My cat suddenly died, please help.

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agentlopez

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My cat died suddenly. She is about 18lbs and was laying on my desk which is about 2 and a half feet off the ground. She was laying down looking at me and all of a sudden as if something frightened her; she pushed herself off the desk onto the floor and did not land on her feet. She moved her feet frantically as if she was running. She made weird weezing noises as if trying to catch her breath. She was not blinking or moving her head, but her legs were moving initally and stopped. She maintained a heart beat a half minute or so after she stopped moving. What could of happened? She was only 6 years old. I was on my computer and I now feel guilty because I was going to go to bed earlier and she was up on my desk because of me. Please help me, I am really sad and looking for answers.
 

hissy

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Sometimes there are no answers. The only way you would know is have a necropsy done on her- and even then the results can be nebulous. She could have had a stroke, 18 pounds is a big kitty for a 6 year old. She could have had genetic issues- she might have just landed wrong and ruptured something- it is hard to tell you what happened as I wasn't there and I do not know your cat personally. The necropsy only works if you keep her body as cold as you can till you drop her at the vet. I am sorry you lost your kitty- it is always tough when they leave, no matter how they go.
 

randiocoy

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I would not feel guilty. It could have been a heart attack. You can not blame yourself. You didnt do anything to your cat..... I think nature just took its course and be glad you had 6 years together.
 

katgoddess

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The way you describe the feet moving reminds me of my dog when she has a seizure. I'm not sure whether one can die from a seizure right away though.

I'm so sorry to hear. Don't feel guilty.
 
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agentlopez

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I keep going back and forth thinking it was my fault. Maybe I could of cought her, but maybe it was a siezure or something. I really do not know. There is no way to tell if it was from the fall or something genetic? Just does not make any sense. She seemed perfectly healthy and no abnormal behavior. It looked like she got scared and hit the floor and went into some sort of siezure/shock and just died. She breathed veryy heavily, but her head, eyes or mouth were not moving after she hit the floor. I tried looking at her staring into her eyes, but looked so lifeless.
 

kat89447

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I am so sorry about your loss. I am no vet, but it sounds like a stroke/heart attack. I don't know if she was overweight for her size, but this can cause both of these things to happen. Since you were right there I would rule out electric shock and things of that nature. You can ask for a necropsy, but they can be expensive, but chances are that she had a sudden death heart attack or stroke. Again, I am sorry for your loss, be glad you were on the computer with her. Chances are this would have happened anyway and your being there and knowing nothing could have been done will help you heal.
 

cloud_shade

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It definitely sounds like she a had a blood clot, probably causing a heart attack. Unfortunately, heart disease is often silent--when there are no symptoms, there is generally no reason to look for a problem. My big orange tabby died a similar death. He had been just fine when my parents came down the stairs, and he greeted them like always. A little while later, he let out a strange meow, and he was gone within minutes. In his case, we knew he had a heart murmur, but I don't recall treatment being suggested or offered. Often times, there are no symptoms at all. Certain breeds, like Maine Coons and Ragdolls, have a genetic predisposition for HCM.

Regardless, his death is not your fault. This could have happened anywhere he was, even on the floor, so your staying up late did not cause his death. I find that learning more about the cause can help me to understand it and therefore to heal. It is always hard to cope when we lose a loved one, and I hope you allow yourself time to grieve and heal from this loss.

Here are links to more information about Feline HCM:

http://members.aol.com/jchinitz/hcm/
http://harpsie.com/hypertrophic_cardiomyopathy.htm
http://www.petplace.com/cats/hypertr...ats/page1.aspx
 
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agentlopez

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Is it even possible for a cat to break something from a 2 and a half foot fall? She pushed herself off the desk about 2 feet outward and about 2 and a half feet downward. I have heard stories of cats jumping from very high places and surviving so I am not sure how a 2 and a half foot fall could kill a cat even if they did not land on their feet. Even if she did get scared, why did she not land on her feet? It just not make sense to me. I am not feeling guilty, but this cat was extremely affectionate towards me and I really need to know what happened or maybe someone that had others cats could help. Maybe one of you is a vet. This all happened so fast it felt like a bad dream. For some reason even though I was leaning over her and calling for my parents in the other room to help, I somehow felt that it was too late. I need to know if it was the fall that killed her. Obviously none of you were there, but maybe you can help somehow.
 

rosiemac

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I'm not really sure?. If she was fully awake they normally land on their feet?.

