My cat died suddenly and the vet can't tell me why it happened

Last Tuesday night, my 4 year old cat was his normal self.  He was a healthy cat. The next morning, I found him dead in his bed. He had to have died sometime that night as his body was already stiff. The vet did a necropsy and all they could find that was unusual was that his tongue was slightly thickened/swollen like he bit it. Any ideas on what could have caused his death. The vet didn't mention anything wrong with his heart.

kja4876 said:

 
Last Tuesday night, my 4 year old cat was his normal self.  He was a healthy cat. The next morning, I found him dead in his bed. He had to have died sometime that night as his body was already stiff. The vet did a necropsy and all they could find that was unusual was that his tongue was slightly thickened/swollen like he bit it. Any ideas on what could have caused his death. The vet didn't mention anything wrong with his heart.

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I'm so sorry for your loss.  Cats have been known to die suddenly from hypertophic cardiomyopathy but this should be visible on a necrospy due to a thickening of the wall of the heart.  So other than that I have no idea really,  but you could ask about that.

I'm so sorry!  Hugs.

Any chance that he ate/drank something bad?  I'm not sure if the necropsy would pick that kind of thing up or not.

I can't imagine what he could have ate or drank that would have killed him so quickly.  He's an indoor cat and we don't leave any chemicals out.  There was no sign of vomiting or digestive issues around his body.

I think I will have to call the vet back and see how thorough a necropsy they did.

Sorry for your loss. Same thing happened to 2 of my cats. I don't know why it happened....

I'm so sorry for your loss.  It's never easy to loose our furry loved ones, but it makes it even harder when you don't know why

Something so sudden usually indicates a heart problem, but it could be any number of conditions such as a blood clot or aneurysm. I hope it's some comfort to you that it seems your precious boy didn't suffer if he was still in his bed. I know it's such a heart breaker not knowing how it happened, I hope you find some answers. Please accept my condolences, I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. It helps to talk to others who know what you are going through, my heart goes out to you. RIP beautiful boy, the heavens have gained yet another perfect angel!

I talked to the vet again.  It seems they did a pretty thorough necropsy.  There were no issues with his heart or any other internal organs, no blockages, etc.

The only they noticed is that it looked like he bit his tongue - so I'm guessing it was a seizure or a brain issue so quick he didn't even have time to get up from his bed.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I'm sorry for your loss ms. cat love.

whew....that's so sad...I'm so sorry.... I guess the only somewhat comforting news is your kitty didn't suffer.... but so devastating for you..

It sounds like an allergic reaction because his tongue was swollen. Perhaps a bee sting. Could he have been exposed to permethrin?

Cats can also die of falls. I had a cat fall and break her neck. I was only out of the room for 20 minutes and I found her dead on the floor. It was Dinky's older sister. Dinky is the cat in my profile photo. 

That's so awful! I'm sorry for your sudden loss. Like mnm said, at least he went very quickly and didn't suffer.

I kno how you feel my cat maya died last year on thanksgiving instantly, her tongue was sticjing out and her eyes rolled back i think she had a siezure. Yesterday my little kitten died after being nueter. My heart i crush.my condolences to you..its shocking

I am sorry for your loss

Have you ruled out venomous spiders in your area?

How about flea treatment? Over the counter flea treatment (like collars, and oils you can buy from Walgreens) can kill cats. My first cat died from the stuff year ago. 

I don't think it was an allergic reaction because the vet said specifically that he bit his tongue.  I don't think it was a bee or a spider.  He did not fall as he was lying in his cat bed when he was found.  He used Revolution for flea treatment and it had been quite a few weeks since he was last treated (I was actually out of Revolution and was planning going to the vet to get some more, since he was due soon).

Thank you for your suggestions though.