My baby died suddenly yesterday

ezwriter

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I'm still in shock.

My Jellybean was only 6 years old. He was literally fine one minute, and dying in my arms the next.

I was getting ready to leave the house for a little bit. My mama cat, Shuggie, the mother of my other 4 (including Jellybean), was outside (she's the only one who gets to go outside unsupervised. She lived outside before I took her in, and gets very ornery and cranky if she doesn't get some outside time). I decided I wanted to complete a quick task on the kitchen table before I left. As I was finishing up, Jellybean jumped up on the table and plopped himself down right in front of me, so I spent a couple of minutes petting him. All of my other cats are domestic short hairs, but Jellybean was a domestic medium hair, so it always felt so nice to pet him, his fur was so thick and soft. Anyway, I remember I looked right into his eyes, and he looked right back into mine. I guess you could say we had a "moment". Then I heard Shuggie at the door, so Jellybean, like usual, ran to the door. I opened the door, and Jellybean ran out (this is what he always does. He loves going outside, but I don't let him outside unsupervised more than a few minutes.) Shuggie decided she didn't want to come in after all, so she turned to follow Jellybean.

Meanwhile, I felt the urge to pee, so I thought, "I'll go use the bathroom, then I'm gonna scoop out the litter boxes real quick, then I'll go outside and dump the litter bag and hang out with the Jellybean and Shuggie for a little while before I put them back inside and leave". I don't worry about Jellybean being outside for a couple of minutes without me. A lot of times, when I let him out, he sits by the door and waits for me to come out. Most other times, he just plops himself down underneath the nearest bush and enjoys the fresh air and the shade and the plant scent. So, it was no big deal and business as usual that I left him outside for a few minutes.I went to the bathroom (I'm a guy, so this didn't take long). Then I started scooping out the litter boxes, when I heard meowing at the door. I thought maybe something had scared Jellybean and he wanted back in, so I hurried to the door.

There was Jellybean on my front porch, lying on his side and meowing in a weird way. I took me a couple of seconds to realize that something was really, really wrong, and that he was in distress. I picked him up, and he was pretty much limp, and his pupils were dilated. Mind you, he was perfectly fine literally 3-4 minutes prior. He seemed to be dying right in front of me. There were a couple of gasps, but no more meowing after I picked him up. I ran inside, grabbed my keys and wallet, and ran to the car.

This is the part that is unbelievably infuriating. Of all the times for this to happen, A FedEx truck pulls up right behind my car and blocks me from leaving. The driver gets out with his package and says "gimme a second, I'll come back and move it for you". Of course, I SCREAM at him "MY CAT IS DYING!!! YOU NEED TO MOVE IT RIGHT NOW!!!". I'm holding my limp, dying cat in my arms, and he just continues up the stairs to deliver his package and completely ignores me.

I live in an apartment complex. It was a Friday afternoon. The parking lot was completely empty except for my two cars, and THAT'S the spot he chooses to park his truck, and then ignores my pleas to move it. Unbelievable.

Then he comes back down and again I SCREAM at him "MY CAT IS DYING!!!! I NEED TO LEAVE NOW!!!!"

His response was to yell and cuss at me "DON'T YOU F***ING YELL AT ME!!!" I literally thought he was going to get violent with me. But he finally moved his truck. (Yes, after I got home, I called and registered a complaint with FedEx. He'd left the packages outside my neighbor's door, so I was able to give them a tracking number, so they know exactly who this was. The guy on the phone was compassionate to a point, but when somebody tells you their cat died, is "have a great day!!!" really the best way to end the call? For me, it's NOT a "great day" and more than just rote repetition of pre-rehearsed niceties might be in order.)

Anyway, I think Jellybean died while I was waiting for this idiot to move his truck, or shortly after, on the way to the hospital, which is about 5 minutes away. I was trying to give him chest compressions on the way, but I couldn't do a very good job while driving.

