Lost my Baby

this morning...

I have read these forums for awhile and decided to join today because I need help, guidance, answers....

I have had cats all my life and I have had 3 pass away before, very hard, very heartbreaking. But all 3, 2 were sick with cancer (I could and did prepare for their deaths) and 1 died suddenly but she was 16 and kinda chalked it up to old age and she died at home and had a great life type of thing...

Excuse me if I am rambling...

I woke up this morning at 5:30 am to a huge thump. I then within a few seconds heard that horrible meow/howl that I associate cats that are in in pain or dying. He fell off my bed, I believe, and was all the floor. I picked him up and he was limp. I panicked. I ran to my living room where my husband fell asleep the night before. I yelled for him to get up and I was trying to look for my pants to get him to the vet hospital. I heard another howl and I went into the bedroom where he was and he was dead. I heard his brother howl a couple of times. I think he knew that his brother passed.

I didn't try to preform CPR and not even sure it would have worked. I just simply panicked and honestly didn't even think of CPR at that the time.

He just turned 2 a few months ago and he is a Maine Coon.

He did have a wonderful day yesterday - he got lots of pettings and rubbings and even extra treats.

He was acting completely normal.

His name was Ozzy.

I knew the problems associated with the breed and I took my chances and I lost.

I never had a cat die from sudden death before and this is just too much to bear right now. I feel lost.

I look back at things now and maybe I just did not pay enough attention...

1) I probably should have him tested for CHM

2) Throughout his life, here and there, he had coughed... not too often, but today I realized that it could have been heart related and not just hairballs. (I put him and his brother on laxatone because I do notice that they do not cough up hairballs at all and was worried that they were not passing i.e. the coughing

I honestly didn't realize it was "coughing" it just sounded truthfully to me like he wanted to hock up a furball and couldn't

3) He got a recent clean bill of health from the vet 2 weeks ago, BESIDES a slight rapid heartbeat...

Me and the vet kinda just said that he was excites/scared from being at the vet

I am getting an appointment for his brother to check his heart now. My vet and I decided not to go for an autopsy and spend the money towards his brother. The vet honestly and truly thinks his was his heart.

I lost my baby and yes I still have his brother, but I guess I am just in self-pity mode right now and I honestly feel so lost. Nothing is helping, not his brother, not my husband, not my family...

I just don't know what to do.

So as I write this I am crying because within 3 years I have lost 3 cats and yet again I am going to bury the ashes with the Rainbow Bridge poem.

I feel done. I am just so tired of the pain.

has he been tested for heartworm? I read an article about  a person who had a cat who died extremely sudden and had an autopsy of the cat and it had heartworms. and since you mentioned he had a cough and your vet thinks it was his heart, I'm just curious if he was ever tested. and i'm very very sorry about you loss. I can't imagine how you felt.

I'm very sorry for your loss. We lost our cat to HCM not quite 5 months ago and know how heartbreaking the disease is. It's not something you expect to take the life of a cat as young as yours, though it unfortunately happens all too often. that his brother is clear of the disease.

RIP, Ozzy, you left far too soon.

When we first got Ozzy and his brother, we did have him tested for heartworm and tested negative, but that was 2 years ago. They are not outdoor cats at all, but I do realize that I have heard that indoor cats do get infected.

I talked it over with my husband, and maybe for my piece of mind, we might get the autopsy done.
 

I hope if you do get it done, that they find the cause of such a sudden tragic death. I wouldn't know what I would have done if I seen or heard my cat In that state, I probably would of thrown a lot of things and asked, why her. so sorry for you loss ;(

Oh my goodness what a horrible shock that must have been for you, l'm so sorry for your loss

View media item 170522Ozzy

I am sorry for your loss. I hope you don't blame yourself. Your cat was loved and knew it. In time, may your memories be sweet and bring you much deserved peace in your heart.

I am so very sorry for your loss!