It might be an idea to give your vet a ring to discuss what happend and he/she might be able to shed more light?.
 

zoeysmom

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I'm very sorry for your sudden loss.


It sounds to me like the fall was a result of whatever caused her death, not the other way around. 2 and a half feet is not a tall height, and something was obviously wrong before she fell.

Try not to beat yourself up about this. By the sounds of it, it would have happened whether you were there or not, and you were "lucky" enough to be there for her in her last couple minutes.

Heart attack/stroke/blood clot/seizure all sound like the most likely possibilities to me. Perhaps read up a bit about those....it might help you understand that there wasn't anything you could do!

I hope that you find some peace soon.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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I think it sounds more as though whatever it was that she died from affected her before she jumped off the desk, causing her to land badly, rather than her landing badly causing the seizure.

Humans often get symptoms before a seizure or a migraine that warns us that they're coming. You say she woke as if at a fright - it's possible she began experiencing symptoms suddenly, had a shocked reaction, jumped off the desk (animals often take off when they are distressed or sick) and couldn't make it any further.

It certainly wasn't your fault and sounds to me like a stroke. I am not a vet and can only offer an opinion; I'm sorry if it's not very helpful. Mostly I just wanted to say I'm so sorry that you lost your kitty, especially in such a distressing way for you both. Poor little girl - at least you had six lovely years together and it was good that when she went, you were by her side.
 

roxsam

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I do not think the fall had anything to do with her death. A stroke, heart attack or seizure could all cause her to suddenly get frightened(maybe she sensed death coming, couldn't breathe, her body was shutting down??) and she fell b/c her body was not working properly anymore. I'm sure you giving her comfort on the floor during it was all you could have done, but unfortunately you probably won't ever know for sure what caused it.

I am so sorry for your loss. Hang in there .
 

cc12

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Sounds like a seizure or a stroke. My house mate at one time had a kitten that had a seizure and it was over very quickly and he died. There is nothing you can do. But the cat did that running thing. A 2 foot fall would not a killed her. Even scared cats land on their feet.
 

greenvillegal

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I am really sorry too. Please don't blame yourself. It is really hard not to though so I understand. I lost my kitty suddenly 3 months ago and we had to make a hurried decision to put him to sleep. We definitely felt guilty. I know you think about it after the fact. But this sounds like something happened like a heart attack and that caused the fall. Just stay here in this forum and we will get you through it.
 

babywukong

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Really sorry you lost your kitty. I agree strongly with what some of the others are saying - that your kitty had a stroke or heart attack and that's when she leapt off your desk. You were there, it was unlikely that you didn't notice a noise or anything that could have spooked her so badly that she leapt right off.

Whatever it is, she's resting and playing happily over the bridge now. Be glad for the small things, like the 6 years you spent with her, that you were with her in her final seconds of life, and that she died relatively quickly and painlessly. RIP kitty... What was her name?
 

rang_27

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I am really sorry for you loss, and I am sure there was nothing you could have done. It sounds like some sort of terrible disease process. As others have said, heart attack or clot. I had a friend who had a small dog and he was going out the door to go to the bathroom, and suddenly fell down the stairs and died. He was only 2. When the vet at the emergancy place looked at him she said he had a heart condition and she could tel by the color of his gums. My friend had taken him to the vet, for his checkups and he was neutered, sometimes things like this just slip under the vets radar.

Again I am sorry, be kind to yourself and take the time to grieve. What you are feeling is normal. It is so hard when they are suddenly taken from us.
 

trillcat

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Im so sorry you lost your kitty. I agree also with everyone else that it was probably a stroke/heart attack. There really isn't anything you could have done, and you were not the cause no matter how late you were on the computer. It would have happened regardless of that, and at least you were there for her to comfort her.
 
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