They tried to save him, but he didn't make it. It doesn't seem to have been poison or anything, because it happened so quickly, there was no vomiting or blood or frothing at the mouth. I'm having the necropsy done. I need to know what happened to my baby. It is going to take 2 - 4 weeks. He had a checkup back in September, including a fecal sample, and everything was fine. The vet thought it might have been a heart attack, or a stroke. My neighbor said maybe a bee stung him and he was allergic.

I'm just so sad, and I feel so guilty that I couldn't help him. He needed me to save him, in his last moments he came back to the door and called for me to save him, and I couldn't save him. I tried, but I failed.

He was born under my bed, and yesterday he died in my arms only 6 years later. Yesterday I had 5 cats, and today I only have 4.

I barely slept last night.

On the one hand, I'm happy that I was able to get to him before he died and that he didn't die alone. He was with me, and his beloved Mama Shuggie were right there with him (he was completely, ridiculously devoted to his Mama, almost to the point of obsession, much to her annoyance. Anywhere she was, he wanted to be there too.) On the other hand, it was just a horrifying thing to have to experience.

Has anybody else here ever experienced their cat dying a sudden, mysterious death? I'm having trouble with of how unexpected it was, and how quickly it all went down. I mean, he seemed completely fine, and a few minutes later, he was gone, and I just can't believe it.

Rest In Perfection, Jellybells. You were simply magnificent, and it was an honor and a privilege to be your human. And I'm so, so sorry.
 

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zed xyzed

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I can't believe how cold an callus some people can be. I am so so sorry you lost your beautiful boy. I hope that you get some closure and find out what happened. Please take some comfort in knowing that your boy knew he was loved by his family and that you were there with him when he passed
 
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neely

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I'm so terribly sorry to hear about your boy, Jellybean, passing away. :hugs: To answer your question, no, I have never experienced a cat dying suddenly but I'm sure other members can share their stories with you. It will give you closure when the necropsy report comes back. Until then, my heartfelt sympathies go out to you. If it's any consolation, please take comfort in knowing that Jellybean had a loving and caring home and you were with him in his final hours. RIP sweet angel.:angel:
 
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kittyluv387

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The callousness of some people...wow. But it sounds like he would have passed anyway even without those dumb people. Sometimes our pets (and people) do just pass suddenly because there is something wrong with them and we just have no way of knowing beforehand. My cat has actually done something similar to yours. But he did get up afterwards and is now fine, supposedly. We took him to the vet and everything was seemingly normal. Really strange stuff so I keep a close eye on him all the time since that incident. I hope you get some answers. So sorry.
 

Furballsmom

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jefferd18

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I am very sorry for what you went through in the effort to save your boy. I would call the company again and try to talk to somebody else. It would have taken that driver not even a minute to move his van.

Yes, I lost my baby girl, Jeff, in similar circumstances last Spring. My vet told me that when death comes on that fast, without any warnings, it is either a blood clot or a heart attack. It is very sudden and the cat doesn't feel a thing, which is good for the kitty, but unsettling for us.
 

movinintime

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EZ, oh man my heart is gone:( Seeing this and his beautiful black fur makes me in tears for you and him. I too feel this love back in '08 with our alpha black cat and he died only at 8 yo of kidney failure. I couldn't drive from vet after holding him as he was injected and kicked his last kick. I still am haunted and everytime I see a black cat I think it is him. I really can't keep typing b/c im in tears but I feel soo bad for you and him.

Please know God has a plan for him and you WILL see him again in our afterlife. If not for this I would not be here today. i truly believe this, otherwise there is nothing that comes close to it and the losing of a loving pet. Even boht my parents have since passed yet i understood their deaths far easier. i took Boo's death and MY heart to MY grave that day of 9/5/08.

Please take car of you and celebrate his loving memory. please do something special for him, ok? for all of us.
 

