while i was getting ready for work.i left him at 10.15am and then came to see him again at 11.40approx he jumped out of the bed i thought he was going to get a drink of water or go to the toilet but he fell over at my feet and started to convulse his back leg was sticking straight out and he looked so frightened and like he was trying to get up but couldnt stand.His eyes were so wide and his mouth was wide open and i was crying and massaging his heart.i rang the vet he told me to bring him in but they are 30mins drive away.i heard him miaow and when i went to lift him fully into my arms to get him to the car he just laid there still warm with his eyes and mouth open.his leg twitched again and his tongue was still hanging out and looked blue'ish.i kept massaging his heart and stroking his head.we got to the vet but it was too late he was already gone. i think he had already passed within a few minutes of falling over as he wasnt moving after his miaow.the vet said he could bring him back but he would be brain damaged and in a coma but then he said he couldnt bring him back as he had been gone too long.he said it was a massive heart attack or brain aneurism he said not to have a postmortem as i would never see my baby again and would not be able to bury him and it might not show anything up in tests.i didnt want my baby cut open but i am so distraught i just want to know what happened.i brought him home and have buried him in my garden.The vet said it is rare in young cats for it to happen and he wasnt sure how he died to be 100% sure but it more than likely a massive heart attack.i wanted to find out as my mind is racing and i cannot stop crying i looked on the internet and saw this.i have only one friend where i live as i am chronically shy and my baby cat was my lifeline and support for when im down.i am so devastated and i feel his little life was taken at such a young age with no symptoms he wasnt over weight he had no signs of being in pain even though cats hide it well there was nothing it was just so sudden,he didnt wee himself or poo there was no foam or anything. just an hour earlier we had had a huge cuddle,i kissed him and told him how much i loved him and he cuddled me back.i have no family and i just feel very lost without him.
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Reply to Heartbroken
I can't tell you all how much you have helped me try and figure out just what happened this morning to our sweet sweet cat Bandit. I was getting ready for work this morning nothing unusual, but about 8am my 13 year daughter comes running back to my room screaming "Mom come quick somethings wrong with Bandit" to my dismay I found my husband on the floor with Bandit trying to massage his heart, he was lying there limp, eyes fixed and dilated, mouth open, lips, and tongue blue. My husband said he just started to stretch out on the floor, then convulsing, then curling up, a terrible sound came out of him, then lay there gasping for breath, staring at somebody to help him. That's when I came into the room. He had been fine just this morning, greeting me at the door, looking for food no signs whats so ever that this tragedy was to happen. My poor daughter witnessed her cat die right before her eyes, I was in shock and I think both my daughter and husband were too. I feel like it couldn't have happened, he was fine just 11 hours ago. We are so sad,as I said at the beginning of this post "Thank you for helping me deal with a terribly tragic situation." I was racking my brain trying to think how could I have let this happen, how could I have prevented this?? I think at this point there are no answers only memories. I will cherish ever one of them..
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Thank you so much for this thread. I will try and type through my tears to share our story with you... so here goes. We have had our baby, Mr Bubbles is his name, for only a very short year and a half. He came into our lives by total accident, while we were out walking by the river one evening, he came out of the bush, meowing with so much news to tell us, and from that day, never left our side. Until last Thursday, when he decided it would be fun to disappear for two long days. We sat and waited for him to return, and had accepted the fact that he was no longer with us. It was last Saturday morning we were out calling him when we heard his cry, and there he was, far up a tree, calling out to him so come and get him down, so the rescue mission began. The relief we felt was amazing, that we had our baby back. We have treasured every moment with him since we thought we had lost him (just that little more than normal) and it was exactly one week later, today, that my partner came home to find him laying at the door, waiting for him mama and papa to come home to him. After reading these stories, it seems we may have experienced the same cause of death, as you all have. As we were growing tired of having to share our dinner at the table with Mr Bubbles, we gave him a worm tablet last night, and research is suggesting that this worming tablet may have killed the worm which has then blocked an artery. It will take a long time until our house feels like a home again, now that a member of the family has left us. I feel it is an honor to be taking him to the crematorium tomorrow, where we will get a paw print, and a lock of his hair to treasure. Only a special few understand the heartache when we lose a pet, and I hope that by sharing this experience with you all, that you will take some comfort from it. It will be a lonely night in the bed tonight, where all that is left is the matted fur from where he once lay.
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"Heartbroken" - am feeling your pain, totally. So I hope you may take some comfort in the fact that you are by far alone in this experience. The bond you had with your baby is so so special, treasure it.
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I want to thank everyone. My sweet little Purrcy died so suddenly today. He was fine and has always been fine. But he came out of my room yowling. Sometimes he does - sorry - did that when he was going to have a hairball problem. He would vomit and be done. I waited. But then he didn't. He heaved leaked urine, gasped for air. Before I knew it, he was frothing, there was blood on his tongue and his tongue was black. I raced to the vet (80 mph in a 45) but it was too late. In the span of 30 minutes, he went from yowling to gone. There was a lot of froth. The vet checked and there was absolutely nothing in the way of a hairball so there was no obstruction. He was about 11 months when he found my door and EXACTLY 9 years and 6 months to the day since he joined the family. My heart is broken. He even had his own chair. It is going to be hard to look over and see his fur and indent but not him. I blamed myself. He was 100% indoor but it sounds now like maybe it was his time whether I am ready or not.
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Reply to mmontour
I am so sorry for your loss. I too lost my beloved cat of seven years this morning! It was such a shock and I have cried all day. My cat was fine yesterday and this morning my granddaughter came and got me and said something was wrong with Stanley...he was just laying on the bedroom floor with his eyes wide open and struggling for each breath, his gums and tongue were purplish blue. My Stanley however did not go as fast as everyone elses babies on here. I couldn't find anything wrong with him there were no visual wounds or marks but his body was getting colder and his breathing more shallow. I tried to give him water with an eye dropper, thinking he was dehydrated, I tried giving him antibiotics for infection but all to no avail! I could not have gotten him to a vet in time to save him but it took him about half an hour, I really thought he might have had a seizure and would be fine when he came out of it but sadly that was not the case and I was holding Stanley as he took his last breath. I am heartbroken and so is his friend of seven years Tito (my other cat), he keeps walking around the house howling for Stanley and then it breaks my heart all over again and I start bawling....so sorry for everyones loss...I can honestly say I feel your pain!!! God Bless!!!
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We are having a rough day today. My daughter found a very tiny baby kitten laying in the road a few months ago, we brought it home, called the vet, and proceeded to feed it cat milk with a small bottle in the position the vet told us to do. The kitten was so playful and loving and we all got attached very quickly. Last night after his normal feeding, he was playing and pawing at my face and he suddenly got a little limp and was walking funny. He laid down and pooped while laying there and peed on me when I picked him up. His eyes looked kind of glassy and he could barely hold his head up. We could not understand how he goes from this wild and crazy little playful kitten to this in just a few minutes. He had been fine all this time and we were shocked and scared so we loaded up and took him to an emergency vet right away. They took him back then came out and said they were unsure what had happened but that he was dying and they didn't think any aggressive therapy would save him. We sat there what seemed like forever trying to decide whether to put him down or try the therapy b/c we didn't want him to suffer. We all cried and cried and the vet finally honestly told us they didn't think the therapy would save him b/c he was barely breathing and too weak to survive it, they suggested we go ahead and put him down and out of his misery. We signed to do just that and cried all night and all day today, so confused about what happened to this precious kitten that we found in the road and thought we had rescued and would have a long life here with us. We are grieving so bad not knowing what went wrong for sure, We have 3 poms that are 9 years old and the younger one is 3 years old and it is really going to kill us when something happens to one of them. We have 3 other cats that I worry about every single day b/c they are 14 and 15 years old and after seeing this young one die so suddenly, I now worry much more about them. We have never lost a baby like this though, we usually only lose an animal due to old age or we had one die of feline leukemia a few years ago....never anything like this. We are heartbroken and I have found some comfort reading the posts on here of people who are goin through the same things.
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I took my precious Dillon to the vet on 6/6 for some routine bloodwork and to get him groomed and nails clipped. 2 hours later I get a call that he let out a cry and just died. They administered CPR until I got there and gave him some injections to try and start is heart to no avail. He was a very healthy 6 yr old cat. I've just been in shock and even the vet said they have never had this happen while bathing a pet. I couldn't really afford a necropcy to be done, as I'd rather have that money to cremate him and buy an urn for his ashes. As sad as it is to see all these stories I'm a little relieved to know I'm not alone. I feel so guilty since bathing of a cat is not something that is necessary but I just figured since he was going for the bloodwork I would do it since it's summer and fleas are more common. Our poor 2 yr old kitty Cali is lost not knowing where he is, she just wanders around the house looking for him and sitting by his carrier. Everything in here is just a reminder of him and the fact that he is gone. We are lost without him!!
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Thank you to everyone for posting your stories on this thread. Although each one is so sad, they have helped me make some sense of the sudden death of our 8 year old Missy yesterday. We woke in the morning to find her dead on the floor downstairs. Her back legs were spayed out, and one front paw under her and the other beside her. Eyes open and no blood, just a little saliva. Her body was already cold and rigor had set in so there was nothing we could do. She was an extremely healthy indoor cat and showed no signs of illness the night before or ever. At first we thought that she might have tried to jump on top of the bookcase nearby and somehow fell and broke her neck, but it didn't make any sense as she never jumped on anything higher than the bed. We didn't have the vet perform a necropacy, but after searching for causes of sudden death in apparently healthy cats, now believe that is what happened. This is such a devastating and painful loss. I said her name was Missy, but that was really a nickname for Little Miss Sunshine because she full of light and happiness.
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I was so comforted by this website. Just about 2 hours ago I found my precious Spiker dead. I could not believe it. He was just 3 years old and, I thought, healthy! Just this morning he was racing around and playing. I went in search of him and found him under the coffee table in the living room lying on his side, eyes open, a little saliva from his mouth. He must have passed soon before since he was still warm and soft. I kept shaking him crying and calling his name hoping for a miracle. I kept saying how could this happen. I am devastated but based on the other posts, I imaging it was quick with little discomfort. My prayers for all of you who have suffered a similar and tragic loss.
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Reply to Tarilyn
I just posted a reply to the original author that started this thread but my special condolences for you since our babies died within a day of each other. I will miss him so and the pain is so strong. He used to wake us up every morning. Tomorrow will be so different. He was so full of life and such a character. But it was comforting to see these other posts and know that it is likely there was nothing I could have done. God Bless.
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Reply to ScarvelliP
DearScarvellip: We just found our beloved cat Imp dead this morning . . . he was about 7 years old and a little over weight but he was also very playful last evening, eating, drinking, purring and seemed just fine but this morning was lying on his side dead in our basement. He also was still warm and his eyes were open but his lips and tongue were blue. I imagine it was quick and I hope with little discomfort. What I shock, his brother Frankie who was his brother and littermate is also lost without. I love you Imp, rest in peace! So I feel sorry our loss also.
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It puts my mind at ease to hear these replies, as we lost our cat Colton this morning, similar to the way described here. He was only 4 years-old, way too young to leave this world. I was sleeping on the couch when I heard him pawing at the door to go outside (typical 3am in our house). I let him out, laid back down, when I heard a terrible cry from the deck. I quickly ran outside to find him laying on his side just steps from the door, barely breathing. Within seconds, his breathing stopped. His pupils were dilated, mouth open with a bit of saliva. He was a huge part of our family, and my heart aches without him. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur from birth, and at times had difficulty breathing after coming indoors (especially when running outside), but the vet never seemed concerned about his symptoms. He had just been to the vet 3 months ago, up-to-date on all of his shots, no warning at all. I always had the impression his heart might not be pumping enough blood or fast enough, giving the labored breathing at times. I think his poor heart just gave out :(We buried our buddy and "boy" at the farm, in a quiet field, with his favorite toys. We will miss him terribly.
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Reply to amyem
On Friday of last week, my wife and I had taken the day off to finalize the closing on our first house and take possession of it. We had spent the previous month, during the closing process, talking about all the things we were excited about in regards to Tigger, our exceptionally lovable, 4.5 year old, female tabby cat, coming with us and enjoying the new home, our home, and being able to go outside finally since we'd always lived in apartments and wouldn't let her out. We had even budgeted for a new "cat tower" so that she could easily lounge and look out the windows at the birds. We closed at 8am, went to breakfast, ran some errands, and came home at 11am--excited to move and start packing. In our excitement about buying our home, when we came back to the town home we didn't even think about the fact that we didn't see Tigger on the steps; but, also didn't think anything of it since we knew moving (one last time) stressed her out and she'd be in the bedroom.About 15 minutes later, as we started packing up some stuff around our fire place, my wife, who loved Tigger more than any other animal she had had, found her in the position that has been described above in a nook to the right of the fireplace. While it offers some comfort in knowing that there was nothing we could have done, we're both finding it especially hard to live with how quiet it is in our home without her--no pitter-patter of kitty feet across the hard wood floors or the jangle of her tag and collar. However, we are thankful that if she had to go, she went in the last place we lived and not in our new home. I can't help but think that she knew this was a very big deal for us and that if she couldn't come with us to the new home, she'd make sure that she didn't cast it in a bad light by allowing what happened to her to happen there. I know that in a lot of ways that is a silly, possibly childish, thought but it's what comes to mind anyways.We have had her cremated along with her favorite toys and will bring her home today or tomorrow. We are going to be building raised beds for veggies at our new home and will bury her there once we are done. We both know that Tigger would have loved playing in the gardens we will build and enjoyed sniffing and chewing the grass, so we want to make sure that she finds herself there and in peace. Plus, our new home won't be complete until our "baby girl" comes home finally.
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I just found my cat dead a few hours ago lying on the kitchen table, in a position like sleeping, only that he had bitten his tung and he had his eyes rolled over.
I want to believe that he had a painless death, heart attack or something like that. I've had him two years now and had grown very attached to him. We actually saved him from a car accident. Now I hope I have done nothing to hurry his death. It is very hot out here where I live on summer, although I always take care to let my two cats with lots of shadow and water in the house.
I simply...have my heart crushed...he had a very distinct way of making himself noticed and lightning up your day. I am terribly going to miss him.
And now I fear how my other cat will react in his absence.
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Hi everyone, I am so very sad to hear all of your stories but also feel a little better knowing many of your have gone through the same terrible experience.
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It helps me to read these. My cat died at the vet while I was boarding him while on vacation. So needless to say, it was quite a shock to get a call on vacation that he had died. He was 8 yrs. I did not do autopsy. They believed it was heart disease. I will accept that. He was fine that afternoon and had been there 2 days. I am so sad. I did not know anything about heart disease. Coming home last night was the worst and every night will be. He would wait by the door for me. I had him since he was one and got from Humane Society. Just good to know that it does happen to others also.
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Just this morning I lost my beautiful, sweet, tortie cat Shiva. She was an indoor cat and 8 years old. I got her from an animal rescue unit and the moment I saw that tiny speckled kitten I knew that she was coming home with me.
She seemed fine last night, purring and sprawling in my lap and 'talking' up a storm. Nothing was odd at all. I woke at 5am to hear the bells on her collar ringing - and I assumed she was scratching. I don't know if I dozed off or if it was immediate, but I heard this thud and then her making this awful low moaning/howl. I jumped out of bed and found her outside my bedroom door, as if she was standing and just fell over. Part of the hallway runner rug was turned up under her - so I think the bells I heard was her having a seizure. I ran for my eyeglasses and back to her and laid on the floor by her. I reached to rub her head and she moved her head to my hand as if for one last rub. She moved her front paws a bit, then she let out one long breath and she was just gone.
She had no signs of problems, no vomiting, no odd behavior. She was an indoor cat so I know her bowel movements were normal looking. She was eating and drinking normally. I haven't put any pesticides or poisons out, nor do I have mice that she might have eaten... she never was a bug eater either.
All I know at this point is that in a flash, I lost my snuggle buddy, my little chatterbox, my guard-cat and my best friend.... and I am utterly and totally heartbroken.
