Sudden Death

[rosti]

I thought I'd ask this question on here while I remember it because I cannot remember to ask my vet. In January, I had a cat that was acting a little sluggish in the morning. I figured it was just because it was really cold. At night he wouldn't eat and in the morning he was dead. 24 hours. Any ideas what it could be?

 

[bentliy]

I'm so sorry about your baby. Did he have any known health issues? How old was he? If he was older, it could have been heart failure...

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss... 

 

[farleyv]

Also, if he was young, it could have been heredity.  I lost a barly 3 year old kitty a year ago due to an inherited heart condition.  One day fine, the next gone.

So very sad.  I am sorry you lost your little one.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

There is never a way to know for sure without a necropsy. It takes a while to get past losing one of our beloved pets. I think it might be worse when it happens so suddenly. I hope your memories will bring you peace.

 

[rosti]

He was about 5 months old. No health problems whatsoever. I don't know of any heart issues in his background.......

 

[farleyv]

Did you know his parents?  My little girl, Beeshee Marie, was the daughter of a feral male and a stray mom.  The feral male is no longer around. I think he succomed to something.' I adopetd the stray mom and she seems just fine.  So I attribute it to her father passing something bad to her.

'

My vet said with almost absolute certainty, that loosing a kitty that young, so suddenly, was indeed hereditary.  She had a very bad heart murmer and died of heart failure.

I hope you can rest knowing that probably there was nothing that could have been done.

God Bless.

 

[rosti]

I know his mom's side all the way back to great-grandma. She died young also and again we have no idea why. She acted weak, unstable, and she couldn't urinate or open her mouth. I don't think it was the heart. 

 

[farleyv]

If great gramma died young, there again, heridity may be playing a part.  Does not have to be the heart, but something , IMO, is being passed on in the genes.

Again, so very sorry.

 

[StefanZ]

Strokes arent so totally unusual, and are surely often the cause of these quick sudden deaths of otherwise healthy, not old cats.  Ruptured aorta may be another. Not unique with humans, so why not with cats?   To mention some other possibilities.

But it happens yes, they dont need to be 15+ to guickly go away, in a day or even in a couple three minutes.

Buth without a good necropsy(?), you cant know for sure why...

 

[rosti]

Well thank you for your help. I really miss him. http://i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q564/rosti2/Cats/IMG_4361.jpg

 

[dotsie]

I'm so sorry. Losing a loved one, pet or human, suddenly,  is always harder because there is no time to prepare. With animals we are more likely to blame this on ourselves, on "something we missed." They can't talk to us or tell us how they feel. But there are a number of issues that a kitty can inherit.  I would have a heart to heart with your vet about it, if you plan to talk to her/him in the future.

I had a kitty  who  had a sudden death while I was rushing him back to the vet.  He  had just been diagnosed that day with  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart). The vet didn't come out to talk to me, only spoke briefly to me on the phone. I had no idea how  serious it was until after he died. He was only  4. Had presented as very sluggish    and with a respiratory infection only four days before and I had taken him that day to the emergency vet, who scheduled appointment 4 days later with a  cat cardiologist. Six out of my seven cats got the respiratory infection. Because they were indoor cats, I did not keep them up to date on their vaccines (mistake, I think, now.).. However Harry was the only one who got sluggish and really sick. I believe the virus exacerbated his heart condition. Since that time, I get regular checkups for the kitties and I have found a vet I trust and can talk to.

He is so sweet in the picture. All the best.