Odd death position ( Warning picture of a dead cat inside)

Shameem

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Hello,
A cat gave birth to 4 kittens outside our home and then she disappeared. I took care of the kittens and kept them in the backyard. As they've reached 4 months old, they started going outside and coming back.

Yesterday at noon, one of the kittens started vomiting yellow liquid but he was moving fine. I decided to take him to the vet the next day. Unfortunately, he died before I could take him. I find it very weird that he got sick and died in less than a day. His death position is also very weird ( never seen it before) and his body was hard. Do you know what could cause them to die like that? I showed it to the vet and she said it was an odd position as well
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FeebysOwner

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Anything that members suggest here is pure speculation and nothing more, as I am sure you know. My speculation is that he was poisoned, possibly by something he ingested while outside, and perhaps even experienced a seizure severe enough to end his life. The poisoning would explain the suddenness of his decline and also the likelihood of causing seizures. The positioning of his body might be explained if he was undergoing a seizure.

Just to be on the safe side, check outside for anything that he could have gotten into that might be a potential poison to avoid a recurrence with one of your other kittens.
 
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Shameem

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Thank you for your reply, it didn't occur to me that he might have had a seizure, makes sense and really breaks my heart! Poisining also makes sense, since some people outside can put poison in food for cats. But atleast I know now and perhaps I could hurry in treating others if they got sick before it's too late.
 

FeebysOwner

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Thank you for your reply, it didn't occur to me that he might have had a seizure, makes sense and really breaks my heart! Poisining also makes sense, since some people outside can put poison in food for cats. But atleast I know now and perhaps I could hurry in treating others if they got sick before it's too late.
If it is any consolation, given what your poor kitty was going through, he was likely 'unaware' what was happening if he did in fact have a seizure.

It would all depend on what the poison could be and how much might be ingested, but please keep in mind that many poisonings are fatal, and some can be irreversible in terms of damage if not lethal. I would still be scrutinizing what is going on outside around your house/area, and at least make sure you can alleviate any potential threats as much as possible.
 

daftcat75

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Death would have relaxed his muscles even if he was seizing. He just wouldn't be able to hold his arm up like that after passing. Rigor mortis happens later and fixes those muscles in place. Given his position, he may have passed sleeping against another kitten with the other kitten body keeping that arm elevated until rigor mortis fixed it in place. I also think it sounds like poisoning. 😿
 
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Shameem

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Thanks for your reply, I thought rigor mortis took hours to take effext? He just died a max of 2 hours before this. But I don't know might be.
 

Whenallhellbreakslose

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I am so sorry for the loss of your kitty. I know this is very painful for you. It could be a case of toxic substance as the others mentioned. I had a strange situation where I took a sick outdoor kitty into my garage and try to nurse him back to health. He got better and I let him out after 3 weeks only for him to go back down hill where I had to take him in again. He completely stopped eating and just laid in his hideaway bed. I checked on him the next morning and he had passed. He was not breathing at all. I was so upset I left him in his crate until the afternoon when I worked up the strength to retrieve his body. He moved since that time and was in his hideaway bed laying in a much different position than I saw him last. I was horrified. I read somewhere that their can be some muscle contractions after death, so I am thinking that is what has happened.

Once again I am so sorry for the lost of your kitty. RIP little one.😿
 

daftcat75

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Thanks for your reply, I thought rigor mortis took hours to take effext? He just died a max of 2 hours before this. But I don't know might be.
Rigor mortis takes 2 to 6 hours to set in according to Google.

I had my cat before last put to sleep. I had made arrangements beforehand to bury her in an animal sanctuary I volunteered for at the time. The sanctuary was a two hour drive away. I did have the foresight to put her body in a trash bag because bowels can evacuate after death. But I didn't expect rigor mortis to set in so quickly. By the time I got to the sanctuary, there was no repositioning her body. Whatever upsetting position she had in the bag was set.

It requires constant muscle contraction against gravity for him to hold his arm like that until rigor mortis set in. That's not going to happen with phantom contractions after death. I do believe the only way his arm could have set like that is if something or someone (like another kitten) was supporting it for him. Given that assumption, he probably died in his sleep and wasn't alone. It's still sad. But that's small consolation.
 

fionasmom

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I am sorry for your loss. In my years with animals I have had a lot of experience with deceased animals under various circumstances.

Poisoning sounds like the most likely cause of death for your cat and I agree with the time frame and description that daftcat75 daftcat75 has presented. Your poor cat did pass away against something that caused his body to stay in that position.
 
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