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we are in the same pain. today just about an hour ago my 1 1/2 year old orange tabby named baby died in my arms. she was quiet and never meowed so when she let out a howl i knew something was wrong. she was lying on the bed and she stiffened and started shaking. my husband tried giving her mouth to mouth but she only gasped. she was healthly and happy all day. she ate like normal. it just happened out of no where .
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On Saturday while away camping our son called and said he found our six yr old kitty flower dead. I am saddened with grief because we were not home for her. She was her normal playful self on thursday and Friday morning when we left and she greeted our son at 5:30 when he went to work. He could not find her late afternoon when he got home. She always greets like a dog! Went looking for her and found her dead in basement under a bed. When we got home, I found 18 or more vomit areas all over many rooms. All bile except one where it was her hard food. I am overwhelmed with grief because it appears she suffered. Anyone experience the same type of thing? Our vet says possible hardening of her heart or swallowing a string. She never ate strings......please help me possibly know what happened. We are not able to do an autopsy
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Reply to skullfreek
I am so sorry for your tabby. We lost our flower the day after and are devasted. I just want to say you are not alone in your grief and loss. I am overwhelmed at losing flower because we were not home with her when she suffered alone. I want to know what happened to her, but cannot accept having an autopsy on her. Our son found her under a bed in a basement. She had vomited at least18 times throughout the house and next to where she passed. what happened? That is all I want to know. It helps knowing so many others love their pets like I do and feel the grief terribly. Bless your tabby. She is playful with my kitty somewhere in the great unknown.....
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I too woke this morning to find my beloved 7 year old indoor cat Shadow had suddenly died during the night. Last night at midnight on my way to bed i scratched his head and told him he was a good boy he was perfectly fine no health problems eating drinking playing normally. I still can't believe it I found him laying in the hallway near my bedroom door. I am so sad I was not there for him and he died all alone. I loved him so much He will be greatly missed my kids are devastated. I can't believe how many others have lost their beloved cats this same way. We have other animals 2 cats and 2 small dogs but Shadow was our first pet he just showed up one summer day while i was grilling outside he was about 4 months old I always said he choose us as his people. I will miss those big blue eyes looking up at me. I want to thank everyone for sharing their losses. It really helps that I am not alone.
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Reply to
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Reply to tuxedolover
After reading all of these posts I am even more sad about losing my cat, Captain last night. He was 11 years old, fit and trim, energetic, the picture of health. We live in a rural area in Alaska so all of our cats roam in and out, especially in summer. I had just run down to my friends house to deliver a birthday present- just 3 minutes away, when the phone rang and it was my husband. He said,"you need to come home immediately, Captain is passing away." I raced up the hill as fast as I could and when I got here, he was already gone. My husband said that he was laying on the rug in the living room with the dog, and suddenly let out a cry like he'd never heard before, he got up ran a short distance to the dining area, let out another weird cry, collapsed and fell into labored breathing. Bill knew he was dying. As I sat on the floor stroking my beloved kitty, I noticed that even though his mouth was open, there was blood dripping out of his nose. This made me think he may have had a brain aneurism that ruptured. I wanted to put this out there for others who will never know why their healthy cat suddenly passed away. I am sad for all of us that have gone through this and offer my sympathy. I cried all night.
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I am saddened to read all of these stories. I know we all love our cats so much.My 8 year old kitty daughter Didi died suddenly a month ago. Same story as many of you. I woke up to her moan and a wet bed (urine) - rushed to the ER but she was already gone. The ER vet said it was HCM but my regular vet did an autopsy anyway. Turns out Didi did not have any thickening in her heart but it was inflamed which led to a clot that killed her. The inflammation was caused by a virus. Didi was a pound rescue and had Feline Herpes. It flared up a few times in her life but would go away. She ate lysine treats every day to help the stave off the virus. Well the weeks before she died the virus came back. It really only affected her eye. Just one. She didnt have many other symptoms that we would see but looking back at the photos of her the days before she died I did see that she didn't feel well. Cats have an uncanny ability to hide their illnesses. My vet said there would be no way of finding this inflammation on exam. In fact, Didi was in for an exam not too long before she died. Who knew feline herpes virus could lead to this untimely ending?My heart goes out to everyone here who has lost their cat under these mysterious circumstances. We donated Didi's heart to the Cornell Feline Health Center in hope that it could help other kitties.
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I am so happy to have found this site this morning, people who love their cats as much as i do.I have just found my beautiful long haired, 11 month old Wilfie outside my door Dead, lying on his back, no marks, blood , urine, poop or any sign of trauma just on his back!I let him out this morning 6.30 (UK) as i do every morning for the toilet then he comes back for his breakfast, i opened the door to call him at 8.30 as he wasnt back and there he was dead, I am so sorry to be babbling on but i cannot stop crying, like so many people on here say, its the shock the unexpected death at such a young age when they appear to be so fit happy and healthy and a big part of the family .I got Wilf with his sister Tia 9months ago , a year previous i lost my my little soul mate Benson who died age 17 years (natural causes) i expected Wilf to live as long if not longer, i just carnt believe it,Thank you so much to everyone who has left a thread i know i am not alone with this sudden death thing and after reading the threads am crying for all of you to,I so hope there is a heaven for our cats, it would be wonderful to meet up with them again one day,
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We, too, had an eerily similar incident. Our 9 year old cat, Cicero, was found dead in the basement when we got home from work last night. My husband put him to bed with his sister, Abby, Sunday night around 11:00pm. He was perfectly normal the whole day. It was a gorgeous day, and he was able to sit by the window and get fresh air for most of the day. I came home from work around 6:00pm Monday night, busy with my 2-year old son, I didn't get down to let them out until about 6:30p.m. Cicero is usually beating down the door to get out, however when I opened it this time, he wasn't there. I didn't think much, as he could have been sleeping or eating or whatnot. About 5 minutes later, Abby came upstairs and wanted to go outside. I let her out then proceeded with our busy night, until my husband got home around 7:00pm. His fax machine is down in the basement, where Cicero would soon be found. A minute later came the sentence I would soon replay in my head over and over again, "We have a problem. Cicero is dead." I thought he was kidding (cruel joke), then I got mad at my husband, then I was soon in denial thinking he had to be mistaken and that Cicero was just sleeping, then I became overwhelmingly sad and started crying. I was then terrified. How did he die? Did Abby kill him? Is there something deadly in my house? My strong, yet gentle, well behaved 9 year old cat is now dead? Unbelievable. I am very glad I found this website. It has helped ease my mind a little that there was nothing I could do and that we are not alone. I am dreading going home tonight. The house seemed so sad, lonely and dark all last night. I hope this feeling goes away.
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I am so truly sorry for your loss. I cannot believe how many similar stories there are to match mine.
Our Simba would've been 9 on 9/11. Indoor cat. Great health, a mush. Normal day. Played with my 5 year old son, napped and played.
Around 8PM last night, he jumped from our foyer onto our staircase (always does) and tried to grab on (always did this). My husband said he just fell and that was it. We think it was a heart attack (or heart related). Simba always jumped off furniture, stairs, etc. Even beds. Husband said he heard what sounded like he was going to sneeze, but, now i'm thinking is was gasping for air, and then he was silent.
We are just in shock. So fast, so sudden. It hurts!
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Hi all,
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Reply to Nursynurse88
Hey everyone, I just got the call an hour or so ago that my cat was puking up blood and went into a sezisure, I rushed home from work which took me no more then 10 minutes. When I got home, my beloved cat Thrace had passed. No chemicals around the house, she is an indoor cat and all up to date with her shots. However, she did have a heart murmur, so I think that might've been the cause. She was barely a year old. I will miss my little girl so dearly, it's absolutely unbearable right now. It'll be worse when my wife gets home I'm sure. =\
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Reply to CarlB
I know what you are going through. I need to vent to someone, My Cat Captain Hook died a couple hours ago. I don't know what happened I am still in shock. he was ok all day, he was healthy. I had just brought his window buddy inside (she is the outside cat) for a few min. and I heard an awful cat noise I went running and Hook was all twisted up like he was having a siezure I was sceaming at him... and then I saw pee and I screamed NOOOO!! Don't Die! I gave CPR to him. He twitched his tail a few times and he was gone. he was only 4. I am just numb right now. This is so crazy. No more pets for me I cannot handle this.
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Reply to cuzimthemom
Finding this thread was very helpful and just being able to see that a lot of people have gone through this makes me feel slightly better and also hints at why mightve happened. Fudgie was only around 8 months old, she was small but extremely feisty, jumping onto anything that moved and attacking it with her claws. She loved playing with the spongy little football she had, especially lying on her side while me or my brother rolled it to her, after which she would proceed to claw and bite it, until it got free and we rolled it back.Just last night when we gave her dinner she tried to bite my clothes and was jumping around; in general being her jolly old self. She ate her food properly and there was nothing abnormal in her behaviour. Then, at 6 in the morning the guard downstairs called and said she had died. I rushed downstairs and she was lying splayed in the position many people mentioned. There was some vomit/liquid near her mouth. He told me she had run around a lot, sometimes in circles and then just collapsed and died extremely quickly. By the time he got to calling us, she was already gone. My vet thinks it could have been a poisonous bite from a small animal or a heart problem. I dont think i'll ever know. I just hope she wasnt in too much pain when she died and that she had as good a time in the short few months with me as I had with her. May she and all these other kitties rest in peace...
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On Tuesday 9/25/12 our cat, Stormy, died. He was 10 years old and I had the pleasure of being in his life for 7 years. He entered into my life by my wife. He was part of the package deal. My wife had him since a kitten and tells me how she feed him through a bottle. I can't believe I fell in love with him so quickly. He was a joy to watch and be around. Following us all over the house. Clawing at our ankles. Rolling around on his back, jumping on the bed and couch just to say hi then jump off.. Informing us of a fire in the apt building we lived in and whenever bats got into the house. My wife found him dead first lying at the foot of the bed where he always laid and would jump off when he hear us enter the house and run down the stairs to greet her or me or both. He guarded the house fom strangers,many people was afraid to enter becasue Stormy was protective of us. Even though he won't let me pick him up and would fuss when my wife did he still wanted to be around us. He had been constipated for two weeks and too himelf to a point, last week up until yesterday he was coming around jumping over things and jumping into the widow sill were I left him Tuesday morning looking out the window at the tree in front of our building. He'll be missed and loved forever in our lives were he played a major part. Love you always Stormy. Peace.
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Obviously this thread has been going on for quite some time. I can't tell you how much of a comfort it has been in my time of sorrow. My cat, Schmidty, died yesterday. I had him put to sleep at the vet's urging as he was dying from heart failure.
He began to act strangely on Monday night; I noticed that he didn't meet me at the garage when I came home. I thought nothing of it. The next day, he was still quite lethargic and I noticed that he seemed to be breathing heavily/labored-like. Again, I assumed that maybe he had a cold. I finally took him to the vet yesterday thinking they would give him medication, take a stool sample and possible some blood and he'd be back to his awesome self in no time.
However, much to my dismay, my daughter and I were given the worst news ever. The vet said that he was in a lot of pain. He would cry out sounding like a baby every so often. It was heart wrenching.
My daughter and I fell apart right there in the office when the doc left to give us time to make a decision. I had not intention of taking my cat's body home in a box but that's how the story ended. I have been crying since it happened and since I didn't work from home today, I have spent some time in the bathroom balling my eyes out.
Schmidty was the best cat in the world (my opinion) and I don't know how to get along without him. He was only 3 years old and is now buried in my backyard. I vowed yesterday not to ever get another animal. I have another cat who misses her brother terribly. After reading this thread, I feel so much better that I'm not alone. And at the same time, terrified that this happens a lot more than I thought. I'll sure miss my Schmidt the Kit - forever!
Schmidty (9/19/2009 - 9/26/2012)
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hi, my cat Henry died the same exact way today... My husband said he was gone by the time he got to the vets. We never imagined he had any heart problems. The strange thing is I have cardiomyopathy also. its so sad that he died (possibly) from the same disease I have.He couldn't have gotten into any meds or anything..I just know hes at rainbow bridge with my other kitties waiting for me.
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Reply to patty716
oh my henry was 8 years old, neutered male. I guess its more common
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Tonight just 4 hours ago my beloved 6 year old Maine Coon Dougal was playing with me in the garden. Less than an hour later he was dead.
He had been playing as usual-full of life and in fab health. He came in jumped on the sofa onto my partner and lay playing paddy paws on him. He then climbed on the back of the sofa. In less than a minute he just rolled off straight onto Paul's legs lying on his back and made a howling noise. He howled just 3 times in total and passed away in my arms in less than 30 seconds..
I am still trying to come to terms with losing such a young cat. If it had been my 18 year old who is ill I could have accepted it. I had to ring my pet sitter and tell her. She was devastated as she had been looking after them just this weekend. We are at a loss as to how we help Dylan his mate cope. He's an entire male who although not Dougals brother is the same age and was brought up as part of a large shared litter.He and Dougal share the same grandfather/father who died of heart failure so we are now worried for Dylan.
We have arranged a post mortem on Dougal for tomorrow because of this. We want to know why he died so young. The vet seems to think it might be an embolism or a heart attack.
Our only comfort is that Dougal lived life at full throttle and although life was short he loved every moment of it, not counting the days but making the days count and his life ended in less than 30 seconds. That I could not wish for better. He left us to carry his pain. Bless him!
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Reply to Gillian
im so sad reading through all of these about your beloved cats, dying so suddenly and for the most so young. Im anticipating sadly this going to be happening to my cat Muffin, who has Congrested Heart Failure and I just found out a week ago. Otherwise no symtoms either except for last week the heart seemingly beating fast and him being short of breath - just out of the blue. After many tests and him being on oxygen for nearly a week was told he wont live for much longer than 2 - 3 months, has congested heart failure with fluid building up into his lungs cos of it and he will need Medication for the rest of his life, which wont be long, but he could just drop dead any time due to blood clot which would have gone to his brain. Because of the poor heart. I would say that thats the cause of some of the cats that have died suddenly. I have so many tablets to give him that I sometimes feel the stress of giving them to him, is stressing him ( not to mention me) he doesnt have pain otherwise my vet has assured me.
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Almost the same situation happened with my 10 year old phoebe yesterday. I am completely torn to pieces. Reading everyone's posts have been very helpful. Everything seemed totally fine with phoebe. She had just eaten dinner, was walking along and out of nowhere she started gasping for air, became stiff as a board and her tongue turned blue. It was easily the most terrifying 15 seconds of my life. From what ive read - it seems to be heart related. I guess I would rather have her die of sudden death than watch her be sick and be in pain... I never pictured my life without her. My entire home is different - missing part of its soul. Sleeping was impossible last night. We are planning her burial for this evening. Even though I know she technically isnt in her body anymore it is still incredibly difficult to stomach the thought of putting my precious Phoebe into the cold dark earth... For those of you who have experienced loss - what are your thoughts on getting a new pet and how soon?
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Reply to Jeannettemg
Ironically on the same day as you......My beloved Joey passed away
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It is comforting to read so many replies when you feel all alone when something like this happens. A month ago our rescue kitty, Raina, dropped dead with no warning at all. I was SO glad that the night before she cuddled and slept with me all night purring. I never would have guessed that something was wrong. Less than 12 hours later she gave 3 or 4 loud howls and dropped dead right in front of my 10 year old daughter. She had some bleeding and foaming from her mouth. We were devastated. She had a horrible beginning to her life and a horrible death. I can only hope we made the middle better. She was only about 2 years old. She was our baby. The sweetest, most gentle, calm cat. She had a rough start. She was abused, some one docked her tail, she was hit by a car, and was blind in one eye. But she trusted us from the start and gave us so much love from day one when she shouldn't have trusted any human at that point. We love her, always will. No kitty will replace our Raina. It was so heartbreaking to lose her that way. I honestly think a lot of her death was from her injuries, even though she had an exam right after we adopted her and got a clean bill of health. We also did not get an autopsy and somedays I wish I would have so I would know for sure. I live with so much guilt over this that I should have/could have done something. I would have done anything for that cat. :( Thank you all for sharing your stories.
