My beloved cat died suddenly, and I’m in shock. What happened?
Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
I had the shock of my life today.
My cat, Zoe, was only 5 years old and she was the most beautiful cat I ever laid eyes on. She was a large cat, not fat at all, but large and quite heavy. Yesterday, I picked her up and noticed that she looked the same but felt lighter in weight. She was fine, ate with no problems at all. Slept a lot. This morning I saw her sitting in the laundry room where her littler box is. She did not act right, I picked her up and she was making a type of gagging noise. Not like choking noises, but just noises. Her pupils were dilated and her gums were white. I rushed her to my vet where he said her lungs were badly filled with fluid. She was going downhill quickly. He said she might have severe pneumonia, cancer or congestive heart failure. He did not feel that cancer treatment would help; if it did she would not last long at all. He also said if they hospital thought it was severe pneumonia, she would be in an oxygen tent, perhaps for days. Zoe was in a lot of trouble and her breathing was extremely labored. I noticed there were droplets on blood/phlegm on the exam table where her mouth had been. I decided it would be more humane to put her out of agony and she was was put down right away.
When she died, a lot blood and fluid expelled from her mouth. My vet said then he thought she had heart failure or heart congestion when he saw that. I am still in shock. Zoe was fine until this morning. I can’t figure out what could have happened. She was an indoor cat. She never had any problems and was never sick. I do recall once hearing her vomit last week, or the week before. It is killing me that I might have done the wrong thing by not trying some kind of treatment — but she was failing so quickly, right before my eyes. She was my baby and I love her so much.
I can’t believe that something like this happened so quickly. I had no time to prepare. Can a cat get so sick without any notice? She was fine! Could cancer do this? Zoe was here one day and gone so fast. And why???
Thank you.
~Barbara
Siouxsie: Barbara, we’re so sorry for your loss. Mama cried when she read your letter, because she knows the pain of suddenly losing a beloved cat friend.
Thomas: There’s no way you could have known what was about to happen to Zoe. You’d been taking her to the vet regularly, she was an indoor-only cat, and you clearly were very aware of and cared deeply about her health and happiness.
Dahlia: From your description of her white gums, it sounds like Zoe had lost a lot of blood. But because she was bleeding internally, you couldn’t have known that until she became really sick.
Siouxsie: Although it’s possible that Zoe had cancer, we think it’s pretty unlikely, considering that she was so young. Cancer is a disease that usually occurs in senior cats (age 7 and older). That’s not to say that young cats never get cancer, but it is very rare.
Thomas: If Zoe had had severe pneumonia, you would have known it. She would have been coughing and uncomfortable for several days. She probably would have had wheezy breathing, too. If your cat had a respiratory infection that bad, you would have known it days before. And because you’re a good and vigilant caretaker, you would have taken her to the vet long before it reached the fatal stage.
Dahlia: Zoe could have had congestive heart failure. But again, this condition is pretty rare in cats as young as Zoe was. The only cat with acute congestive heart failure we’ve ever known was our kitty grammie Shaughnessy, who was 17 when she was afflicted.
Siouxsie: Typically, congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs as a result of some other disease — a severe bacterial infection such as a dental abscess, that affects the heart, or chronic heart disease. Since you said Zoe was healthy and didn’t suffer from any other diseases, and because an abscessed tooth would cause symptoms such as lethargy, pain on chewing or avoidance of hard food, and fever, we think you would have noticed that too.
Thomas: Zoe’s death could have been caused by a ruptured aneurysm. An aneurysm is a weak spot in the wall of an artery or vein that can rip open and cause an animal (or human) to bleed to death very quickly. There’s no way you or your vet could have known that Zoe had such a condition. Aneurysms are pretty rare, but they’re not unheard of in animals.
Dahlia: There are a lot of reasons that Zoe could have gotten so sick so quickly, none of which are your or your vet’s fault. Sometimes awful things just happen for no reason we mortal beings can know.
Siouxsie: Please try not to beat yourself up with guilt over the circumstances of Zoe’s death. You made the right decision when you chose to end her suffering. If you had pursued more treatments, it sounds to us like she probably would have died anyway — and she would have had to endure a lot more pain and terror in the process.