Twylasmom

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I am so sorry for your loss, and for having it happen in such a traumatic way. I lost my cat Lucy to sudden death. She was snuggling me on the bed early in the morning and went to the kitchen to eat. I heard an odd sound from her and a thump and found her lying immobilized on her side and she died before I could ge her to the vet. She had a diagnosed heart problem and died two days after my other cat had to be euthanized. It was awful.

Hang on to your good memories and know you did all you could for him.
 

les26

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I am so sorry for your loss and in such a traumatic way, I know how it is because a few years ago I had Sebastian die in my arms, and while it was absolutely horrible at the time over time I have come to appreciate the fact that he didn't die alone, I held him, and since I got him as a stray at work I was the first to hold him and also the last as Deb says, but it is just so stressful and traumatic, I know.

Yes, our first cat Smoke died suddenly many years ago, she was in the foyer and I was reading the paper and I noticed her jumping up and down and I assumed that she was playing with a bug. But when she continued it I went over to see what she was playing with and nothing was there, I noticed she was flipping about because of convulsions, so we called a local vet literally minutes away, explained it to them and they had the nerve to tell us they were closing to take her to the emergency vet about 30 minutes away so they were my Fed Ex driver :angryfire: :mad:So we were driving up there only about 10 minutes into the trip and Deb said "I think she's gone" and she was, they tried to revive her but couldn't, said she must've had a heart attack and I even went to our real vet at the time a few days later and told her about it and she said "even if I was in the room with her with medicine I probably couldn't have saved her, these things sadly just happen", and I think that's what happened here, something sudden and catastrophic unfortunately.

Whatever it was please now he is fine now, just fine, and you will meet again one day and it will be wonderful.

"Their last breath on Earth is their first breath in Heaven" :rbheart:

I am so sorry, I hope that your heart heals a bit more each day, God Bless......:alright: :grouphug2: :rbheart:
 

Mamanyt1953

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Rest you gentle, Jellybean, dream you deep. Your pawprints are on someone's heart forever.

As much as it hurts to write this, and as much as I applaud your call to UPS (and suggest calling back and speaking with a supervisor about that "have a great day!"), I have a suspicion so deep and strong as to be a certainty that it would have made no difference. Whatever took Jellybean was catastrophic, and had it happened IN a vet's office, I think the outcome would have been the same. And what a cold, cold comfort that is. And I suspect that Jellybean knew he was leaving This Adventure for his Next Great Adventure, and was determined to have you with him as he started that journey. He never expected you to fix anything, only to send him on his way with your love to guide him. That you did, in spades.
 

Jem

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I'm so so sorry for your loss.
And yes I have had a cat die suddenly, and it was from cardiac arrest. Granted he had a thyroid condition which damaged his heart, but the event of his death was in itself unexpected and sudden. He was gone in less then 10 minutes, and nothing would have saved him.
Jellybean, I am sure, could not have been saved, so what little comfort as that may provide you, I hope you still take it to heart and allow yourself to not feel guilty. You provided him with love and comfort till the very end and I'm sure Jellybean knows what a lucky kitty he was and he will forever cherish the life he had with you, even if that life was cut too short. I hope you will find peace day by day and that the results will help heal your heart.
RIP Jellybean, you were and forever will be loved and cherished.
 

Norachan

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I'm so sorry. What an awful thing to have gone through.

I lost one of my girls suddenly a few months ago. It's harder when they seem to be fine one minute and then dying the next. You have no time to prepare yourself for letting them go, the way you would with an older or sickly cat.

Jellybean was such a handsome boy. I'm glad he spent his whole life with you. It sounds as if he was loved and content right up to his last few minutes on earth.
 
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ezwriter

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Thank you everybody for your kind and comforting responses.

It's hard. I am really missing his presence. He had such a big, unique personality, and I just enjoyed him so much. He was definitely the oddball/weirdo of the family, and I loved him for it. I loved everything about him and I loved taking care of him.
 