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Reply to christym
I'm consoled by the posts. I'm still in shock. Just 30 minutes ago I found my precious kitty Truxtun lying just out front on the walk to the front door. He was 13.He was a cat's cat, bold, proud, fast and smart. He knew both of my cars and every day would run out to greet me when he saw me drive up in one of my two cars. When he was four or five he would take on all comers but never looked for trouble outside of defending his territory. He would bolt up a tree and walk far out onto a thin branch just to put the fear in me.When he got older he had more needs for affection and companionship, things I did not always supply well to him. I live alone and work during the day. I sometimes wondered, as he got older, if he just didn't really like how lonely he had to be all of the time.He passed so suddenly. I'm so glad he never got injured, sick, attacked by a dog, or had to suffer much ever in his entire life.I never lived with anyone except Truxtun. He knows I tried my best. I'll always love him and tell him all the time that I love him. I picked him up earlier this afternoon, kissed him, smelled his beautiful little body, and told him I loved him.Me and Truxtun will never be apart.
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Reply to Scott1234
I, as well, am consoled by these posts, last night our 16 week old kitten, Oliver, that my wife found as a 4 week old abandoned stray (and bottle-fed till he was able to eat solid food), had a seizure lasting a few minutes, rolling on his side and meowing loudly, he had seemed lethargic for a few days and we thought it would pass...this morning my wife took him to the vet where he again had a seizure, the vet drew blood and suggested that Ollie stay for 'observation', by the time she got home, the vet called to say Oliver had died in his office....16 weeks old!!! we are all still crying, he was the BEST little guy! never did anything wrong, even used his litter box from his second week home
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I came across this string after Google-ing 'sudden cat death'. My beloved baby girl, Daisy, died on Christmas night. What cruel timing. It was just like what everyone else has described - she was acting perfectly normally. Just minutes before I was sitting on the floor talking to her and petting her and she was doing her little kitty dance of walking around in circles so I could pet all of her equally. I stood up and turned around and then I heard a thud. My husband said he saw her fall over onto her side, her legs stiff and splayed. He went over to her and said she was having a seizure. He opened her mouth to see if she was choking. He tried giving her mouth to mouth, and to massage her heart. She let out this awful, heart-wrenching meow and went completely limp. I watched her pupils dilate completely open. We RACED to the animal hospital but it was what we already knew - she had died. She was 13, almost 14, but in amazing health. She had just gotten a check up and clean bill of health. It was a horrible shock and we are devastated. She was our baby and we loved her SO MUCH. Reading these other posts has been stunning to me...I had no idea how common this was. I knew she was old but I thought we would get to say goodbye to her - not that she would just be here and gone in an instant. I am heartbroken beyond words.
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I just found this site while trying to search for a reason or an answer to why my healthy, happy kitty passed away tonight. I'm on vacation visiting my finances family in a different state, and my two cats have been with my parents for a week. My dad just informed me a couple hours ago that one of my cats passed away - no signs or symptoms - they just came in and found him on the bathroom floor. I'm absolutely devastated. I can't stop crying... But reading all of your stories gave me a little more comfort because I know I'm not alone. When animal control came in, they said that cats can die from heart attacks and heart worms - without any indication. I hope that's how he went - quick and painless. It breaks me to pieces that I didn't get to say goodbye or pet him one last time.... I'm absolutely heartbroken...
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Reply to Kitkatkrish
I just found this site too- I am in shock and btw- terrible way to start a new year.Toot Suite is gone- just like that.I had two elderly kitties, they are both 15. I had just lost my buddy, Mr. Pantera Puss last August and was hopeful that me and the girls would have some good days together... and we have ....sort of. I got Toot in 1998, she was in a litter of kittens I met because my shiba-dog chased Toot's kitty mom up into the human's yard ( the "owner" ). I was in the area looking at land and Meg was the first friend I made here- all because of dogs and cats!There were two really cute litters of kittens at Meg's and I wanted them all! However being in the process of moving and having no idea where I'd end up I had to resist.As fate would have it, I ended up about 20 miles from Meg's and where Toot began her life. Meg and hubby decided they had too many kittens and so at an early age they were taken to church in my new area for adoption. Some of my neighbor's kids took the soon-to -be-named Toot home without permission. The kitten spent about a month there underfed, no shots, covered in fleas and being stepped on. Yes I saw it all. On the pretext of helping the kids with the kitty, I basically kitty napped her and rushed her to my vet in the nick of time. So she became my "original munch bunch" here on the ranch and snuggled, danced, purred, and loved me. I eventually got three more cats, one more rescue, one that moved in ( Mr Puss ) and one I actually asked for!Toot has always been a little odd due to the flea toxicity and bad childhood, and when she got older she became grouchy Toot- but that was OK, she was the best purr factory and was very devoted to me. She did not come out of her hidy hole for much of anyone else. she didn't much care for the other cats but did end up liking my manx towards the end...One thing is she always gulped her food and sometimes would erp it back up cause she ate too fast. She was also quite vocal about demanding her food and plenty of it NOW!I tried for years to tamp that down and started feeding her small portions more often the last 6 months. I did have a a cat physical done on them all about a year ago and there were no problems with Toot except she was grouchy :)About 6 months ago it seemed she had extra wt. on her belly, but she did not let me probe her much. She also had some rice sized knots near the kidneys/spine that I was fix-in' to get checked- about a month ago I noticed her feet were colder than I recalled. I looked it up and that seems to be somewhat common as they age; she also started having tiny little shock like tremors when she'd jump on my lap about 2 weeks ago. My plan was to take her in after the holidays- of course these things always happen on the holidays.Anyway she was eating like a horse ALWAYS hungry, always purring, and seemed ok. Last week she would cry outside my door wanting more food in the midst of the night.I felt horrible since I knew I should not overfeed her. She has always had a decent diet for my budget, some Sci Diet, mostly grain free, chemical free foods.On 12-30 she came up and just looked at me and wanted to hang out at my chair- so I gave her extra pets and praise, and told her I hoped Jesus comes before you die so we can go together....I just had a weird feeling. I let her sleep with me too, which is rare since I have allergies. It was a wonderful weekend and I was off work too.Monday she was really hungry and so I did her little dabs will do ya feeding and she would not stop begging for more so I put her in the kitty condo around 11Am to watch birds and chill out. I also put the other remaining kitty with her and they were both napping and seemed fine. Since I had my god-daughter coming to spend the night, I fed them early and left them out there until I could get us settled-they were both acting normal and happy. At 6:30-7, I went out to bring everybody inside, and Toot was gone! She has never spent the night out and I was afraid she had somehow gotten out of the enclosure- it is very dark out here and I figured she would show back up on the porch like she always does. I did look around for a bit, but couldn't see well and it was misty last night. I just knew she would get hungry and come in! My cats have NEVER spent the night outside the house.She never showed up, by midnight, I was a wreck but had to act OK for my little 10 yr. old visitor. I was very concerned due to coyotes and bob cats, that she was out all night...she did not show up this morning either....so I took my kid home and praying PRAYING she would be back as usual on the porch, but no. So deciding I needed to really look for her, I went all over to every building, calling, shaking food etc. YOU KNOW HOW THAT IS.I was still thinking she got scared by fireworks and was just hiding.I finally went back into the kitty condo and started looking everywhere - there are a few pallets to cover up dog holes and although I looked last night, I looked again- one of them I had blocked up so they wouldn't crawl under it or in it, because I had seen scorpions under there- so last night I did not look under that one place. Tonight I did. When I pulled up the carpet & pallet there she was!i said, "Toot- where have you been???" I started to pull her out, but she was stiff and cold cold cold. I lost it. OMG, I was so shocked. She looked like she was just asleep. Thank God my neighbor came over and helped me extract her body, she was too stiff to pull back out of the slats. We got her out and no blood, no wounds, no foam, no urine, feces or and any indication of problems, she was just gone. Frank thinks it was heart attack. I thought she had gotten wedged in, but once we got her out I could see she was relaxed and posed as if sleeping. I stayed with her for 30 minutes to have the last physical time on earth- my old dog came and put his hands on her too. Bali the other cat is very quiet today...AND I HOPE I THAT I AM NOT TO BLAME. How can they go from fine to dead so fast? I am not sure really when she passed? But within 3 hrs. max I was back out there to get them and she did not come.... it may have been she was already gone. I guess I'll never know and I have to come to peace about that- that's the really hard part. I am single and they are my closest family. I hope I didn't let her down. These posts have helped because I see that the sudden death makes it hard to accept there was nothing to be done....(but what if she was there all night? etc etc.) my mind can go crazy on this.meanwhile she is just gone like that. I agree with the other poster who said to make the most of every minute. You never know. I also believe we will meet again- I just love them too much, and God must love them more. Oh Toot, I love you and I love you, and I miss you already. Did you know your time was come?????If anyone has any ideas on COD, please let me know, in case I can prevent anything in the future- maybe sometimes it's just their time- but what if?Thanks for letting me ramble on- I am devastated- she was such a part of all of our lives here- love peace and comfort to you all- see you at the bridge.
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Its really sad. I think it might caused due to sting by an insect's.
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I can feel all your pain.
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I am so sorry to hear this.My cat Killa died when I was just 6 years old.I was sleeping in my room when I woke up to my parents talking. I came in and asked what happened, but my Dad was out the door, carrying Killa.He took her to the vet and I sadly don't remember what caused this, but Killa's only options were to either be euthanized or to live for only a couple of more days in a lot of pain. My Dad decided to euthanize her because she was a very old cat, and my Dad didn't want to see her in pain.I remember I used to sing "You are My Sunshine" to Killa every night.She was my best friend.I still cry when I think of her.
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This happened to my cat Sheba, sudden death, 11 years ago now, when i was in first grade.her death has always been a mystery to me. I am not sure, could be a long shot, but maybe he got into some chemical that caused a reaction?Hope you find what your looking for
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Reply to Lex0613
First off so sorry for your loss. I have just shared your traumatizing experience. My 15 yo babygirl, Boomer, who was fit, trim and healthy just passed in a similar manner. 2 nights ago as I was just shutting my eyes after an uneventful day I heard a horrible cry come from her room,(we also own a dog so we separate the 2 at night) I got out of bed to check on her. She was sitting on her bed, let out another scream,gasping,choking, ran wildly into our bedroom. My husband woke up to me screaming as I knew she was dying. I now believe that she knew as well and wanted to be with us rather than alone in her room. We got her on the floor and my husband tried CPR, 2 breaths went in, I thought she might be okay but his next 2 breaths escaped back out, I knew she was going. So we just held her, petting her and letting her know we loved her. We layed her back on her bed wrapped warmly until the morning when he buried her in her little bed, with her favorite toy, warm and snug. It was heart wrenching and like you, still hear her cry and see the fear in her eyes, so scared. I just kept asking "what the hell just happened?" it lasted not even 10 minutes from the first cry. Reading yours and others experiences have helped a little as I now know it was nothing I did or could have done other that what we did.Thank you for sharing your story.
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I am feeling the same as you all!! I am so happy to find all your posts!! I was lucky enough to have had a very short time with my boy Jax, he was a purebred Bengal and had the most amazing funny personality!! Two nights ago, my 8 old daughter was going down the basement stairs with him and she said he was wiggling all over she dropped him and he hit himself on a table!! I heard a horrible meow, I ran down and he was convulsing, he urinated and pooped and I was petting him and begging him not to go!!! He was only 8 months old!! He died within 45 seconds to a minute!!!! I am completly devastated! I assumed that when she dropped him he sustained some sort of head injury or broke his neck!!!!! Imagine the guilt my baby girl has on her shoulders!! She said he felt like he was having a seizure, as she had seen my dog have before. I came across all of these posts and thought that maybe he was!! I need answers!!! I am dying every day with guilt and sadness!!! He was the most amazing guy, woke me every morning!! Watched me brush my teeth every day while playing in the water!! :e was there to greet me every time I walked in the door!!! I have such a void now it is almost unbearable!!!!!!
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Reply to lostwithoutjax
Our cat, Stewart died suddenly just a few hours ago. I have been at a loss as to what could have happened to her. She was 10 years old and was perfectly fine this morning. She ate this morning but, I noticed that just this past week, she was becoming picky about her food.
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Reply to JD1981
I just lost my good buddy Jack last night. He was a very large all white Maine Coon and a great cat. He was playing around all day long and didn't seem to have any issues at all. At one point I heard something tumble and believed it was my daughter in her bedroom upstairs. I heard her talking so I assumed everything was fine. A short while later my wife went to go down the basement and saw him laying at the bottom of the stairs motionless. He liked to stay in the basement or the garage most of the time, probably because his coat was so thick and the cool air was more comfortable. When he wanted to come upstairs he would come to the basement door and push it with his paw. I believe that's where he was when he died.Everyone's comments are very comforting for me. I was trying to figure out if there was anything I could have left out that he may have eaten that could have killed him and was feeling very guilty. After reading, I understand that it is a fairly common thing, especially among Maine Coons. Though that doesn't take away the pain of the loss, it does alleviate much of the guilt.Jack will be missed dearly by everyone in the family, especially my five year old daughter, who as of now only believes that Jack "ran away with his wife" as well as our Rat Terrier Mario, who has been searching the house endlessly for his pal Jack.
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I lost Tiger just before Vanetine's day suddenly and without any warning other than a minor cough the night before which only lasted a few seconds. The next morning he was eating and acting normal and showed no symtoms of anything being wrong. I was upstairs working in my office and went down around lunchtime. I was walking into my bedroom and almost stepped on him just outside the room. I told him to get up and he did not respond. He was limp and eyes open and was still very warm so it just happened. He was just laying there with no heartbeat or respiration.
I was in total shock. I have had pets over the years and although some has very diseases nothing like this evey had happened.
He appreared to be very heathly and had no previous problems. He was only 2 years old.
He was very special to me because he was a feral that just showed up from the woods below my house. I could not pet him or get near to him for a long time but graudually gained his trust. I finally did pet him and coaxed him with food. My wife said I would never tame him.
He gradually blended with other cats and had a very special bond with me from the time I worked with him. He was really one in a million. I have other cats but it is not the same with Tiger gone. It was very tough to lose him but the manner in which it happen makes it much worse. He is missed very much and I can only hope one day another Tiger will show up again!
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Reply to Gowa69
I mean I'm DEVASTATED.
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Reply to Devasted
I can feel your pain. It is tough but there are many other cats without homes and like my Tiger I gave him a good one for a very short time. I have other cats and some are approaching 13. I love all of them but Tiger was a treat, a personality, and I miss the heck out of him. His sudden death put me in shock and it is still tough. I just know there are many more Tigers out there needing a good home and I hope one day soon another one will appear. Time will heal but it is hard each day when you are used to seeing him and that he is gone. We will met again one day!
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Yesterday our family lost our beloved Mittens he was just
approximately 3 years old.
Only 16 months ago he walked into our lives -
literally. One day while at the office,
an adorable, talkative cat waltzed in and made himself comfortable. Thinking he may have belonged to someone, I
brought him snacks and food, allowed him to spend time with me but freely leave
when he was tired of my company. After a
week and enquiring from everyone who shared office space, my husband and I
learnt that he may be an abandoned cat.
Such an awesome cat should never be without a family to love and take
care of him, so we set out to take him home.
First I called the Humane Society because I didn't want to take a chance
of contacting Animal Control (a kill facility), him getting lost in the system
and being put down. He was very wary of
cars - would not get in whatsoever. So,
I made a temporary house (with windows and a door) from a very large box,
placed bedding and wrote all over it; "This is Mittens (that's what the
kids named him) temp house until we can get him home". Every day we tried getting him in the car,
until one night my husband finally got him in, called me and said, "Guess
who I have?" We were so
overjoyed!!!! Next morning I called the
Humane Society and got the first appointment available. They checked for a microchip; he had
one. But would you believe, there was no
one listed. We had him tested for
everything known to man and given all his shots. Finally he belonged to someone - ME! He was an absolute joy! We have dogs and he played with them. He would sit at the water bowl for a long
time and the dachshund would start barking at him to get a turn. Mittens took even longer. My 10 year old got a bunny for her birthday
and he played "bunny mommy".