Thomas: You mentioned that you’d heard Zoe vomit recently. Trust us, vomiting is generally not a sign of impending death or severe illness. Why, just last week I horked up the biggest hairball Mama had ever seen! I’m quite impressed with myself. (I didn’t care too much for the Laxatone she fed me afterwards, though.)
Dahlia: One of the greatest gifts you humans can give us is the gift of a humane death. We cats view it as the ultimate act of love and courage when you choose to let us go rather than allowing us to linger in suffering and pain. We have it on good authority that dogs and horses feel the same way.
Siouxsie: We wish we could answer the question of why your beloved Zoe was taken away from you so suddenly. But unfortunately, we don’t know any more than you do why the Creator chooses to give each animal a different lifespan.
Thomas: We do know that grief is a process, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to allow yourself to grieve. We hope you have people around you who will understand that Zoe’s death is a major loss for you and who will have compassion for just how heartbreaking it is to lose an animal companion so suddenly.
Dahlia: Humans seem to be getting better at understanding that pet loss is a valid reason to grieve. There are resources on the Internet that can help you get through your grief process. The Animal Love and Loss Network offers free online chat rooms and support groups. They also have extensive directories of resources, including counselors who will help people grieving the loss of a pet; animal tribute pages; and much more. Petloss.com provides a venue to write a memorial to your pet, and it has message boards where you can get support from other animal caretakers. Many other animal-related websites such as Catster and the about.com cats forum also have information and support for grieving pet caretakers.
Siouxsie: A number of veterinary schools in the US offer grief hotlines for bereaved pet caretakers. These include Tufts University in Massachusetts, Cornell University in New York, University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), University of Californa-Davis, University of Florida (Gainesville), Colorado State, Iowa State, and University of Illinois (Urbana). You should be able to find information about these resources at the universities’ websites, but if you can’t, Mama said she’ll give you the information she has if you want to e-mail us.
Thomas: Over time, you’ll find that the sharp pain of your grief and broken heart dulls and you’ll be able to remember the happy times you shared with Zoe. Rest assured that she’s looking down at you and purring as she recalls all the love, care and kindness you gave her over the five short years she shared with you.
Dahlia: You never forget about a cat you love, but eventually your memories will bring smile and a tear instead of a deep aching in your soul. Our condolences and purrs are with you, Barbara.
Hi, Barbara, You sound just as puzzled as I’ve been. My 7 and 1/2 year old male died of pneumonia about 2 months ago. When I read your article, it was comforting to hear that you had gone through exactly what I had experienced.
He was an indoor cat, in good health – and this was totally unexpected. One evening I noticed he didn’t want his dinner, which was totally unusual. Then, I noticed he was wheezing very lightly. Like you, I could tell something was wrong. Something looked funny in his eyes (I assume they were dilated like you said), and he hid under the bed.
The next evening, I took him for x-rays, and they didn’t see anything lodged in his throat, nor did they see any fluid in the lungs, or heart trouble – they concluded possibly an asthma attack, and thought he would be fine by the next day.
Well, the next day came, and still the exact symptoms. At this point, I took him to the ER vet, and he was admitted right away and placed in an oxygen tent. He was fine for the first two days (these vets also thought it was an asthma attack), but on the third day he nearly died. Then, he only lived another 2 days beyond that.
He just died right in front of me and the vets. We got him there early. I just have no idea what happened. They just said they didn’t know why he died. I’m left wondering why. It’s just so devasting.
Possibly heartworms? Indoor cats can get them too. Actually they dont have the natural defense to fight off the parasite like an outdoor cat does. I’ve read that this can cause sudden death. I’m so sorry for your loss, I just lost my sweet liitle girl a month ago and feel worse every day. I dont know how it can possibly get any better. I will always love and miss her. Life is just not the same anymore. She always slept by my side and every night would come to bed and walk up to me and I would go to give her a kiss and she would tilt her head and stick a cheek out for me to give a peck, what a personality she had.
