Something bad happened, and I need help

[Hot as Flames]

My 7 month old, very beloved cat died very suddenly. She was energetic, good looking, & very clingy, she only went out to the small open field in front of our house to play, a few hours a day, she spent most of her time indoors.
She was perfectly fine until one night she started vomiting (at around 8pm), the discharge was white & foamy, & had no appetite. We didn't think too much of it, but later that night(10pm) her vomiting got worse, puking yellow bile & she was very lethargic, almost on the brink of fainting. We put her on a cat bed & decided we'd wake up early & take her the vet, but by the time we woke up (7am), she was in a different room, completely unconscious, with her eyes open, & breathing very faintly, her paws were cold & she had peed & vomited herself, & couldn't even move. As we were rushing to get ready, she started having seizures & we panicked, I tried to open her mouth & see if she was choking, but I couldn't get her jaw to open, her spasms stopped in a few minutes & she stopped breathing (7:30am). She was dead.

Does anyone know what could have been possible causes for her untimely end?
Could/should we have done something differently?

I have a strong suspicion that a neighbour had poisoned her, would that be the most likely cause?

We still have 2 other cats, one is the brother of my dearly departed, he's 7 months old as well. The other is a older, wiser, grumpier male at 5 years old. I fear they are at risk as well.

As for whether poisoning them was accidental or not, it very much wasn't, as said neighbour despises cats and us, & the neighbouring building isn't a residential one, so it has no refrigerator in use, no cleaning products stored at the spot.

Any response would be well appreciated.

 

[silent meowlook]

I am sorry for your loss.
It does sound like she got into something toxic, deliberate or not. Of course I can only speculate because I am not a Veterinarian and didn’t see her.

For the safety of your other cats, please keep them inside from now on or I am afraid they will suffer the same fate.

There are many deadly toxic things that cats get into. Different automotive fluids, certain plants, especially the Lilly varieties, essential oils, small rodents that have been poisoned, household cleaners, everyday foods like grapes, raisins, garlic, onions, chocolate, and so much more. But with such a quick death, within a day, it sure does sound like she could have been poisoned.

The only way to know why she died would be to have a necropsy done.

 

[Morpheus1967]

To happen that quickly, with no former symptoms, leads me to think poison as well. What makes you think it might have been the neighbor?

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry for your sudden and untimely loss. I agree with silent meowlook that this sounds like a toxin at work. If you suspect the neighbor, you need to keep your cats inside.Even if your neighbor did not set out to directly poison your cats, he sounds as if he dislikes animals enough that he might be using poisons and rodenticides on his property. Any rodent who has ingested poison and is then eaten by a cat will cause the death of the cat as well.

 

[SiameseCatOliver]

I had a very bad experience with my neighbor and who is a relative too who badly hurt my cat. I still cry about my poor cat and the suffering she endured. Unfortunately there are very nasty people in this world.Please keep your other 2 cats inside. They are safer inside. I am very sorry for your loss.

 

[klunick]

If it was poison, it would have needed to be treated immediately and even that isn't a guarantee depending on how fast the poison was absorbed. I am so sorry for your loss.