He was our goodwill ambassador to all animals. We vowed to take care of him and never risk
him ever being lost.
Yesterday seemed like any other typical day, my son worked
from home instead of going in to the office and Mittens laid on his desk, did
his typical rounds, talked and played.
At food time (Mittens' favorite time), my 14 year old got him his food
and she and her older sister took the dogs out. While my son Mark was in his
bedroom, he heard a terrible cry from Mittens.
He ran to the kitchen to see Mittens on the floor, stiffened and a look
of terror in his eyes. By then, my 3 daughters
(18, 14 & 10) were by Mark's and Mittens' side, Mark administered CPR but
within minutes Mittens was gone. There
was neither warning nor enough time for a fighting chance; all within no more
than 3 minutes. Being at the office on
the phone with them, I felt helpless! I
couldn't help my children, I couldn't help Mittens. My husband who was just be pure chance not
too far from the house, raced home to find our 4 children inconsolable and
Mittens in Mark's arms. In the dying
process, Mittens defecated everywhere.
My husband also tried CPR but after all, it was already too late. My husband drove to the office to get me and
when I got home, my 3 daughters and son was out in the lanai gathered around
Mittens. Mark cleaned him up and wrapped
him up in the shirt he loved to sleep on.
We also wrapped him in the robe he usually laid on in the kitchen. Mark decided that we should bury Mittens
where he found us - at the office. There
is an old, huge tree he used to lay by; we picked a spot close enough to the
trunk where no one will disturb - as his resting place. My son had long hair and Mittens used to bite
and pull at it every morning. Mark took
a scissors, cut it all off and put it in Mittens' grave.
It was hard this morning going into the kitchen to make
coffee. He was always usually there to
greet me. The house is too quiet without
his boisterous banter - I MISS MITTY!!!
How can a healthy/young cat just suddenly die?? Our only bright spot is; at least he did not
die abandoned and alone. He was cared
for, loved and he passed on with his family at his side. We all love and miss our Mittens and his
monkey toes!!! He left us broken-hearted far too soon.
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Reply to MittyMama
I know what everyone is going through. It has only been two weeks since I lost Tiger and I wake up looking from him knowing that he is gone. I have never had a cat taken from me the way he was. Fine and acting normal one minute then limp and no life the next. Shocked to say the least. I know time heals and I have other cats to help but when I see them I expect Tiger to be there and he is not. It is tough to accept what happened and the way it happened. I can only hope that another one will show up again one day. Hopefully you will find resolution over time and maybe another Mittens will show up.
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Thank you for your kind words. Indeed time heals all wounds but the pain is so raw, I can't seem to find solace in anything. To paraphrase my son; "Gone too soon!" There will never be another Mittens. A cool cat like him only comes around once.
My advice to the human race: Pets are more than just an accessory - they are family members that love us and depend on us. If in a dire financial situation - conserve, sacrifice and share but please don't abandon them! They will never abandon you.
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Mittens looks a lot like Tiger. Maybe they are playing together now. Even though they are gone their fond memories reamin with us that we can cherish. It is hard to get over this but I know I will find another one some day. There are just too many helpless ones out there! I just hope he will be what Tiger was. I just do not think he can be replaced.
I cherish the short time I had with him as I am sure you did wuth Mittens. Both were taken to soon from us and they will be missed.
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I spoke with our Vet today and the only conclusion we can all come to is Cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy can be difficult to definitively detect in cats. We also have Boxers - a breed that is very prone to the disease. In dogs, the heart expands and can therefore be detected with x-rays however in cats, the heart remains the same size while the muscle within thickens and the arteries constrict. He said cats afflicted with cardiomyopathy don't usually live beyond 4 to 5 years of age. When Mittens came into our lives, it was estimated he was between 2 - 3 years old.
Mitty was a beautiful boy!! Before he officially became ours, we thought he was a girl (hence why we called him Mittens) and may have been pregnant because of a flap on his stomach. That first time we took him to the Vet and they took him from us to be checked over; when they returned they said, "Congratulations, you have a neutered, microchipped boy!". Mittens was not fat in the slightest bit. The flap on his stomach is distinctive to the Egyptian Mau breed. His personality and good looks was spot on Mau! And we feel priviledged to have been chosen (by him - which is also very Mau-ish) as his doting family/care-givers. I used to tell him, "Mitty, can you put a good word in to Anubis for me?" I never expected it to be this soon.
My son wears Mittens' red collar around his wrist and every time I hear that little bell ring, I die a little inside. But it gives him some degree of comfort and that is all that matters to me right now. My deepest hope is; that we gave our Mittens the very best home a loving boy like him deserved and that his 16 months with us, was the happiest. However as a family, a time machine is at the very top of our wish list.
Forever, Mitty's Mommy!
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I figure some heart related condition. Could have been a heartworm that died and blocked some blood vessels although they are really rare in cats. I just could not get over how healthy he appreared with no symtoms whatsoever; and then boom he was gone. I have had numerous cats over the years and never this?
I buried him in the woods behind my house which was his domain until he bonded with me and he did not even want to go outside. He would follow me around everwhere I went.
I do miss him so.
May they rest in peace and the fact that they were loved and given a great home for their time on earth!
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Mike, you have been such a great support to me - THANK YOU! You are indeed so right about the shock and trauma of losing a pet so suddenly without warning. The helplessness of not being able to do something, is just simply devastating.
For us, as all likely signs point to cardiomyopathy, I cannot help myself from thinking: We were at the Vet 3 weeks ago, I could have asked for an EKG although Dr. Wilson listened to his heart and found nothing amiss. But an EKG would have surely picked up an irregular heartbeat and we could have started him on a medicinal regiment. However as Dr. Wilson explained, cats with the genetic defect, enough damage to his heart would have already been done. Time was not on our Mittens' side, he was within the age range - which is still too cruelly young. Egyptian Maus are known to live to the ripe old age of 20. Reputable/certified breeders (which are few) are very cautious to breed Maus for health rather than just looks because of the original breed's genetic disposition to asthma and cardiomyopathy. What sort of person abandons their Mau or any pet for that matter? How I would make any sacrifice to the gods Anubis, Ma'at, Thoth and Osiris to have my Mitty back with us! Every single day since we first had him, I would say, "Mitty you look mad!". The worried/surprised look is a characteristic of the Mau. It's been only a little over a month since we realized Mittens' breed - at least the dominant breed if he was mixed with any other at all. I miss my "Mad Mitty"!!
Yesterday was the first time I saw the Chiropractor from next door who fed Mittens before I got into the picture - since Mittens' passing. He said to me, "thank you for giving Mittens a home". It was the least I could have done for a boy that gave my family joy, love and tons of laughter.
Tiger DOES look a lot like Mittens! The Mau, do not take easily to strangers until you have absolutely earned their trust. And when you have, they own you completely!! They follow you around, wag their tails when they're happy - like dogs, tells you when something is wrong, demand attention and stand in judgment. My husband used to say, "Don't judge me Mittens!" They choose their humans and they are fiercely loyal. Their personality stands apart from any other cat. Mittens made himself always, the center of attention and we were all too happy to oblige.
Mike, thank you for taking in a homeless cat. You gave Tiger food, shelter, love, a family and you mourn his passing. That is more than so many pets have - unfortunately. Too many are abused and abandoned. The Chiropractor, Dr. Ziggy told me yesterday also that his friend has a lot of rescued cats that need caring families to call home and he saw one that looked just like my Mittens. The pain of losing Mitty is still too fresh and quite frankly, he is irreplaceable. But YOU are right, perhaps one day another Mittens and Tiger will walk into our lives. There are far too many without homes to turn one away.
And indeed; rest in peace boys, your families will always love and miss you!
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These posts have been a great help to me as I search for answers to what happened to my nearly 6-year-old shorthairorange tabby. We lost Peaches in February, and are just devastated. He was the friendliest cat, and so chill about everything (except vet visits, which he hated with a passion). He would respond when we called his name, and knew which way doors in the house opened. Peaches fell asleep next to me, under a sheet, and woke me up around 3 a.m. scratching the wall by my head. I tried twice to get him to knock it off and go back to sleep, but the third time I decided it was basement time. We put our cats in the basement nearly every night when they wake us up in the middle of the night, so I carried him to the landing and shut the door and went back to bed. I was asleep when I heard a crash from the basement stairs, but I wrote it off as Peaches knocking the brooms down the stairs, which he has done before. When I went to let him out of the basement at 7:30, I could not believe it when I saw him dead at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes and mouth were open, there was a puddle of urine next to him and he was already stiff. We did not see any other signs of injury or blood. My husband did not see the point in an autopsy and I was in complete shock, so we buried him in the backyard. basement if that was going to be his last night with us, but he showed no symptoms of illness, and that was the routine we had done nearly every single night. I wondered if I had somehow caused this to happen and I would give anything to go back in time to cuddle our little buddy again. Since then, I have been researching sudden death in cats, and it seems likely that he suffered from cardiomyopathy. A couple of articles I've read say that male cats between the ages of 5-8 seem to be the primary victims, so heart disease seems to be the most plausible explanation. It definitely has helped to read these posts and know that I am not alone. My heart goes out to everyone who is going through this tragic experience.
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Reply to IndyAnnie
It is indeed a tough loss because its occurs without warning with no signs what will happen. I still miss Tiger and I am fortunate I have other cats but they are no where the cat he was in personality and demeanor. Do not think I will ever find another one like him and I have had many cats over the years!
I am just happy to have had him the short time that I did. He did brighten up a dull day!
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Why these stories sound exactly what my cat is going through NOW. Since last week, I was told to put him down a once very healthy indoor/outdoor big goofy kitty. Spent big $ Monday morning, we have to "wait & see" well, my inhaler & vaporizor isnt working tonight. He has been quarentined now for 9days & continued eating & drinking & bowel movements & urinating in litter box in cage. He didnt want salmon tonight for dinner, but he still ate some dry food, even drank half his water bowl & kitty treats. Tonight I thought I lost him, he is still standing proud mouth open, panting with a severe murmur & lungs congested & you heard me right Ive used a human inhaler when the struggle is deep & bad & it has worked. Vaporizor on 24/7 with tea tree oil drops inside water. Nothing worse than not being able to help your animal breathe. Interesting though, as a kitten inside a well know pet center & with purchase you get a free vet check up with only 1 specific vet, he was laying down eyes wide open but refused to play, move or anything unless the ball actually rolled to his paw. With little exertion or care hed paw it back to us. The following week the furball was still there & major price deduction & we were told he is a $300 cat. So what, we liked his coolness which probably a underlying condition that people noticed. Not us, he was adorable & had an awesome 5yrs with us. I went broke & if he is still alive my next paycheck will again go out to him. My kid has called him his brother since day one. This cat is too young & too awesome to leave us damnitt. Meanwhile, he still struggles panting sitting proudly upright. Wish I knew another way to open up his airways tonight. I am sorry for all of your losses & these stories SHOULD pave the way to new treatment plans for cats.
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Its sad to see them die looking at us with hope. One of my cat died suddenly. couldn't believe or forget the pain.
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Reply to NicsKitty
I know that feeling of helplessness. I am so sorry about your kitty. You are a good mama to help him in every way you know how. I know I would spend any amount of money to get my kitty back, or to treat him if I knew he was sick.
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He is still with us. 24hrs ago he wasnt eating at all, I did pull some black stuff from his nose both nostrils & havent a clue what it is. I havent had to use the inhaler at all lately. Just hope this isnt the "get better" before they pass. I even brought some fresh grass in from outside for him he ate some then started eating some dry food again ; ) maybe the skullcap tea Ive brewed from the healthfood store helped by the eyedropper full. I also melted a quarter tablet of a homeopathic med from walgreens called sinusalia in a small water bottle cap & eyedropper fed
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Reply to agellner
Your post sounds so very similar to my experience two nights ago. It was so horrific, so unexpected, and so devastating in how quickly it all transpired. I am truly grateful to have found this site, because I would otherwise be overwhelmed by grief, shock, and the unknown. I am sorry for your loss, along with that of so many others here, but I am so thankful to have some answers. God bless...
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On Friday, our cat George suddenly passed away. I am distraught with grief...he was my lil dude and followed me wherever I went. I loved him so much. He was 18 years old and had hyperthyroidism. We first discovered this when he started walking funny, like his hind legs were weak. We took him to the vet and learned of the condition. In all of his 18 years...he had no health problems. This was back in january of 2013, the vet gave us medication to use. It helped...his legs improved and he was walking fine...however, with hyperthyroidism...his hunger was never ending and he experienced a panting episode that we attributed to the condition, but he later recovered in a few hours. Nevertheless...we got four good months with him..never knowing it would be our last. When we saw him friday night...he was struggling to breath but still alive. We rushed to the vet and she told us that it wasn't looking good for George. We burst into tears...and I am fighting to hold them back now as it is only Sunday. We made the decision to not let him suffer and we humanly euthanized our George. We kissed his head and stayed there through the procedure. I will never forget him and he will always have a place in our hearts. I just wanted to share this experience with the community...thanks :)
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What exactly IS the Halloween cat position?
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I am so sorry to everyone who has experienced this. When Flower died and I began this thread I had been able to find so little information. While I am sad to see others have had to go through this I can't tell you how much comfort I have taken in your sharing. The simple realization that this does happen and it is as random as humans who suddenly take sick, and the community of comfort I have found here have helped enormously. Two years ago I lost Fuzzball who had been my constant lap companion for 17 years. When I would get a blanket he would follow me around until I sat and would be on my lap within seconds. He died after months of decline. It was sad to lose him, but I knew it was coming and we fought it together.When Flower died suddenly with no warning after a typical morning it was devastating. To anyone finding this thread after your beloved pet died suddenly and you are searching for answers: I am so sorry for your loss. There is nothing you could have done. It is no different than a person who goes jogging everyday and suddenly has a heart attack. With no warning signs there is nothing you could have done. Just give your pet the best life you can provide. While it is hard to hear now, time will push the pain back.
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Well believe it or not just had another cat show up on my back deck. He had a bad case of ear mites and was starving. He does not look anything like Tiger but is a long haired grey brown color and my Grand Boy calls him Bear show I guess that is his name. I have treated him for the ear mites and he is healing nicely and is getting feed and beginning to recover from near starvation.. He appears to be very friendly and outgoing.
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This morning, my precious baby ShereKhan, just about to turn one year old, died in my arms after suddenly and unexpectedly scrabbling around on the floor having what I thought was some kind of fit. I thought he was maybe choking and tried to clear his airway but within 5 seconds, he died. He was warm and limp. I was and still am in total disbelief.
ShereKhan was the most loving, adorable angel, I used to thank my lucky stars to have him for the short time I did. He totally transformed my life and made everybody happy. He was so handsome, half Bengal, beautiful defined markings.
I feel like I've been shot in the chest, the pain is physical and I am just clinging onto the fact he was inside at the time with me, in my arms and it was so quick. His little eyes were filled with panic, but again, this was only for seconds.
I am feeling so raw, and so robbed of my precious baby. I am comforted by the fact that in my opinion he was the most loved baby in the world, he was always well fed, treated regularly, hugged, kissed (he probs hated that) and talked to. His tray was always kept clean and he wanted for nothing. He was happy and hope whereever he is now he is just as content.
I will miss his sweet little mewls and conversation he had with me, how he followed me around my house, asked for things, the way he smelled, his cheeky demanding ways, his minxishness, his little pink nose and paddy paws.
I feel so much better knowing others understand on this forum, it really has been a total comfort. I hope ShereKhan's story comforts others.
Thank you.
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Reply to jojo42
I am so sorry for your loss and I only wish I would been there when Tiger passed. I found him right after. It is very tough to let them go and in such a manner. I still think about him often and another cat has taken up now that needs love and care. Just think of the good times you had with him and rest assured you are not alone.