So sorry to read about everyone’s loss. Actually, something similar happened to our Knuckles. Over the weekend we noticed that he was having labored breathing. I took him to the vet on Tuesday morning. By the time we got there, he was breathing thru his mouth. At home, he seemed fine other than the breathing, he was playing with the others, eating/drinking and going to the bathroom just fine. Anyway, the vet listened to his lungs and said he heard fluid in one lung. He thought that myabe he ruptured his diaphragm. I was shocked as to how this could have happened. He said he usually sees that in cats hit by cars or falling from a 2 story building. Knuckles was an indoor cat. He wanted to ake an X-ray. Well, the took him away and about 10 minutes later, the vet came in to tell me that they got one shot of one side and when they turned him over, it stressed him too badly. They placed him in a cage with oxygen, gave him some meds to get rid of the fluid and the vet noticed some blood coming from his mouth. The vet came to tell me this and was in the room no longer than 5 min when his staff started hollering for him. He ran out of the room and about 5 min later, came to tell me he has passed away. I was shocked!! He said blood just poured from his nose and mouth. He was really unable to give me an answer as to what happened. Knuckes was only 3 so he didn’t think it was cancer. He thinks he may have had an aneurysm that ruptured from the stress of the X-ray. The only comfort I have is that it happened at the vet. It would have been more devestating to wake up and find him that way or have it happen in front of us and have no idea what to do. Anyway, my heart goes out to all of you that have lost a loved one. We had just put another one of our cats down about 3 weeks ago because he was 17 and had severe kidney failure. It’s just been a bad few weeks. But, they will always be in our hearts and minds.
My kitty passed on Tuesday. It was a similar type of event. She was spayed and two day later seemed to be recovering. Then on the third day she slept a lot but seemed peaceful and quiet. On the 4th day I got up in the morning and pulled her out from under the bed. She was limp and seemed to be laboring to breathe. She got really upset and cried all the way to the vet. I got there at opening time but the doctor wasn’t there and she died before he arrived. At the moment when she finally passed, she expelled a lot of clear fluid from her nose. I haven’t found out yet what happened. He did a necropsy but I asked him to hold off on giving me the results until I have a chance to deal with this. Something went horribly wrong. Maybe she had a preexisting condition, I don’t know. But it kills me that she had to suffer through it. I wish I had known sooner and could have done something to make the experience less freightening for her. I feel unbelievably guilty. If I hadn’t had her spayed, she’d be fine now.
My buddy, Mooch, suddenly passed away this past Saturday. I was giving him daily fluids. At one time I was giving him 150 to 200 ml a day. Recently I was giving him 150 every 30-35 hours or so. His weight had gone up. I hope it wasn’t a cvase of overhydration. He had gone from 7 lbs to 7lbs 12 ounces in a few months. I had given him 175 ml at 9PM and he died around 6PM the next morning. He had some fluids near him. Do cats lose fluids from their mouth when they die? He really seemed fine the night before. He wasn’t using the litter box within the last few weeks. I had put pads on the floor where he was peeing. He peed right on the pads. I hope I didn’t kill him by giving 175 ml of fluids the night before. Remember that his weight had risen . I weighed him before the fluids and he weighed 7lb 12.5oz. After his fluids he weighed 8 lb 6 oz. He never weighed that much in a long time. I’m feeling such guilt. Please help. Mark from Philadelphia
Something very similar happenned to our cat. We were in the midst of moving and when we came home we found our cat had died. He had blood coming out of his mouth and he had defecated. we were very sad. Mr. Fluffy Pants had been a stray. We took him to the vet and had him tested for disease.
As soon as Mr. Fluffy was not starving anymore and grew more comfortable with us he became playful. He always had a look of gratefulness about him. I was really stressed one day and crying. He came immediately to me and purred/snuggled. He was also such a smart animal. If his favorite toy was put in a shoe box with a lid he would not leave until we took it out or he manuvered the box to get it out. We loved him tremendously. He was very young when he died (2 or 3 maybe). I’m very glad to have had him as a friend. We were so happy to have been able to help him out as he only lived with us for a year. His last year was a good one.
Reading about how you felt helps me. I have felt so guilty. Wondering what I could have done, could I have helped him. The vet said that it was an anurism, but I still wish there would have been something I could have done.
We will never forget our lovely Mr. Fluffy Pant! He was one of kind!! we think he was part Norwegian Forest Cat because of his personality/fur/colors. How lucky we were to have him in our lives. I will never forget the greatful look that seemed to shine from his eyes when he looked at us. As if he would never forget the hardship he had been plucked from.
