So Unexpected Our Boo is Gone

We had 4 cats. One of which passed away last night. There was no indication that this cat has any illness, ever. We got him about 2 yrs. ago from a spay/neuter clinic where he had been left. Our other 3 cats had been to the vet from time to time for minor illnesses (they are all indoor cats) but never this one. He always seemed to be so healthy and full of energy.

Last night I opened my closet bathroom door to find him dead. It had to have happened within a two hour period. I don't know if the door was shut all of the way when I opened it or just pulled to, but in any event there were no claw marks or any indication that he was trying to scratch his way out. Even if he was locked in there, he's been in there and other cabinets before to sleep, so there was plenty of air. The ONLY thing we can think is that he had some kind of heart condition that was triggered by looking at some strays that had started coming around the past month or so. I started feeding them so I can get them to the neutering place to have them fixed. He would run from window to window some times to watch them. Possibly he fell from the bathroom window and hurt himself and went to the closet to be alone.

If anyone has ANY idea at all about what could have killed my baby, please share it with me. Quite naturally we are very distraught and blaming ourselves for either not knowing there was something wrong, or thinking maybe he WAS locked in the closet and got scared. My huband read on line that a cat can die suddenly without warning from an undetected heart condition. He was the most loving and sweet baby. We are so very very sad. Thank you for any answers you may have.

I have no answers, but I'm so very sorry for your tragic loss. Things like this do happen sometimes. Rest in peace little Boo.

I dont know either Im so very sorry for your sad and tragic loss.

Rest In Peace Boo.

Oh my gosh!!! That is just terrible. I am so sorry. I hope you can have comfort in knowing that he went peacefully.

Sorry about Boo. I had a Boo once too, many years ago.

Wow, it's hard to know. Did Boo chew on things, like power cords? Since it was a bathroom closet, any possibility of having ingested any medicine?

Sometimes you just never know. I came home to find an indoor only kitty with a broken hip once. Stuff happens.

Was Boo a younger kitty?

Thank you to everyone for responding. Boo was about 2 1/2 yrs old. Since I got him from a Spay/Neuter place (someone left him there), I don't know too much about him. I don't think he chewed on a wire or ate anything. He typically wasn't the one to do either of those (I have 3 other cats that are always in trouble). Boo was the best little boy. He was a scardey cat and really only let us even hold him the last year. Once he let us hold him though, he became the most loving baby in the world. He woke me up just about every morning. Jumped up in the bathroom window at my bathtime to keep me company (and watch the back yard) and he was so loving and special. It took him a long time to trust us, but when he did he was so sweet.
We did some research online and found that some cats can have heart conditions that you never know about and it can take them suddenly. I guess I find a little comfort in thinking that may be what happened to him.

Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.
Donna

Donna,

You are not the first person that posted that their cat died suddenly that seemed to be in perfect health. They can have heart problems and die unexpectly. Don't blame yourself. I'm really sorry about your loss

I really needed to hear that from someone. I was blaming myself for a while because I just started feeding some feral cats in my yard a few weeks ago to get them used to me so I can trap them and get them neutered. My husband said Boo would get so excited watching them through the windows that maybe it was more than he could take. I told him I thought he enjoyed going from window to window to see them (esp. since he was an indoor cat) but when my husband said it may have been more than he could take I started blaming myself. Thank you for letting me know about the other posts; I would much rather believe that he had some problem that we did not know and had no control over.
Thank you again.
Donna

My boyfriend's former roommate had a cat that passed away suddenly at five years of age. She had an autopsy done on the cat and he had had an enlarged heart. At least you got to love him for a couple years and he knew that he was loved.

I'm so very sorry for your loss.
Rest In Peace sweet Boo.

Please don't blame yourself, I don't believe for one second that the fact you started to feed the feral cats had anything at all to do with Boo's death.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

RIP Boo

I am sorry for your loss

Don't blame yourself, apparently sudden death from undetected heart conditions is much more common in cats than in any other domesticated animal. I was reading an article recently that talked about the results of studies that had shown sudden heart failure to be the number one cause of unexpected death in cats - so please put your mind at rest that there is a good chance that this was the cause, and that there was absolutely nothing you would have been able to do to prevent it. I know it won't take away your hurt and pain, but if it was that please try to take some comfort in the fact that it would have happened very quickly and he wouldn't have suffered.

Rest in peace Boo

I dont have any answers, I just wanna say how very sorry I am.

May Boo RIP

Friends of ours had a cat die this way a number of years ago. The man came home to find the youngest most active of their several cats apparently asleep in the driveway -- but she was dead. And that was the explanation their vet gave them. Very devastating. I'm sure there was nothing you could have done or anticipated. The hole that Boo leaves is no smaller for that, but whatever the cause, know that Boo is safe and comfortable now, and watching over the family that loved him.

RIP Sweet Boo

Thank you for your thoughts. It really does help to know that people care enough to respond. I'm just so sad and I try to move on, esp since I have 3 other cats and they are grieving as well. I feel such a void right now, so it's hard.

Again, thanks for being there. My Boo was very special and just a free spirit.

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to respond to my post. My husband contacted the Vet this morning about Boo's untimely and sudden death. He told her about the feral cats that I was feeding and about Boo being found in the closet. She said that in all likelyhood, Boo died of heart worms. She said even indoor cats (which is what all my babies are) can get it and since many times there are no symptoms, it goes undetected. She said they instictavely know when they are sick or passing away and they will go off to a closet to be alone. I'm so very sad that I didn't know and that such a free spirit like Boo was sick and we didn't know it but I feel so much better that I don't have to blame myself anymore.

Now I can work on pulling my other 3 furbabies through their apparent depressions.

Just thought I would update everyone and thank you again for your kindness.

Thanks for the update. That is reassuring. Love on your remaining babies, talk to them about Boo, you'll pull each other through.

I'm sorry for your loss Donna. RIP Boo.

So sorry for the sudden loss of your free spirit boy. Love the other cats and let them love you. You will find comfort in each other.