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Yesterday afternoon, I came home and my little Sirius had passed away suddenly. I'm still in shock that this happened. He was laying on his side as if he was sleeping. His gums were cyanotic and his tongue was partially out. I feel that if he choked it was my fault for letting things laying around carelessly. He was a larger cat and he did wheeze a little when he breathed, so there may be potential for CHF or a genetic disease. His brother keeps looking for him and I feel like I lost a part of my soul. This is awful.
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My cat Spud died about an hour ago. I was reading a book in my bedroom when I heard him fall off my computer desk and meow very loudly. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. I ran out and he was lying on his side coughing. After the coughing stopped, I reached down to see if he was still breathing or his heart was beating. I could feel a few twitches and then he was still.
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Reply to cwig13
I am so sorry to hear about Spud. My baby Marshall passed away yesterday. Reading all the posts - I guess this is not uncommon. My Marshall was getting sick- throwing up a hairball- he let out a horrible cry- I went running to find him and he was on the floor dead. I have never ever in my life had to deal with this. He was such a good cat, sweet, and really a charactor. Everyone loved him and his personality. I am still shocked how fast this happened. He was so normal in the morning- I am glad I let him know how much his mommy loved him and gave him a lot of kisses and hugs. I regret that it happened so fast and I had NO chance to save him. He was going to be 13 in July. July 19 to be exact and he died May 19. He had a great life and spolied as could be. I treated him like a child. I feel good about that, however, I wish I could have had more time with him. He was so healthy no issues - just routine check ups. I still cannot believe this happened. It seems not real. He will truly be missed and loved forever!!
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5 days ago my beloved Smokey passed unexpectly. He was 12 years old and in perfect health. He seemed fine all day. I was laying on the couch and my 13 year son ran to me and told me something is wrong with Smokey he is laying on the floor in the kitchen not moving. ( I was just in the kitchen 10 minutes ago and he was in there perfectly fine) He was laying on the floor limp eyes dialted and his tongue was out. I tried to wake him nothing I gave him CPR nothing. I was in shock. He was very special to me he was my first pet. I waited all my childhood for a cat. My oldest son grew up with him. My 7 year old is devasted. Smokey was the boss of my other cat and even my 60 pound dog. My other cat Trouble is depressed without his best friend. I buried Smokey in my back yard and placed flowers on top of his grave and planted some flowers that will come back every year in honor of him. I just cant get over that there were no signs. He is loved and missed so much are whole family is heart broken.
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This happened to me this morning with my cat Sadie. At about 4am she was laying in bed with me, well laying on me like usual. And then she left and at 515am my mom woke me up and told me she couldn't wake Sadie up. I did not see her pass, she passed alone suddenly. But she looked as though she passed peacefully, like she just lay down to take a nap and went to sleep and didn't wake up. She turned 9 last week, and today my perfectly healthy 9 year old baby girl is gone. I can't understand how this happened. I feel like I failed her, but she has never had a health issue of any kind and I took good care of her. I was a great mom I know that, but I still feel like I failed her by not saving her or not being there with her when she passed.
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Reply to Sadiesmama
I lost my beautiful 8 year old cat Dooley on Saturday morning and I completely understand your feeling of failure. She was a happy, healthy, loving and hyperactive cat who ruled my household. She slept on my bed every single night and has been there through some very tough times in my life. Friday night she didn't eat her dinner and later vomited at roughly 10pm, I was worried but didn't think it was too unusual, I have three other cats and they've all had bad tummies at some point from eating too fast, or running about, or furballs but I thought i'd take her to the vets at 9am when they opened just to get her checked out. I gave her some extra cuddles and took her up to bed with me. At 4am my partner woke me, Dooley was under the bed and having a seizure, I rang the vet out of hours immediately and the vet very kindly said she'd meet us at the surgery. Unfortunately my beautiful girl died in my arms just as the vet was pulling her car up. I'm beyond devastated and feel like i've failed her when it was my job to protect her, I know it's not helping but I can't stop blaming myself for not ringing the vets at 10pm the previous night. I've not had much sleep over the past couple of nights, it's hard to sleep without her laid there next to me as she always did. I just don't understand how and why my beautiful healthy little cat has died, I feel empty, my cats mean the world to me, they're part of the family not just pets.
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Reply to KatA7X
Just to add a little (or a lot, I'm sorry) more, when she vomited there was no blood or foam or anything unusual about it, I really thought it was just an upset stomach or furball. The seizure was something i'll never forget and I really hope and pray that she wasn't in pain, she was laid on her side on an old blanket that she sometimes slept on and was shaking for a few seconds and then stopping and then shaking for a few more seconds repeatedly, she wasn't crying out just the occasional growl. When she passed away I didn't want to let go of her, the vet checked for a heartbeat whilst I was still holding her. The vet offered no real explanation (although I was crying far too much to ask any questions, I just couldn't get the words out). The vet thought that the seizure could have been brought on by dehydration from vomiting, I'm really struggling to believe this. How can a healthy cat go from her usual hyperactive self, to vomiting, seizure and death overnight? She had fresh food, fresh water, she was loved, well treated, never neglected.
Dooley was a lovely cat, I got her and her sister Bailey from the same litter when they were 7 weeks old, Dooley was always the timid one although she formed a close bond with me and would always come to me for cuddles, belly rubs, and like I said she would sleep on my bed every night. She would follow me around at home "chattering" to me and would be the first running to the door to greet me when I got home from work. She never formed such a close bond with anyone else, which in a way is a special thing.
A few weeks after getting the two girls Dooley and Bailey I ended up bringing home Guinness, he was the only boy from the litter and the only one that hadn't found a home. Although three cats were a handful it was good that they were from the same litter and so had that immediate bond.
Dooley was a beautiful black and white tuxedo cat who really was the boss of me and my partner, she'd miaow when she felt it was dinner time (more often than not it wasn't but she gave it a go anyway), she'd miaow if another cat had used the litter tray before her and she wanted it changing before she went to the toilet, she'd miaow and roll over for a belly rub and she was always the first there if she noticed I was down or not feeling well.
Now that shes gone, like others have said, it's a physical pain in my heart. My partner is also devastated, she's been a brilliant "mum" to the cats for the last four and a half years, the cats and I came as a package deal.
Bailey and Guinness are obviously suffering too, Bailey is very subdued, I can see the sadness in her eyes, Guinness keeps looking for her and it's heartbreaking to see. How can you explain it to them? I read online about showing them the body but myself and my partner felt that we couldn't do that to them, when a person views the body of a loved one we have that choice to decide if we want to, I wasn't keen on presenting them their dead sister, it felt cruel. I believe that they know that she's gone and that she's not just at the vets or staying elsewhere, they have both sniffed and licked her collar and seem to be grieving.
Our youngest cat Tia seems unaffected so far, but she's only 3 and i'm not sure if either she hasn't noticed yet, or if she is just still content to have Bailey and Guinness there. Bailey, Dooley and Guinness had a very tight bond.
None of this seems real, little "silly" things set me off like brushing the fur off my work uniform this morning, I have to remove fur with a lint roller like I always do but this morning it hurt, what if that was Dooley's fur that I was just throwing away? That probably sounds so silly and I'm sorry for rambling. Home just doesn't feel like home without her.
I hope that one day I'll understand what happened to her and can move on, but for now I'm focusing on Bailey, Guinness and Tia who I know need me more than ever right now.
I'll always miss my "princess" Dooley, she has a special place in my heart and I feel like a part of me has died with her. RIP my special girl xxx
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Just saying "THANK YOU for starting this thread!" hardly expresses the gratitude I feel. It's been almost 4 months since our beloved Mittens departed. If it wasn't for this thread and the outlet it provided to share my grief with others of similar circumstances, I probably would have gone mad with the commonly unwarranted guilt most pet owners experience - "Should I have known?"; "Should I have done more?"; "Was it my fault?"; "Were there any signs I missed?" and the worst question of all; "Was I a bad pet owner?".
Losing a pet so suddenly without warning, is devastating! The grief I felt is nowhere near what my children experienced. They were there with Mittens as he died - helplessly watching as he let out his last agonizing meow. The look of "help me" and pain in his eyes, still haunt them.
Most importantly, this thread highlights the need for more research on Sudden Death in Cats - judging by all the posts; statistically young seemingly healthy males. If Cardiomyopathy is the silent, unwitting killer; feline owners must be educated and extra precautions (tests) be taken by Veterinarians to ensure our four-legged babies live long, healthy lives through early detection and subsequent treatment. Pets aren't accessories we just replace, they are family members we love, take care of and moan when they pass.
My heart goes out to all of you that have posted. There isn't a day that goes by that my family doesn't think of or mention our boy Mitty. The one thing that has helped us get pass the trauma, is the fact that he could have easily died unloved, unwanted and alone - he was a stray. But he died loved, wanted and with his family around fervently trying to help. I hope the simple fact of knowing that you all loved and cared for your pets, ease your pain as well.
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Thank you so very much for all the post since this thread started in 2009. Our cat Tiger who was coming up on 11 years old died suddenly yesterday. He was sleeping on the kitchen table next to where I was working on my laptop. He suddenly just jumped up with a seizure or convulsion and died. I tried to revive him by pumping on his chest, which did not help. He did not struggle to breath and appeared not to suffer. He did have a couple of gasp during my attempt to bring him back.
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I am really sorry to hear
about what happened. The sudden death of a young, seemingly healthy cat is
always shocking. In such cases of sudden and unexpected death, there could be
many possible reason to be blamed. However, one most common problem stands for
these tragic scenarios can be heart disease.
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Reply to compoundia
Just found this site. Sad to read but helps to know what may have happened to our little Micky yesterday. Up for breaky early like she always was. Playfully and just happy to be in the presence of a member of the famil. No one up caus it was early just me and her. Pick her up for her morning pat and cuddle and susdenly died in my arms. I was she'll shocked but happy I could be there for her. Little girl. Not a bit of warning.
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Reply to Peter
I was wondering if anyone on here had this situation occur before. My best furry friend died last week in an completely unexpected fashion. The beautiful orange tabby was due for shots and he had a sore on his back, possibly an allergy, to have removed. He had his shots last year and did fine, and I just didn't think there was any danger in doing them again. In fact, I even got a card reminding me of it. I took him to the vet, and they gave him the vaccines for rabies and leukemia/distemper. In less than five minutes he had a bad reaction and died about five minutes later. My heart is just broken. He was around 9-10 years old. He had some gasping/choking episodes, seemed tired a lot more than normal and didn't seem to feel the best, but should this have happened like this? Any clues on what might have caused this to happen. The vet was very sorry for what happened, but that doesn't help me bring him back. Thanks for any kind of help.
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That is really sad,sudden death of pets is like something that you really can't forget because of the fact that you don't even went it in a veterinarian just to make his/her life long.Hopefully you will move on soon.I remember my first cat in Finland but she survive because we went in veterinarian at http://www.jar-vet.fi/ and they diagnose its disease and he cured with in a month luckily he is still healthy now and having fun with me and my brother and sister.
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Reply to butler011
This morning my cute and sweet cat died, I was really shock because we love him so much...He was still breathing and sudden crying and hard to breathed, all i have to do is to hold him and massage him...I felt helpless and broke of what happened..Its a sudden death we dont expect=(
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About 3 hours ago my Persian cat maddy died of suspected poisoning 5 mins before hand I was playing with her and then she went to get a drink and had a seizure and died tomorrow well later today ( in the uk) we will get a post mortum
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I just lost my beloved Charlie. He was his normal self, playing, purring and giving his head bonks.
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Reply to Ladman9
I am sorry about your loss. I just lost my Charlie. It is such a shock to have our precious babies go so fast like this.
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My cat Fly, approx. 9 years old suddenly collapsed and passed yesterday. Her activity, eating and litter box habits were normal, and vet visits were regular. It is comforting to read that many other lovers of cats have gone through the same heartbreak. We don't plan on doing a necropsy, as she was taken in as a stray by my son in Florida, and we have no idea what her physical history is. When my son realized he was going to be gone from home too much to properly care for her, he put her on a plane to Michigan, and we had the joy of her company for 7 years. We will keep her in our hearts and remember what an alert, intelligent and unique cat she was. Every one who met her noticed those same qualities which enabled her to win over the hearts of dog lovers! She is gone, but of course, never forgotton.
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Reply to flyfurever
So sorry for your loss. It is heart breaking to loose our fur babies.
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My cat Larry died 3 hours ago. He was a little over a year old and perfectly healthy. I was getting ready for work and he was playing and eating, nothing out of the ordinary, when suddenly he bolted out of the room like he had been startled. His brother (litter mate) ran after him, so I followed to see what was going on. Larry was limping as he ran and went under the bed. I coaxed him out by offering him a treat so I could see if he was alright and he came right out and seemed to be walking ok, but he wouldn't take the treat. He walked into the sun room and laid down for a minute, then very slowly walked back to the bedroom and was partway under the bed when he flopped down and gave a little cry, his tongue hanging out. He was completely limp and I thought he was choking at first but there was nothing in his mouth or throat. He was dead a few moments later.I am heartbroken.
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Reply to Michele
9 months ago my HEALTHY 10 yr old cat suddenly started breathing fast with his mouth open. Cats never breath with an open mouth unless something is seriously wrong.Rushed him to emergency clinic.He was given lasix & put in oxygen.They told me it was probably heart disease & only an echocardiogram can tell for sure.He pulled thru & I took him to a veterinary cardiologist.Echocardiogram showed he had heart disease HCM & congestive heart failure.I was devastated. I live alone & my animal companions are like children to me.
He was put on Lasix & enalapril.The meds were causing an upset stomach & sometimes he wouldn't eat.I'd feed him baby food with a large plastic syringe.He started to loose weight,the muscle in the hind quarters starts to waste away.
He lived for 9 months.He died 3 days ago He was only 11 yrs old.(July 23rd) he woke me up at 4:30 AM (the usual time) he looked really good, breathing was fine & he even started eating much better in the last week. He started to play with his brother,rolling around mock fighting ( he hadn't done that in a long time) He wanted his soft little foam ball to play with I tossed it on the floor & he took it downstairs to bat around in the rec room.He's been fetching a ball since he was a kitten,I didn't teach him, he did it on his own.I was trying to go back to sleep when i heard him cry out.I ran down the stairs,he was laying on his side,eyes dialated,lots of mucus coming out of his mouth I wiped it away & ran up stairs to get the Lasix, it works fast,draws water out of their body so they can breath,it took me seconds but when I got back to him he took 2 more breaths & died.His tongue was out & it was blue so were his lips.
Just like everyone else said he was looking at me like" please help me" It was a horrible experience.I couldn't do anything to save him.I live alone so there's no one to talk to or help me.I waited till the next afternoon & dug a deep hole in my garden & buried him.If I didn't have my other cats I would want to die myself. I can't get this out of my mind I can't stop crying.
Kittens were born in my garage 11 yrs ago.The mother cat was hit by a car & died. Kittens were a few days old.I fed them every 2 hrs with a tiny nursing bottle.All 5 lived, I fell in love with them & kept them all.
When they were old enough I put them on a raw meat diet, no junk DRY food or chemicals in a can. Only fresh chicken with supplements.They drank only purified water in Glass bowls No plastic bowls or dishes for my babies!
I threw away all my chemical cleaners & stopped using weed killer on my lawn.
I thought I was doing everything right!How did he get heart disease?
Some people think cats 10 yrs old are "up there in age" My last kitty lived to be 22yrs old & died peacefully laying next to me.I'm near 70 yrs old & over the years I've had many cats. They have all lived over 16yrs some 19,20 ,21 & 2 of them 22yrs old.
One more thing.About 2 yrs ago I was petting him & noticed I could feel his back bone.He was a big cat,not skinny at all.That was the first sign that something was wrong but I just forgot about it,didn't want to think he had some disease.Now I feel guilty i didn't bring him to the vet,maybe if i caught it early it would have helped.
Can't stop crying,a piece of my heart is gone.