I am so glad i ran across this site. I too have been struggling with the loss of my sweet little girl nikko. It was just two days ago when she died and the pain is still so sharp and ripping. Nikko was almost 13 when she died. She was the runt of her litter. I had never anticipated having a cat in my life ( i thought i would be a dog person one day) but nonetheless there was a little box of kittens and no one wanted her because she was the littlest. She taught me so much. Patience, responsibility, and unconditional love. Nikko had cancer, and like so many cats hid her symptoms till the last week or so. I feel a tremendous amount of guilt. Had i known she was going to die that day then i would have done so much more for her. Its eating me alive. She died in the emergency room and i wasn’t with her. She too had fluid built up around her lungs and they took samples and the dr said it looked like cancer. I asked if i could take her home and make arrangments to put her down on monday(this was sat.) and she kinda looked at me and said ” you can take her home, but she is really uncomfortable and on borrowed time”. I made the decision although hurried to end her suffering. They were going to put the caphter in her and then bring her into me before administering the euthanasia but she collapsed while they were trying to put in the caphter. I feel so guilty. I think i heard her screaming from the exam room where i was waiting. I can’t help but agonize over the fact she probably was scared too death. At least if i took her home she would have died feeling like she was in a safe place. I don’t think anyone around me understands the love bond that i had with her. We took care of one another for over a 1/3 of my life. I will always love you my nikko and never forget you and i pray for some relief from this body gripping greif that i have.
That is really sad. It sounds like you took wonderful care of Nikko. She was fortunent to have such a loving family.
Dear Barbara,
I know your pain my friend. all too well in fact. My precious cat dies July 30th of this year. She was 11 years old and was indoor. She was healthy,had been spayed,was up to date on all her shots. A week before she died I noticed she wasn’t eatting as much and wasn’t using her litter box as frequent. then I noticed she was hiding alot. Then a couple of days before she passed I saw that she was breathing kinda abnormal. I took her to the vet and found out that her lungs were filled with fluid and was told that she was pretty much drowning and that she needed to be put to sleep. I was heartbroken as this was my baby for 11 years. I could not believe this was happening. I didn’t want to let her go but knew I couldn’t let her suffer anymore than what she already had at that point so I agreed to lay her to rest even though it killed me to say good-bye to her.
We took her home and made a grave for her in our backyard. I gently kissed her and put a few of her favorite things in the box with her. I prayed for god to take care of my baby girl until I can be with her again one day.
I miss her greatly. I’d like to have another kitten again but then on the other hand I’m afraid of it getting ill and dying too.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m so glad I found this site too. My 19 year old baby girl died this morning just after midnight. We’d been working on a few illnesses over the 6 months(Thyroid and most recently diabetes) but she had been in perfect health until these showed up. In fact I faxed over her stellar blood glucose readings to the vet just this last Saturday. I reported how well she was doing and was so much more alert. On Sunday night she seemed kinda mopey but nothing really strange. By labor day she was really down and wouldn’t even eat her fancy feast. She sipped a little on her water but not much.
Yesterday when we got up I saw she was in bad shape and not breathing very well. We rushed her to the vet and she monitored her in the morning and tried to do as much detective work as possible. Even at 19 she was a royal pain at the vet. Got the call yesterday afternoon saying that in order to calm her enough to do an xray we would have to sedate her which, in the vets opinion, would kill her. She sent us home with fluids and a diuretic to try for 24 hours to see if there was any change. Obviously she suspected Congestive Heart Failure.
We gave her one round of fluids and the diuretic but she wouldn’t eat or drink and over the evening got to the point she couldn’t even move. Fortunately, they gave us some good pain medication so she didn’t really feel much.
She died this morning at 12:15 on her favorite pillow by her soothing water bowl (waterfall type) with mommy laying there petting her. I actually watched her die. It was sad but it was peaceful with minimal movement.
I’m not stunned, frankly, that she had heart failure at 19. Shoot she was over 100 years old in human years. Most of us won’t live that long! I’m just really surprised and taken aback at how quickly she went down. You are never prepared for this but I am so thankful it was peaceful and that my husband and I were by her side when she left us. We’ve had her since we were both 19 so, half our lives…literally. My heart hurts so badly but I know it will get better with time.
Original poster, I am so sorry for your loss. I can certainly feel your pain.