Jcatbird

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First, do pursue letting Fedex understand about the totally inappropriate behavior and cruel response of that driver. The phone response sounds like someone who followed how they are directed to end a call because they had no idea of what a loss like this means. Perhaps pursuing the FedEx fiasco will prevent anyone else from facing such callous actions.

You gave Jellybean everything while he was here. You held him close to your heart. I have lost more than one very quickly. Sometimes I think the younger they are, the more we feel it isn’t right. I have come to understand that what counts for our loved ones is being happy for whatever time they are here. It’s obvious from your words that Jellybean was greatly cherished, loved and happy. You gave him the best thing you could ever have given. I know that being there at the end was so hard. I can tell you, from experience, that our loved ones wait for us if they can in order to give us that time to love them one last time. This brings back very strong memories for me. You made Jellybean trust that you would keep everyone okay so he could go on to a new journey. You must be the greatest of kitty parents. I know they take a part of our hearts when they go but they also leave part of their hearts with us. That bond will always tie you together. I believe you will find each other again. Whatever caused him to leave, you did everything a human can do. His family cannot take his place but together you can give each other comfort as Jellybean watches over you. He’s somewhere now doing some oddball thing because you let him know how great it was that he was different. You are great for showing him that. My heart is with you.
 

di and bob

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The times I had a cat die like this, one was from being hit by a car (a few seconds after leaving the house) the other from an undiagnosed congenital heart problem. Your precious little one, seemingly so normal just a few minutes before, had something catastrophic happen also, I would venture to think a heart problem. In one so young, and acting normal, there would have been no reason to check for heart problems. I would suggest the next time you bring the remaining three siblings in to have a simple x-ray taken, inexpensive and worth the peace of mind. My sincerest condolences on this shocking end to such a precious one's life.......I hope you can remember looking into his eyes that last time. You will feel the bond you two had, know in your heart that something as special as that could not end. It is love and so eternal.
You have your remaining babies to care for and comfort, they, in turn, will provide you with comfort of their own. Jelly bean would not want you to be overly sad, just as you would want for him to live on if you were the first to go, so he wants for you. He loved life and all the pleasures it brought and would want for you to let him live on through you now, letting his love be added to and grow within your soul. He will be forever as close as your thoughts and prayers. Although he now follows a new path, it will forever parallel your own.
I know nothing will ease the pain you are feeling right now, I hope by sharing your tribute to this wonderful boy, it will help you find some peace. I have found that doing something good in my loved one's name helps a little to make you feel a little better about yourself. Give a small donation or food and litter to your local shelter, or play with the kittens that need socializing. May God bless you for your suffering.........RIP dear Jellybean. You will be dearly missed, you will forever have a secure place in a loving heart. May the good Lord bless and keep you, until you meet again!
 

solomonar

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We are all born with a compassionate heart, we all are born to love and care. But life is not a Honey River and for some, constant troubles and difficulties erode compassion and love. That is unfortunate, of course, but what else can we do than love such people?

Explaining them that we pass through difficult time and we understand they have a difficult life, that is not easy to do: we are angry, we lost our beloved ones, so we legitimately think that we have to right to be angry on such people. And of course we have this right.

For a cat ignorant, such sad events are not understandable, he/she lost the capacity to understand sometime in their life. Explaining how much we love our cats - how much time and affection we have for them. Tears are much more powerful than a thousand guns.

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Sometime nothing can be done.

A cat I know passed the bridge under the careful care of 2 experienced vets. Nothing could be done. Heart is so complex! In humans, only 1 out of 2 patients reaching a specialist hospital with an aortic dissection, in time, can make it. Only 50%, when it is available million dollars equipment and 4-5 ultra-specialized surgeons.

Poison? That is the most horrific thing humans do, and we cant stop them. Rat poison, like anti-personnel mines, is not selective. And has no cure. See, is our horrible, destructive human nature at play.

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I am very sorry for your loss and for what happened. Your fight was brave, nobody could do more than you did! And be sure Jellybean the Cat knows it!

Hugs and tears!
 
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