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My 10 year old kitty Tutter died early this morning.
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Reply to mwagz
Hi everyone,
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Reply to ninjadeathstar
Dear All,
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Reply to Barbi
Hi All,I am posting on this for some of my own answers. Our beloved kitty, Molly, passed away yesterday morning and we are devestated. She was roughly 13 years old, adopted from a shelter about age 1 and mostly an indoor cat. We took her the vet when she was sick and for shots and stiff but did not do all the check up visits all the time. She was extremely happy and playful, queen of the house and my boyfriend and I loved her dearly. Most everyone thought she was much younger then she was. Over the last few months she has gotten slower and a little thinner, but from all accounts it was always attributed to older age. Monday (we had also just been out of town for a week in Mexico and our friend was watching her daily at the house - she was moody and hiding a bit under the bed the first night i was home but then went back to her almost usual self, so i attributed it to being moody that we were gone, which she has been in the past, and the rest of the nights she slept next to me on the pillow and sat with me everywhere in the house) night she wanted to cuddle, I was tired and ready for sleep so after a little play time she went onto the floor on the side of the bed. About 10 minutes later I heard this horrible yelping coming from her and she was on laying flat face downconvulsing and and having stomach contractions and passing enormous amounts of very smelly gas and passing unformed stool. It was like she lost control of her bowels. A ll her paws went off in the sense that none of them were working and she kept trying to stand and her limbs would turn in the wrong directions and she would fall down. she was crying terribly and her tongue was out and she was panting and shaking. I was home alone with her (my boyfriend is out of the country for work) and tried my best between hysterically crying and frantically trying to help her, to get her into the car to drive to the vet. She was disoriented and falling all over in the car and the odor was very bad from the gas. I took her the emergency vet and they said they though she had some central nervous system failure or embolysim and suggested euthenasia as treatment would be costly and she did not have much chance. I authorized treatment anyway and said to please just make sure she is in no pain and if she passes to not ressesicate her. I stayed at the hospital for 2 hours to try to be with her an pet her in the kennel crate with the oxygen they had her on to help her breath but they told me i was letting the 02 out and that she was not cognitive but I didn't care as she is my baby and I wanted to pet her and kiss her. The 02 kennel also smelled of the horrible gas as i stroked and petted her and tried to let her know she was not alone. On the advice of the ER we went home for me to come back at 7 am and transfer her to full time medical care. I spent most of the night crying on the phone with my boyfriend, who was contemplating trying to fly home from Brazil to Texas) and then tried to catch a little sleep around 4 am. When I had called to check on Molly at about 1/2 am they told me she was a little more responsive but still critical. Then at 605 my phone rang and they told me that Molly had respitory failure and cardiac arrest and she was gone. I drove right to the ER (about 10 minutes from the house_ to see her and they brought her to me. She was so sweet and loving and just looked like she was sleeping but she was not. She also smelled very bad of the sulfer type gas smell. My boyfriend and I facetimed for a bit to hold her and say goodbye to her and tell her that we love her and then released her for private cremation. Where i stand today though is the all consuming question of WHAT happened to her and if or they or anyone could have done something. I have the doctors notes and they are full of handwritten questions: CNS - Stroke/Embolism - Liver Disease, Kidney Failure, Diabetic? and no REAL answers. The chart goe over her hourly monitoring and states that at 2 am she was standing in her kennel and vocalizing and at 4 am standing but uncoordinated and uses words like ataxic and obtunded and mentions that they had trouble finding a pulse in many of the notes. They did NOT have her on pain meds and I am so concerned about that...they had her on iv antibiotics and oxygen, heat therapy and steroids. When i spoke with an independant vet - they suggested FATE and underlying heart disease, which trouble me GREATLY as that is supposed to be very painful and Molly was not on pain meds at the er. Though she was in intense pain at the house, the vet said she was beyond that at the ER, but the thought of my sweet kitty dying in pain and alone in the vet all might is breaking my heart beyond belief. I have all her medical records and labs from the night in the ER and am just looking for answers please?Very best,Beth
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I don't know how to start this or if I should or why I should bother. I
feel very numb. I have had my baby since I was eight years old and it
never, could never, have occurred to me that this was possible. I was
always very scared that she would die because she meant so much to me, I
was afraid I would miss the warning signs. But I had my hopes I would
be doing my worrying for years. It had to be a certainty that she would
live at least until 25 or 30, or even better somehow outlive me. I
cannot believe that now I am supposed to refer to her in the past tense.
I do not understand death. It was 1 am and I was talking to my brother
in my room. She was sitting there, looking kind of irritated or bored, I
knew I should be giving her attention.She suddenly jumped to the side,
off of the bed and onto the floor, and I thought she'd been scared of
something (because she'd made this jumping motion before when I eating
eating something in aluminum foil- for some reason the sound of aluminum
frightened her). I went over to her and I could tell immediately
something was wrong because she was lying down and her head was under her in a strange way. I immediately thought that the itching she'd been having around her chin and neck had come to a very bad point and she needed to go the vet. (For about a month I'd noticed she'd begun itching her neck and head area. This was the around same time I'd come back from visiting my friend who had fleas on her dog and I was worried I had brought them home to her. I would have taken her to the vet for it but about three months earlier I had brought her to the vet because I was worried she was getting too boney. The vet said she might be losing muscle mass because she wasn't being as active due to arthritis and gave me some powder to add to her food. Anyway, I didn't want to be one of those people who brought their cat to the vet too much so I was waiting to see if the itching would get better. The area right under her mouth had lost a little bit of fur I think from her scratching and after some research I suspected she might have feline acne. -The point being I didn't think it was life threatening and I was delaying going to the vet for stupid reasons and I was totally ignorant about our future.) I went to touch her head and -that was when I knew something was very seriously wrong because when I moved her head it was limp, like she couldn't hold it up and I was terrified she had somehow hurt herself when she jumped off the bed. I cannot describe the shock and terror and horror of it. I moved her head one, two more times trying to figure out what was wrong, not understanding. I told my brother we needed a vet, that something was wrong, I called her name. She was just lying there, drooling. I touched her leg and it was limp, limp like she'd never, ever been before. I was scared enough to feel her chest for a heart beat and her heart was beating so fast, but then it slowed, and I knew rationally she was dead but that made absolutely no sense to me because three minutes ago she was fine. I could not pick up her body to bring it to the taxi for the hospital, I was crying so hard, I could not hold her like that, and to watch my roommate pick her up and carry her all wrong, with her head and body all wrong... The limpness is the worst part because she became just a body, because she wasn't there anymore and I couldn't, cannot fathom how her life, her personality, her love could so suddenly be gone. The vet told me it was probably a blot clot in her heart or lungs, that blood had come out of her mouth when they were trying to resuscitate her. What no one really talks about is the aftermath. Less than an hour after my baby had died, 5 hours from when I would barely be able to accept she wasn't in her body anymore, a vet assistant came into the room where I was sitting on the floor with her crying to talk to me about the payment options for cremation. I felt like I was in a horror movie. At 7am I left the room to ask the vet if they could "hold" her body, which they agreed to do for 24 hours. I then spent the day walking around the woods looking for burial sites until dark. The thought of leaving her in some cold, dark forest far away from me was against everything I'd been doing for the 11 years of her life- I was supposed to protect her, keep her warm and comfortable, give her love and attention. She did not belong in the woods, she belonged with me. On day two, I went to pick up her body which the vet had placed in a left over pharmaceutical box which looked too small for her and I carried her familiar weight to a different forest where I began the search for a 'proper' burial site anew. From 7pm to 6am my brother and I dug her grave, placed her in it, and worked to get all the soil back to where it was. To walk through the forest with my beautiful baby's body moving all wrong in a box, to bury her in a hole- nothing could have been more unnatural.She was a mainecoon and my vet had detected a slight heart murmur multiple times but I never suspected she could have a serious heart problem. I don't even know if it was cardiomyopathy. I can't believe it. She was such a huge part of my life and now she's just gone.
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Reply to nzeifman
Nzeifman, I'm so sorry for your loss. I was told that only time will heal our brokenhearts.
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I'm posting this as a memorial of sorts to my baby girl Sophie. It has also meant quite a bit to me to see that the circumstances surrounding her death are apparently not as uncommon as I thought they may be. I'm not insinuating that this makes her death any less tragic, but the nagging thoughts of, "What did I do wrong?" are no longer eating away at me.
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Reply to chazb
I am indeed saddened by your loss. I lost Tiger and he was about the same age. Completely heathy one minute and gone the next. Very tough to deal with and he appeared to have the same thing Sophia had.
Tiger was one in a million as I have had many cats over the years. He was a wild cat that hung around in the woods behind my house and over time I got him to trust me and well the rest was history.
All I can say is each day will get better and one day another one will come into your life. I had a cat show up about 4 months ago with the worst case of ear mites I had ever seen. I treated him for them and got him on the road to recovery. He will never replace Tiger but I can take solace in helping another lost soul that was saved from certain misery and there are thousnads of them out there need help.
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Our family cat Peanut died suddenly a few hours ago, nothing was wrong, he was acting like he always does. Our cat is only a few months old maybe 8 months. A normal day of watching tv and him laying with me, me playing with him with his favorite toys snoopy. My mom and sister came home we had dinner, after I ate I went to go get his canned food (we recently bought him canned food because we were worried,lately he wasnt really eating his dry food so we bought some). After he eats i decide to watch tv in the living room while my mom is at the desk on the computer and my sister is playing with Peanut on the floor. By the way our cat wasn't nice playing cat,we get scratches and bites but we still loved him despite his flaws. Then all of a sudden I hear terrible meow,my little sister yelling something is wrong with Peanut. My mom and I run to see whats wrong, hes on his side. My sister tells me he hit his head while playing with him and he just fall down on his side and started seizing, I go to his side and I pet him trying to calm him down but he let out a terrible cry I pick him up trying to console him but he lets out another terrible meow, I lay him back down because I thought I was hurting him. By now my mom and sister are yelling for my dad and I'm just sitting watching him in pain feeling so utterly useless wishing I can make it stop. By the time my dad comes he still but then he moves then goes still again, my dad checks for a pulse then says hes gone. By then my mom, my sister , and I are crying and I'm still crying. Its night now so we cant bury him till morning and we have him laying down with one of his favorite toy, I'm still trying to look for the other one. I know my sister blames herself cause she was playing with him but I dont think that its her fault, he was a healthy naughty kitty. I google sudden death cat and it takes me here, all these stories I read sound similar to what happen to us.In the morning I will tell my sister about this site to let her know about these stories and till her its not her fault. I know the pain you guys are in, I'm still crying because not too long ago he was laying and playing by me I was happy with him, but now hes gone and its hurts just thinking about it. He was taken away too sudden.
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I have just had almost the identical experience, but my cat Sidney died tonight. We even tried to do a heimlich manoever on him to help him, and he had the same horrible terrified look. It was just awful, and died in my arms. No blood, for which I am grateful. But it was dreadful. About 6 months ago we were told he had a lump which was making his breathing difficult. However, he seemed content, so we took him home to wait for the inevitable. I thought I would have to put him down. I have cried and cried tonight, and our other cat is very confused about Sidney being in a box, and covered with a pillow case.RIP our boy, Sid was the best little guy ever. Very loyal and true. He is in heaven with his little pal Turpin, who he loved very much.
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I know the original post is several years old but I had a very similiar thing happened to my 10 year old cat ,Bunny yesterday. Bunny was normal in the morning and later that afternoon my husband found her on her side on the couch and she had passed away. This was so sudden . Bunny was not sick and there were no warning signs. There were no signs of blood or foam just the tiniest spot of saliva on the floor by the couch where her head was turned toward.
We are so heartbroken. I was at work all day and my husband came to pick me up at 9:00 that night. On the way home he saddly said "We had something tragic happen today , Bunny died!" I was so shocked and I could not believe it. The really hard part is our almost 16 year old Cairn, Mickey, had just died less than a week before. I felt that a black cloud was hovering over us and our animals. But I realize that Mickey had lived his life span but Bunny I felt had 8 or even 10 years left. We are so sad but this site has brought us some closure because we kept blamimg ourselves and couldn't figure how she died. Now I am almost sure that it was some kind of heart problem although she showed no signs.
Bunny was born outside to a feral cat and she and her mom lived a short time on our deck. She had a breathing problem and one day it seemed very bad so we took her in when she was about 7 or 8 months. She could hardly breath and I was afraid she would die although at other times outside she was spunky and alert but very very delicate looking. She was given meds at the vet's and seemed fine after that but being a feral who knows what congenital defect she had inside her. I will miss the quiet little Bunny and thank God for her 10 years she was with us.
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Hello Twyst,Sorry to hear about your cat. Loosing a pet is no less than loosing your loved ones. There may be any internal problem which you people did not noticed, sometimes pet looks healthy outside but their organs keep battling with any disease.
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My cat died last night but we had to put him down. I had just put some revolution for cats on him on Monday. Tuesday evening comes along and he can no longer hold his bowels and his tongue was out like a dog meaning he couldn't breathe. The vet said that his lungs were filling up with fluid and that he was dying. He insisted that there was no way that revolution could do this to him and if it did anything that it would attack his nervous system and not his heart. He had foam in his mouth, my poor beautiful can't I can't believe that I killed him.
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I am so sorry to hear about everyone's loses. The loss of a pet can be so tragically devastating. Just earlier tonight, my cat Ed passed away. He was about 12 years old and I had him since he was only a few weeks old (my dad had found him and his two sisters abandoned at one of his landscaping jobs and decided to take them home). Ed was an extremely hyper and energetic yet loving and sweet cat, he was always purring and looking for extra attention. He loved to run around outside and hunt around our property. Early tonight I heard a loud bang in the garage, and I ran to the door. I was shocked to what I was seeing Ed was laying at the bottom of the steps, convulsing and shaking. He let out a big moan and before I could even get to him, suddenly he stopped. I couldn't believe it, I had just pet him about 15 minutes earlier when I went to the garage to get dog food. He was completely fine. I really pep and pray that he did not feel much pain while he was dying. It was a horrible thing to see happen and I feel like I should have known what to do. Ed was a wonderful cat and I am just trying to keep the good, happy memories flowing as i mourn is death. Rest in peace to all of your wonderful kitties.
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Our cat Marty died yesterday. He was 3 years four months. We had taken him to the vets for the trouble breathing that some others have described, and the vet referred him to a cardiologist. Just two days later I took him there but the stress of the journey was too much for his poor heart and he gasped for a good 15 minutes. I felt so helpless and useless, and responsible. The vets tried to help him but it was too late.
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Unfortunately, I find myself here for the same reason as all of you. This morning, our 5yr old cat suddenly dropped dead. Just mere seconds before, he was playing with the other cat, began to stumble, fell to the floor, and after a few short heavy breathes, passed away. All 3 of our cats are indoor cats. There is absolutely nothing the cat could have gotten into. My original assumption, which seems to be confirmed by many of your stories, is a sudden heart problem. There was no foam at the mouth, no loss of bowels or urine. Just a lifeless cat with eyes open & tounge slightly out. This was my girlfriends cat, and I had only been around it for a shorter time than she. The hardest thing was calling her at work to inform her what had happened. Our other 2 cats (1 hers which is 3-4yrs, and the other mine which is 11yrs) seem to be perfectly healthy and normal. Obviously I'm a bit freaked out that there is to be a concern for our remaining cats, but after extensive research and reading everyone's stories, it seems to have been an un preventative unfortunate situation. It's a very helpless feeling. My heart goes out to everyone who has posted, as well to those who find themselves here just as all of us have done. There is a bit of comfort knowing we are not alone & reading how many others have the same love for their pet(s). Pets are family. They are a part of our every day lives and bonds are formed just as we do with humans. Love your friends & family every day (both human & animal) as we are never promised another tomorrow. Life is often to short and we should never take for granted the love we give and receive.