I lost my cat on friday, she was hit by a car. I’m devastated and still in absolute shock. I just can’t believe she’s gone. Its the worst i’ve felt in a long, long time. I miss her so much and would give anything to bring her back. I can’t stop crying, she was my little angel and i loved her to pieces. I really don’t know how i’m going to get over it, but i know i will eventually. I mean, if people can get over the death of there mothers, sons, wives, sisters etc.. surely i can get over a cat? Am i just being pathetic? I feel so low :(
I lost my beloved Jake (13 1/2 years old) died 2 weeks ago. I noticed he was having accidents out of his litter box and wasn’t drinking much and was hiding. When I took him to the vet he was dehydrated and very week. This happened so quickly I was in shock. The vets thought maybe thyroid problems. He stayed there all weekend and on Tues. was improving however his tests were still suspicious, maybe cancer. I was not willing to have my cat suffer and was ready to have him put down but the vet said he was doing well and I could let him live out his days comfortably. I brought him home on Tues. and he was happy and full of energy. Later that night he started to hide again. He had a seizure early Wed. morning gasping for air and then died slowly but peacefully. I have never been so heartbroken. Everyone says that he must have wanted to come home to die.
I had my beloved cat die on Thursday and it was very traumatic. He had not been going to the litter box and started not eating. The vet treated him for a hairball and constipation. He also gave him a shot of prednisone which seemed to help. However, three days later he started hiding and acting sluggish. I took him back to the vet and he drew blood, he was negative for feline leukemia, aids and parasites, but he had anemia and an unknown infection. We treated him by giving him pills and anti-biotic drops. This was really hard on him as it stressed him out. He did not eat for 4 days, so I took him back and had the vet give him and IV of fluids and sucrose. The vet took xray and it showed a mass around his heart, but he couldn’t rule out infection. After bringing him home I decided to discontinue the medicine as it made him pant and breathe heavily. After two days, he was not getting any better, I decided to give him the anti-biotic once again to try and get him to eat as the vet suggested. Well, this was not a good idea because the panting became heavy and he could not breath until he finally died on the floor with me rubbing his belly and telling him I was sorry for giving him the medicine. He died and now I feel terrible as the last memory he has of me is giving him the medicine that he hated and then he died. I am devastated and wish I would have just let him be and die in peace.
My beloved cat Sugarfoot died suddenly last night. He had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy several years ago, but since that terrible diagnosis, his yearly exams have always looked so promising. During his last exam, the cardologist even said his condition had improved.
He was only five years old when he died, and there were still things I was only getting to know about him. As soul wrenching as this is, I’m thankful that his death was sudden, that he did not suffer for one moment. I will always love him, and I will always miss him–and he will always live in my memory, and my memories of him will be happy. He taught me so much about life, and even though he died young, he lived each day in happiness and with love of life … each moment. He was my buddy.
I’m so sorry for everyone here’s loss. Thank you Mama for this website, for the chance to give my wonderful, beautiful, life-loving cat a tribute.
I recently lost my precious baby Luna October 18. She was 14 yrs old and I had her ever since she was weened. I am so devastated right now. Im glad I found this site too because I can relate to everyones grief and pain. I found my cat lying on my bed, unable to walk, when I returned home from work, she was in pain on her rear leg because when I petted her there, she growled in pain. I called my vet and explained the situation, we thought maybe she just had a sprained leg, I gave it one more day to see if she would get better because I had to work the next day too…No change…I took her in immediately that following morning, the vet just told me that her back legs were cold, possible blood clots, thrombolis going up to her spine, basically was giving me euthinisation prices, but I wanted to know what was wrong with her. We x-rayed and her poor leg was broken in 4 places. She was an indoor cat always, I dont know what happened because I was at work, she layed underneath my couch alot, one of those ones that have recyliners on both sides, which I never ever use because they are dangerous, she always layed right in the middle part anyway, thats where she was when I left because I knelt down to say goodbye to her before I left for work like I did everyday, and when I returned home she was all the way in the other room on my bed, anyway…all I can think is she got tangled up somehow in my stupid couch, but that wouldnt make sense because she was all the way in the next room on my bed. The vet said she was too old for surgery, anethesia, probably would have to amputate anyway, even if she made it through all that, which she probably wouldnt anyway, the prognosis would have been the same even if I would have taken her in the first day, they said putting her to sleep could be the most humane thing I could do, she was in alot of pain they said. Im 37, single, no kids, she was just my baby, I mean she was there with me through almost 1/3 of my life. Its the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and have gone through since my own mothers death 9 yrs. ago. How do you say goodbye to youre beloved friend in a half hour, I mean for real, I’ll never forget her eyes looking at me in that last half hour they gave her with me, so hard, words just cant describe it, my heart goes out to everyone.
