Sudden Death of Cat

[Ohbehave007]

My cat suddenly died this morning. There was no warnings or signs that he was in distress. He was sitting on his cat house enjoying his breakfast one minute and on the ground the next. He tensed up and look as though he was going to vomit then went limp. I tried to perform CPR and didn't notice anything blocking his air way. We called the emergency vet line and were told that if he wasn't breathing and no pulse was felt that there was nothing more they could do. Our vet is closed until Monday so they aren't available to answer our questions. I was wondering what might have caused this. He made no noise and didn't look as though he was in any pain, just very scared. Besides having surgery in 2009 to remove a bladder stone he was a happy and healthy 6 year-old European short hair.

Any information you can give is very welcomed. I'm just very confused about it all.

[Ohbehave007]

Thank you for your nice reply!

We are watching our other cat, Kitten, very closely. He has a check up later today to make sure all is well. He doesn't seem to lonely yet...but I know he will need some fluffy friends sooner or later, I'm just not ready yet.

We brought our cat home in a little blue urn with a sleeping cat on top. It is very cute. I placed in on a handmade pillow I made just for it.

I will keep everyone updated on what the vet says about Kitten.

[Piparskeggr]

Read about your kitty...my condolences.

Never easy to lose one of our furry friends, especially in an unexpected manner.
Looks like you were a good guardian (and continue to be with other kitty).

Back in 2000, we lost 2 of our 3 pretty suddenly within 4 weeks of each other.
Last Cat (Cammie) lived almost 4 more years (21+ at the end).

We watched her for a couple of weeks, wasn't doing good as solo cat, so we got her a kitten, another a year later, and another the following year.

Younger cats respected her as boss cat.

So kudos for safeguarding your remaining kitty, they do indeed grieve (I think), kitty may need a little friend...you'll know.

BTW, We have our 4 we've lost over the years in nice tea tins. =)

[Ohbehave007]

Thank you both so much.

Going through that list and checking off the things I know couldn't have been it really has helped. The emergency vet operator told us that it sounded like cardiomyopathy, but it could have been an aneurysm or anything brain related. He was an inside cat so I am pretty sure he didn't get into any anything poisonous. I'm also pretty sure it wasn't FIP, Leukemia, or kidney failure since he showed no signs of illness. He was also monitored by a vet because he was prone to bladder stones (he had surgery to remove one in December 09) and has been on a special diet that we get from the vet ever since. I'm also pretty sure it wasn't heartworm but in the end it will stay a mystery.

We are going to get our other cat checked out ASAP to insure he is perfectly healthy (I don't want anymore surprises). If it was some kind of infectious illness then I'm pretty sure he would have it too since they lived so closely. He hasn't shown any signs of illness either and at the moment he is just sad to no longer have his big brother around to torment.

I'm taking it one day at a time and trying hard to remember the more positive memories. We did pick up his urn yesterday and it is a little comforting to know that he is back with the people he loved in some way.

[FurballsMom]

I'm so sorry.  It's never easy to lose our furry friends and family members to death, but it's so much harder to lose them so suddenly.  As I read your story, I could only imagine how I would feel if something suddenly happened to my Akira.  My heart certainly does go out to you for your loss.  I wasn't sure of the many things that could cause sudden death.  I'm glad nancyjac provided a short list of answers.  I was sure of only two of those causes that she listed, since they are the equivalence to sudden causes in humans.  Again, my condolences on the loss of your precious kitty.

[nancyjac]

A few things that can result in sudden death:

Cardiomyopathy
Heartworms
Aneurysm
Poisoning
Toxoplasmosis
Feline infectious peritonitis
Feline leukemia virus
Chronic kidney failure hemobartonellosis

My condolences on your loss.

[Ohbehave007]

Here is what Wikipedia says about European Shorthairs:

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Shorthair

The European shorthair (or Celtic shorthair) is a breed of short-haired cat originating in Sweden. It's a recently recognised breed established to preserve the naturally occurring cats that have lived in European villages and cities for ages. Many people incorrectly refer to any stray cat as a European Shorthair.

It doesn't mention any genetic diseases or problems.

It has been pretty rough today since he is being cremated at some point today. It hit me that I will never see him again. Your kind words really do mean a lot. Thank you.