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i have been searching for answers for two days to figure out what happened to my robin. at just 7 months old he was so normal and loving and obnoxious he played and tried to race you down the hall way and loved to eat and spill water over. i woke up the other morning and noticed throw up on my kitchen floor normal looking i then went to look for him to see if he was ok thinking he had a tummy ache. he was laying under the christmas tree cold. it looked like he was sleeping. i would never in a million years think this would happen to him and i cant stop blaming myself thinking what else could i have done? he was just trying to bite my toes through the covers 4 hours ago. how do you get over the trauma and trust yourself to ever have another cat again?
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I see we have all had the same experience, I woke up today looking for my beautiful Paco, I text my husband asking him if Paco went out with him...he called me back shortly after, to tell me he found paco in the room today and he had died...I was in shock,,there was nothing wrong with him, he was very active and playful, he was eating and acting like nothing was wrong... My husband and I found paco 5 yrs ago when we stopped traffic to stop a kitten from being ran over and he was 2 inches from a truck tire when we stopped traffic, we jumped out of the car and ran to grab him, he was a couple months old and full of energy, his eye was popped, the vets wanted to remove it, they scheduled him for 2 wks for surgery..in that time i managed to bring his eye back, no surgery was needed...he was the light of my life, his beauty lit up the house...in Sept.he was kidnapped (long story) and in 10 days he was brought back,,,we were so happy to have him back...four months later and without warning he has left me again this time forever :( that is how I found this site, i was trying to figure out what could have happened...reading what everyone went through and I the same..My heart goes out to all of you, it never gets easier, you can never get used to losing lives that mean so much to you. Paco gave me the best 5 years...he made me laugh everyday, I don't know how it will go without seeing his light up the room face, I am an animal activist and have to see deaths everyday...death is not something that one can ever get used to....I have 5 others to take care of ...but that does not stop the pain and the hurt of my paco being gone, I had no reason to be prepared for it, I thought we had at least 10 more years together...also like some have suggested as much as it hurts to lose ...it does make a difference when you save another....as much as that seems impossible when your hurting, about 10 years ago when I lost a precious do to an illness, the day he died, my friend rescued a kitten a gave it to me, my emotions were going insane, but watching a new life getting a chance at a new life, did help the grieving...Never stop saving lives...we may not be able to save them all, but it will mean everything to the ones you did...I love you paco and you will be in my heart forever, you will never be forgotten and neither will the years of happiness and smiles you brought me....can't stop crying right now....
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My cat Harley SUDDENLY died tonight. He was only 7 years old, active, healthy indoor cat. Tonight he went through his standard routine and was very excited to eat, as usual. I had just fed him and he finished all of his dinner. I was doing some laundry about 4 feet away. He was laying by the bathroom door like he does every night when he is done eating, waiting for me to open the door so he can eat what my other cat does not finish (always one or two kernels). I opened the door for him and he normally hops up and he didn't move. I called his name and noticed his eyes were open, mouth open and tongue hanging out to the side. I thought he was in a trance and gave him a little nudge to wake him up. When he didn't move, I stood up and noticed he was not breathing. I am so sad and so shocked. We called our vet so he can be cremated in the morning and our vet said it was most likely a heart attack.
I bought him at my local vet when I lived in NC who rescued him from the beach. His mother had the litter on the beach and someone gave rat poising to the mother who died and left a litter of newborn kittens. They had originally named him Tuna since the litter all had ocean names because they were born on the beach. He had a great life, my older cat loved him too. He played with the dogs and my little boy. He was all black and a pretty big cat, but not overweight. He loved affection.
Rest In Peace Harley, we will all miss you and are very sad. Run with Boone and Iddy in Heaven. 2/2007 - 1/2014.
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Reply to InMemoryofHarley
I am so very sorry for your loss. I am extremely grief stricken too. My baby boy -Angel 9.5 years old was lifeless when I found him on the basement floor upon my return from school. He was overweight and snored at night when slept. Did not see anything out of the ordinary about him though. Feel so guilty for not going to the doctor for a check up. He has been snoring for five years on and off but his behaviour did not seem to deviate from his normal. I love him more then anything and can't cope with his loss. I changed my mind about autopsy and now regret it. Not knowing what happened kills me. His last check up in december of 2013 revealed nothing. Could the doctor have overlooked a heart condition? Do heart attack victims always have their tongue out and eye balls rolled up? Angel's mouth was closed and he had his soliva dripping on the side of his cheek and his irises were raised to the upper outer corners of the eyes. What do you think may have happen? I am dying here without him. His sister -Dawn helps me a little bit but not much in all honesty. God I wish I knew what happened. Feelling so terribly guilty and lonely that I just want to die.
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Reply to kms
So Glad that I've read all of these post tonight. This morning my boyfriend found his cat of 7 yrs dead in the living room. He has two cats, but he favored Denny because he was very passive and loving and he had to protect him because he ran outside and lost him a few years ago and found him over a month later at a neighboring store parking lot; so they had a special bond. Until dating my boyfriend I had no pets, but after waking up seeing my boyfriend hurt and cry like he did made me cry too, I was saddened and did not realize how much I cared for Denny as well. It was a total shock as he was just walking all over us last and purring for treats! We are heartbroken because there were no signs and my BF is so puzzled. But these post really helps! My condolences to all and Thanks for sharing.... #CurtisChristianPhillip
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Our cat Buster died suddenly on Wed morning. He was only 3 1/2 and showed no previous signs. He was completely normal the night before. I heard a horrible moan from him about 7 am and went to see what was wrong. He was laying on the floor in the kitchen panting and his pupils were dilated. I got dressed to take him to the vet and when I came back he had pooped on the floor (later when i cleaned it up I saw a touch of bloody mucus) and was trying to get downstairs where his litter box was. He couldn't walk at all and rolled all the way down the basement stairs. I followed him and he laid on the rug still panting. I went back upstairs and called the emergency vet and my husband and told him what was going on. While on the phone I heard a few more moans. I went back downstairs to put him in the carrier and he wasn't on the rug anymore. I found him under a chair next to the wall with mouth open and eyes closed and lying in a small pool of urine and feces not breathing. It all happened within 15 minutes. I have a 4 year old that slept with him every night and carried him around all day. I knew it was going to be horrible if I ever had to tell her that something happened to him, what I didn't know was how badly I would miss him. I didn't even know I liked the cat until i found him in the basement unresponsive. My husband and I are both missing him so much so i can't even imagine how my daughter feels. We also have a 2 year old and even he asks why he had to die. I thought we would have many more years with him. He was a great cat. He was indoor/outdoor and mostly went to the bathroom outside so we hardly every had to clean the litter box. He was perfect for the kids and never complained when they laid on him or carried him around. He was very cuddly and loved to be touching someone. I still can't believe he is gone and I keep seeing his last moments playing over and over in my head. We didn't have a necropsy due to cost but I just wish I knew what happened. He always seamed so healthy.
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I'm very surprised at how many people have had to dealt with the same tragedy my boyfriend and I just experienced. Our beloved 1 year 8 month old kitty Freya died suddenly about a week ago. My boyfriend came home to find her dead in the bathroom, with a puddle of foam around her mouth. He rushed her to the vet, but she had already been gone for a couple hours. We have been racking our brains at what could have caused this. We only use natural cleaning products, all of which are locked securely away. She was up to date on all of her shots. She had been perfectly healthy since we adopted her at 5 weeks old. She was an indoor only cat, so she couldn't have gotten into any rat poison or fertilizer, and the vet didn't find any obstruction that she might have choked on. We couldn't afford the $350 autopsy, so we never will know 100% what happened, but from what I've read, its most likely the cardiomyopathy. This might seem strange, but I am comforted by the number of posts by owners who were right there with their kitty when they fell ill... and the one story about the kitty who was AT the vet when it happened. The worst part of this has been wondering - if only one of us had been home, maybe we could have saved her. I am still sad that she was alone when she died, but hopefully it was as quick, and as inevitable, as others have described.My condolences to all of you! I'm so so sorry that anyone has to go through this. Thank you for sharing your stories.
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This thread has been really comforting to read. I'm so sorry so many people have lost their beautiful friends so unexpectedly.
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Reply to FreyaKat
Sometimes a cat that young will chew on electric cords in the home. this will present with nearly the same symptoms as cardiomyopathy. They can die very suddenly. I had a cat die in 2010 but he made it to the vet and lived the weekend but died Monday morning. I was devastated and he was five. I'm not sure if it was his heart or if he really did chew on a cord as some cats do. We now have all electric cords covered so they can't bite through them. We also have a coon cat with cardiomyopathy. He is not bad now and is not on meds but is checked right now yearly with the cardiologist.
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Reply to katmar7
I also lost my 4.5 year old kitty last week. He was an indoor cat only, and wasn't very mischievous. He mostly played with his kitty toys, lounged in sun beams, and loved to sit on my lap and get belly rubs. I had been home with him all day, as well as the previous days, and know he didn't get into anything. He wouldn't even eat or kill bugs, so i know he couldn't have been poisoned by something like an poisoned mouse, plus we don't have mice!
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Hi tuxedo lover. I am so sorry to hear about roscoe. I lost my tuxedo 3days ago. His name was andrew . I found him in the same exact position as you described finding roscoe. I felt like angels had arranged him with his paws crossed and on his side like he was napping because I don't think I would have been able to handle finding him any other way. I googled to see if this ha happened to anyone else ans was thankful to find your posting so I joined the forum so I could thank you for sharing your story. Andrew was on his side with his paws crossed. Sounds like roscoe was the joy in your life and I hope you and your family are making it along. Andrew had quite a personality as well. Thank you
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Reply to Shadow27
Bubba is my cat, I found him and his sister Sissy when they were itty bitty. I still have Sissy. But Night before last. I needed to get something from a cabinet behind my recliner. My foot bumped something so I pushed behind me. It was my Bubba, he had been there long enough to be stiff. I totally lost it. I could not believe it. I was in disbelief . I couldn't rap my head around it. He was 14 years old. But didn't act sick or give any sign there was anything wrong. I don't know why. He looked normal. His eyes were open. I still can't understand. And wonder did I do something. Or not do something. I miss him very much, He is in Kitty heaven. And I have Sissy and my other babies. He will truly be missed.
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I've been reading these posts as my cat Sasha died suddenly last night. I found her on our neighbours driveway lying as if she was just sleeping. Her eyes were open normally and her mouth closed.What I am worried about is whether I did something to cause this - I had been using a bicycle maintenence spray to clean my bike and I know that Sasha was around whilst I was doing it. It doesn't look like she suffered from ingesting something she shouldn't though, she was just laying there peacefully. She is downstairs in my garage now and I can't bring myself to bury her yet.I loved her so much.
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Reply to ClaireO
I know how you feel to miss your Sasha. I read all of the posts and feel bad for each and every one of us who love our pets and have loss them. My 10 year old baby girl Dinky died suddenly. I returned home from taking my elderly mom to her doctor, and found Dinky already gone with vomit around her mouth and neck. She was on her side, legs straight out. I have cried so much that I can hardly breathe. My eyes are swollen and red, and they hurt, but nothing hurts like the mental anguish I've subjected myself through because she had trouble pooping when I was leaving to get my mom off to her appointment, and it being that she's been constipated maybe twice in 10 years, I thought nothing of it except that I'd give her some milk to help loosen her stool. She didn't drink it, but she did drink the water so I felt she'd be okay, but I promised her as soon as I got back from helping my mom, I'd take her to the vet.I feel like I disappointed her. I don't even know why she died, and I broke down. My boyfriend came over and helped me bury her in white lace beside the resting place of my beloved Salaam, my 15 year old baby guy who died June last year. He had oral squamous carcinoma and fought a year and a half to stay with me until he loss the fight one sad heart-breaking night.And believe it or not, as I lay on my bed sobbing for my Dinky who had passed on only two hours before, my ferret Bandit has what appeared to be a stroke. We rushed him to a vet, but there's only one vet that treats exotic animals within 75 miles, and they are closed.I fell to my knees and I cried out to God to please NOT let him pass on, too. How much did he think I could bear?! And now my Bandit is asleep. He just ate food and drank water. I will take him tomorrow as soon as the doors open. He is (like all of my furbabies) a rescue pet. He came to my door a month after Salaam died. I asked all of my neighbors if he belonged to them, and they said no. I took him in.I'm grateful he is doing well, but when I think of my Dinky, I just cry and cry. I don't drink, but I am going to have to drink and take a sleeping pill to sleep tonight. I hope God will let her come to me in my dreams to hold her one more time.I feel sooooooooooo sad! But I am thankful she shared 10 years with me, and Salaam shared 15 years. Wonderful memories of my furbabies.Now, I have a 15 year old female named Sahara, her son Mohammy who is 14, an 8 year old male named Mustafa (Lion King), a 7 year old male named Moosey, and 2 new furbabies I took in - 1 year old female Tonka and a male who is about 6 years old. One of my neighbors moved out and left him.I am saddened by my losses, and I have no choice but to LOVE; even when it can hurt so much. God bless you all through these difficult times. Spread as much LOVE as you can - WHILE you can.
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We're sad to see so many stories posted for over 5 years and felt it was important to share ours. Our beautiful, sleek, black queen cat, Nina Simone, died Friday night suddenly in a very similar way to what has been described here.
She was acting perfectly normal, and we noticed she needed her seasonal bath. She was just barely 10 years old this May. I gave her a bath, which she usually tolerated with minimal anxiety and lots of gratitude once she was clean and dry.
She went into other rooms to clean her fur and dry off and we were cleaning the house. I went into the kitchen to get something and she was lying on her side. My initial reaction was that she was hot and just relaxing, which she often does in the summer, but after about 2 seconds I realized that she was panting very heavily and her eyes were dilated. I shouted for my husband to come in and he picked her up and she was very limp, but still breathing, and wheezing. We thought maybe she was choking on a hairball or that she was having an allergic reaction to the shampoo we used.
We literally ran right on the door with no shoes on, no wallets, just us and car keys and the cat. My husband held her and I drove like a lunatic, blowing through red lights and trying, as safely as possible, to get us to the 24 hour animal hospital. While driving she was still wheezing but about 30 seconds before we arrived she stopped responding. My husband attempted CPR and heart massaging while we drove. It was extremely disturbing and upsetting to try to maintain any sense of calm during this ordeal, and we just wanted to save our beloved girl.
The hospital tried CPR and other medical forms of resuscitation but it was pretty apparent that she was not going to make it. We both fell apart and the veterinarian told us that CPR for cats only tends to work about 5% of the time, and even then, that cats end up brain damaged or in a coma. We most certainly would never have wanted that for Nina and in a way we are resigned to the fact that this may have been easier than finding out that she was sick and keeping her on heavy meds, watching her waste away.
The vet explained that this kind of behavior (sudden dropping to ground, laying on side, heavy breathing, limp body) is almost always the sign of heart disease. My initial reaction was to think of it in a similar way to humans: Did we feed her too much cheese or treats? Was she not active enough? Did I stress her out with the bath? The vet reassured us that cardiomyopathy is COMPLETELY genetic and that it is nearly impossible to detect; usually the first symptom is sudden death.
Apparently what happens is that a cat (this is said to be more prevalent in Maine Coons, American Short Hairs, Persians, Ragdolls, and Siamese) will have an abnormally shaped heart from birth. The cat will be otherwise healthy, and normal vet check-ups do not show this. The body tries to overcompensate by building scar tissue around the walls of the heart. The body gives out when the day comes that the blood cannot reach the heart any longer because the scar tissue is too strong. Additionally, this is most typical, according to research, in cats ages 4-8, or in the middle of life; it has nothing to do with being old or having a 'weak' heart. It can happen at any age as well.
We have spend the past 48 hours in shock, anger, despair, and just plain sadness. Our cat was incredibly special, and while reading other stories on this forum does not make our pain any smaller, it does help to know that there are so many wonderful pet lovers out there who have experienced a similar tragic loss and who need support. We are still expecting to see our cat around the house, and our remaining two cats are a godsend because they remind us to be present and to give them care and love, and that life is unpredictable. If this happened to your cat, please know that you did nothing wrong, and that nothing could have prevented this. You did the best you could and provided your cat with a loving, safe home, and the vet assured us that when cats collapse like that, they are very likely not conscious and therefore not experiencing pain. It is we who experience the suffering of learning how to live our lives and move on with memories when what we really want is one more day with our darling baby girl.
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Reply to BevinRene
I am so sorry for everyone's loss and mine today, her name was Willow, a beautiful tortie point Persian. She was about 6 years old and in good health. My daughter called me at work to say that she heard a crash and then to find Willow in between a love seat and her crate that she used to sleep in once in awhile. My daughter heard her take her last breath.
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I am glad to have found this board so that I can share the story of my little Amon. Only 5 weeks old, I have been handraising him since his mother abandoned his sister and he at 5 days. His sister died and he was very sick before I decided that the mother was not coming back. I took him in and cared for him, fought through URI's, dehydration, constipation, and malnutrition. The little guy was such a fighter. The last few days he was finally feeling better, growing, playing, becoming more independent.
suddenly I heard him cry loudly twice, I went to check in on him and he was limp, eyes dilated, panting, and seizing. Clearly something had happened and he was not going to make it. He died in my arms within 30 minutes. He was a happy reasonable healthy bottle baby this morning. this afternoon, I buried him. I don't know what happened. I will never know what happened. I loved him. He loved me. He died loved. I am crushed, 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 moths, 5 or 15 years, it doesn't take long to learn to love a cat.
I think our cats are so fortunate to have had such loving humans in their lives and to have someone who cares enough to share their stories so that they are not forgotten. Thank you all for letting me share a little bit of little amon's story
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I'm sorry to hear about everyone's lose in this thread. It is the most difficult tragic event that can ever happen to us human beings. I lost my babygirl Klawdia two days. ago. My world and my everything. I found her down at my boyfriend's dorm garage parking lot crying and crying. As I walked by I saw this little girl and her mom trying to grab her attention to come near. She was just 3 weeks old. Her mother abandoned her since she was ill. I then managed to grab her and the meowing stopped once she felt my warmth. She was a gift when I got her and I was glad I rescued her. I brought her upstairs and my boyfriend and his roommates were surprised that i found this kitty that changed our lives. She slept on everyones arm and she was our bundle of joy. My boyfriend and I decided to keep her as our cat if we ever decided to start our lives together. That same day I took her to the Vet in Hoboken and I was given antibiotics and eye cream for her conjunctivitis. She loved her milk and enjoyed playing. I got her toys and many things. She was one spoil little Klawdia. She loved to use her Klaws as to scratch us with love and she was a happy kitty who will make our day and night one hell of a good time. She was and is my precious angel whom I heard Monday morning as I was working. My boyfriend called me letting me know that she was gone. I was confused wondering if this was a joke. His roommate went through this awful moment and told my friend and the friend told my boyfriend and I was last to know. Sunday night I was looking for her. I texted the roommate and never got a response. I then see the connection as I lived my Monday crying why she was gone and what went wrong. I miss her terribly and I wish this never happened at 7 weeks old of her age. She was one cute loving kitten that I imagined seeing her grow and being the cat she was. RIP Klawdia, I will miss you. And for all of you my condolences are with you.
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Reply to salvyru4lif3
We lost our ginger cat Meggs a week ago today. He was a much loved indoors cat and was only 2 years old. There were no signs of anything being wrong with him, we went away for a night and made sure there was food, water and clean litter. Our other two cats were fine but we found Meggs dead in the hallway, still warm, which meant he had just died while we were on our way home. I tried mouth to mouth resuscitation and nothing happened, for he was still dead. We think it possibly was a heart problem which hadn't been diagnosed that killed him but we'll never know what killed him, and he is missed by all of us. I feel for all of the people that have lost their cat over the years.
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Reply to austhome
I am so very sorry for all the above posts, it shows how these wonderful fur balls make a deep impression in our lives. I myself lost my kitty just last night. Tiger had been diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid and was tolerating the topical medication pretty well...(if anyone needs to give meds to their kitty ask the veterinarian if it can be compounded in cream form- it can be swiped in the ear easily) . She had fluid drained from her lung beginning of April, and I was warned that she probably had heart issues. She had been doing fantastic on the med though...gaining weight, enjoying the sun on the porch, loving a long back scratch. But last night in her sleep she woke me up with the all too familiar description of all the posts I have read. She was gone so fast, and that is the only thing that gets me through now. Knowing that she didn't suffer...and it was her time.
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My very beloved cat Marks passed away on July 24, 2014. I have no idea how or what happened. See my neighbor was watching all the animals for me while i was at the hospital with my daughter. The night before i came home just to check in and say i love you and give them all loves then went back to the hospital. My neighbor said that on the morning of the 24th he seemed fine just meowing more than usual, she thought he just wanted attention and the litter box cleaned, so she gave him some rubbings and cleaned the box, and left. I came home around 3:30 said hi to my other cat Matilda and my dog Rena before going into the bathroom where he was at the last time i saw him. I go in there he is lying on his back in the babybath in the bathtub with Urine at his rearend. I thought he was sleeping because i didnt notice the urine right away so i go to pick him up his eyes where dilated and he was stiff as a board but still warm. I screamed ran to my neighbors house and told them my cat was dead they where like "what". So I repeated my cat is dead come look. He came over and looked i had moved Marks so he was sitting up but leaning in the shape of the babybath where he had passed. He must of been dead for awhile. I picked him up and just held him in my arms crying screaming praying i was dreaming, but i wasn't. I called the vet and took him there to get cremaited. When i came home i cleand out the babybath and under it noticed that there was a small pile of vomit that he must of did. They way the scene look was that he sat up vomited and then fell backwards and died. He was like a son to me and i am devistaed. I am worried about his sister because they where really close and she is acting weird. I miss him so much he was only 13 and my baby boy. RIP Marks mom loves you.
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Reply to Mouse9170
reply to mouse9170 i feel your pain. i lost my beloved winky, 7-27-14. he was fine. his appetite was normal, he was his regular playful loving self. his litterbox habits were normal. there was no sign anything was wrong. he was 13 years old and had never been ill a day in his life. at 8;00 p.m. night before last he was in his cat tree looking out the window when suddenly he let out a blood curdling scream and fell to the floor. i rushed to him. when i looked in his eyes i knew what was happening. i began telling him how much i love him, how much he meant to me, how great he is right to the last flicker went out in his eyes. i've always had cats but that has never happened before. i just instinctively knew what was happening. it was so unexpected from a healthy pet and its always hard to lose one. the vet said it was more than likely a heart attack. it doesn't really matter what took him cause he's gone. but he will forever live in my heart and i will try to be grateful he always knew health until the bitter end. i buried him yesterday and now my house is so empty. i have another cat, shadey, who witnessed everything. we're both trying to adjust but it will be a while.
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I lost my 3yr old sweet cat on Sunday morning. We had taken him to the vet the earlier night due to some eruption around his mammary glands. Doc had given him an injection. That was it. Next morning he was playing and jumping as usual. All of a sudden we found him in a pool of blood outside our apartment. He had fallen off from the balcony. He had a head injury. We are unable to come to terms with it. How could he have fallen. Cats are great acrobats. Is it anything to do with the Antibiotic injection? We are completely shattered.
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Reply to Samy
This is a Sad story , and its hard to understand but freak things happen and sometimes we don't know why , but i agree cats are great acrobats!! So sorry for your loss i am such an animal lover hearing this makes me cry , prayers for everyone . My pets are my life and i would be shattered too!!
sincerely julie
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It has been a comfort to me reading each and everyones story. Our Ollie passed away three days ago, a huge loss for he has been part of our family for nine years. He was an indoor cat, affectionate, spoilt, and loved dearly by us all. He was in good health and always had his annual check-up at the vets.
Ollie was his usual self the morning we left the house to go to work and this makes it hard to understand what went wrong. My husband was first to come home that evening and usually Ollie greets us at the door, my husband called him but he didn't come, when he turned the lights on he noticed Ollie lying on the floor in the lounge-room and thought he was sleeping, he went over to pat him and as soon as he touched him he knew he was gone, he was cold and rigor mortis had already set in.
I needed to know what had happened to Ollie and finding this site has given me some understanding of what may have been the cause of his sudden and unexpected death, we suspect he had a heart attack. The way Ollie was lying down was as though he was walking along and had just dropped, his eyes were open and looked perfectly normal, not dilated or rolled back, his mouth was closed and there was no signs of blood or froth, only a small amount of urine had leaked out. He looked peaceful and I believe he passed away quickly without suffering. We miss him dearly and the house is not the same without him.
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Reply to dgothers
This is a general reply to all of you who have lost your cat in this way , sudden death . My story has an added horrible twist to it that has made an already awful situation a hundred times worse . On Wednesday , after making a flyers and having already put posters up in the local shop that my cat had been missing for 3 Days ( I'd already gone out the night before shaking a bag of dreamies calling his name ) , I set off to start trying to find Billy, my beautiful four year old ginger tom cat. I'd noticed on Tuesday I hadn't seen him around . He was a very independent boy but still always came home for his cuddles and spooning . I have lodgers and they all spoilt him .
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I am so glad I decided to take my thoughts to the internet and wonder if I was the only one who went through this. My kitten had the same story as yours, she was 9 weeks old, playing well, happy, I heard her scream out, almost in pain, I found her under the dresser, picked her up, put her on the bed and she didnt seem strong enough to hold herself up, I thought she was chocking but then I realized it was more serious when she started seizing. I watched her slip away, in my arms and she was quiet. It broke my heart, I have never experienced something so tramatic, it happend so quickly, but I remember every single detail. And it keeps running through my mind. I felt like one of the dogs injured her at first, but after some though into it, seems that she may have been sick and died of natural causes. Which makes me feel less guilty but I miss her every day and still sometimes hear her sweet like meow. I cry still when I look at her usual places she loved to nap and see her toys she loved to play with. But she is gone and I have to remember her and move on. Shes in a better place and she is at peace. Miss you every day Little Lucy.
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Reply to msdj
My heart is heavy as I read these stories. We, too, suddenly lost our beautiful Gracie in February 2014. We found her on the street at 3 months old, feral and living with her mother, who had given birth to two new kittens. We provided nourishment for all of them, eventually trapped and vetted them. Sadly, the mother escaped one evening and never returned. I'm sure she died that winter, as it was brutally cold. We found homes for the two kittens, and kept Gracie, who was still extremely feral. She slept and ate on our back porch and hissed and hid whenever someone entered her domain. I started sitting out there with her every night, just reading and ignoring her. Meanwhile, she would hide behind the curtains and look out the window, on full alert; eventually, she began ignoring me as well. This was actually progress! After about a month, she jumped down and looked at me. I just said hi and kept reading, at which point she slowly began to approach. I put down my book and lay down. She came a little closer, I reached out to pet her and when I touched her she jumped back. She must have decided she liked it, though, since 5 minutes later she was sitting in my lap, purring. I learned that it's not true that feral cats can't be domesticated; they just need to be able to do it on their own time and at their own pace. Flash-forward 13 years, and Gracie is the most dignified, gentle, and loving cat imaginable. Still hides when people come over, but can't get enough love from me. We had our little rituals, such as her climbing into my bed every morning to get cuddles and curl up against my chest to sleep. Her last morning, I got up to use the restroom and saw her just sitting on the floor in the other room. I said, "Hey sweetie, aren't you coming to bed with me?" She just sat there, looking at me, so I though that maybe she first needed to do her business or something. Got back in bed and within 5 minutes heard her crying. Went into the other room, and she was under the bed, having lost complete control of her back legs. I ran to get my husband and when we returned, a minute later, she had dragged herself across the room and was desperately trying to pull herself up onto her cat tree. I thought my heart would break. She was crying, and flopping around (desperately trying to escape the pain, I later learned), so we rushed her to the emergency vet, who told us--very kindly--that they put Gracie immediately on a rather hefty dose of painkillers, and that there was virtually no possibility that she would get better. She was suffering from an exclusively feline tragedy called "saddle thrombosis," in which a blood clot from the heart dislodges and travels down the main artery, only to lodge in the spot where the artery breaks off into each leg. The lodged clot cannot be removed, and won't dislodge on its own, so circulation is immediately cut off to the back legs, resulting in paralysis and extreme pain. We learned that saddle thrombosis is so painful that it is very important to get the cat to the vet asap, for pain relief. Once sedated, Gracie seemed in a daze, but was calm. I held her for awhile, and tried to to explain to her what had happened, how much we loved her, how utterly lost we would be without her, but that she would now be going someplace new. I don't think she heard me because she was so drugged. We then euthanized her and sent her for cremation. We left the hospital in complete shock. Not two hours earlier my beloved and very special cat--one, indeed, full of "grace"--had looked into my eyes with love and expectation. And now she was dead. I don't think I've fully processed losing her, even now. We have two other cats, both rescues, that we dearly love. But I must say, Gracie was that "special one," the one who taught me the meaning of dignity and trust and unmitigated love. There was no purer soul who ever walked this earth. I was unworthy of her love, but will be grateful for it every day of my life. And I thank all of the people here who have shared their stories for reaffirming that the love of an animal is not a love to be minimized, demeaned or dismissed, but to be honored. For it is nothing less than an honor to enter into that unique space of kinship with the other creatures of this world, and especially so when they seem to come into our lives for a reason. In the end, we are all family.
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Reply to MountainView
So very sad today. My 14 year old cat,Jasmine, passed away with no warning yesterday. Although I had brought her up from a kitten, for the last three years,she,along with another kitty, Pixie, had been living with a close friend due to problems with another cat I had.
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Reply to Bettinoir
Very sad day I came home from work and found my beautiful Tula Pom Pom had died this morning , an otherwise healthy girl only 8 yrs old. We had noticed that the last couple of days she had been more cuddly , so maybe she knew she was going to leave us , she looked peaceful , can't stop crying I know I wasn't with her but her brother was in the house , I'm so glad she was at home and wasn't out on her daily travels . She will be dearly missed.
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My 9 year old pal died a month ago and I'm still grieving for him. I woke up with his younger companion perched at the side of my bed facing me waiting for me to wake up. Thinking nothing of it I got a shower and ready as always. She followed me from room to room upstairs. Finally I came downstairs, turned the corner and in front of the litter box laying on his side I saw him. I got down on the ground and could see his tongue was blueish, and his eyes were rolled back. I picked him up and he fell into me like normal, he hadn't been gone long enough to even have any stiffening of his body. I rushed to the vet which is only a mile away but he was gone.
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Reply to carver1
I am really sorry to hear your story. Our daughter Momo who is a 4 year-old Scottish Fold has passed away today. She was looking very normal in the morning as active as before. And it all happens in 5 sec. She looked like she could not breathe and then made a sound like asking mommy for help. Then she passed away and fell down. I carried and sent her to vet immediately. But the vet told me she had no heartbeat already. I couldn't accept it as well as it is all too sudden. Everything was fine with her. Vet suggested this might due to heart attack….
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Reply to momo4ever
I myself like many of you was confused as to what happened to my kitty Hunter. I got up Friday morning and let the dogs out and usually my cat will follow me to the washroom to drink his morning water fresh out of the tap. Friday morning was different and he didn't come up. I didn't think much of it at the time and carried on with my day. When I got home that evening I asked the family if they have seen him today. Nobody had seen him so we began our search which resulted in finding him downstairs in his litter box slumped over deceased. He was already cold and stiff and gone. I am completely gutted and feel so guilty I didn't look for him that morning. Hunter was only 6 years old and showed no signs of illness. I will never know what happened, but reading everyone's stories has made me feel not so alone in my grieving. My condolences to each and everyone of you for your beloved fur babies. :(
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HE LOVED WATCHING THE BIRDS!! GOOD ONE OF HIM!! Life Moments caught! Like Joan Rivers and Robin Williams too ALIVE TO DIE!!! Glad I have pictures and Photo's of Littleboy-Trouble is Gone. Shocked!! Sad..
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Reply to Care
HE IS MEOWING - S0 SAD!! Life Moments caught!