My beloved cat Charlie died last night. He went to the vet for his usual flu/leukemia jabs and a blood test ‘just to check’ since he had reached the grand age of 17. The vet thought he was fine apart from a touch of arthritis which he had been taking Metacam for. In fact the vet and nurse commented again how marvelous he was for his age.
When he got home he wasn’t interested in his tea and sloped off upstairs where I found him gasping for breath so we rushed him to another 24 hour surgery where they kept him in for an x-ray and tests. I got a call after 30 minutes to say he had stabilised and was his usual chatty self. His breathing wasn’t perfect but the vet was hopeful that he would be fine in the morning. As you can imagine, I was over-joyed to think I would have him back with me the next day.
Unfortunately an hour later I received another call to say he’d taken a turn for the worse and had died.
I’m still in shock. The house will be so lonely without him to chat to and sleep with.
First, let me say, I am truly sorry for the loss you all have felt in losing a pet.
My sister had a similar experience but thank God her baby came home. Her cat was throwing up pretty much as normal however on a Saturday morning my sister woke up to her cat crying and vomiting white (what looked to be) foam and labored breating (panting). She took the cat to the ER vet and they did xrays, what they found was a HUGE hair ball stuck in her stomach. They were able to get Ginger into surgery and get the hair ball out. She had a difficult recovery but glad to say she’s home and doing well. However, they wanted to do xrays of the lungs but good thing they checked the stomach first . This maybe something to keep in mind.
On April 11 of’08 I lost my Booboy. He just made it to his 21st birthday by 1 month and 2 days. He had never had a health issue at all until 5 days prior to our having him euthanized. On Saturday, December 13, we had to have our baby girlcat Callie euthanized. She was 15 years old. Our 14 year old Lilo is so depressed and he keeps calling for them and looking at the garage door (the last place they go through without ever coming back).
In my almost 48 years, I have had the honor and great good fortune and blessing of having 22 cats. Each one poetry in motion, loving and affectionate in 22 different ways. I am still grieving for the very first one I lost when I was 9. Each time I think my heart cannot stand anymore, but then I wake up the next day, put one foot in front of the other and keep marching on. It is an ever-present dull ache but that still is not enough to make me say I’m never going to have another one. I hope that I have given each one at least one bazillionth of the pleasure and love they have given me.
In loving memory of: George, Toby, Samantha, Tabitha, Smudge, Nancy, Sadie, General, Reuben, Ralph, Blackie, Snow White,PinklePurr, JennieAnnieDots, QueeGee, Fabio, Gladys Anne, Fraidy Kruger, Tsubbie, BooBoo, and Callie…
and in love and respect of Lilo
I lost my baby girl about 4 hours ago and I just can not figure out what happened. She was only 7 years old. She has been fine and 2 nights ago she was laying around rolling around on the floor and I was rubbing her belly and everything was fine. Then yesterday morning she was up with me while I get ready for work and still fine. I did notice that she didn’t come out last night when I got home, but I didn’t think anything of it. Then this morning when I didn’t see her, i started to look all over for her. I looked everywhere and could not find her. When she finally came out, she was drinking her water and seemed fine. Less than an hour later I heard her growling at one of my other cats and she was hiding under my daughter’s bed and when I went to get her, she was having a hard time breathing. I picked her up and my husband immediately took her to the vet. She died in his arms on the way there. I just do not understand it. She was a very healthy and vibrant cat and was fine less than 2 days ago and now she is gone and I have no idea why. I am sorry for all of you who have lost your loved ones. I can not imagine this feeling of sadness every going away.
We lost our best friend, Blakey friday night, quite a shock! He had not had any signs of being sick at all, he was out and roaming around during the day as usual. Just realized at bedtime we hadn’t seen him and I actually smelled something that was very unpleasant. My daughter looked under the bed to see if he was done there (he slept under my bed) and found him dead. Oh dear God, that was an AWFUL SHOCK to her and me! He was VERY HEALTHY, an indoor cat that I took to the vet every year for a checkup and shots. Only 7 1/2 years old. STILL in shock 4 days later as we have no idea what caused his death. Had no blood or bodily fluids (that’s what my friend that got his little body out from under the bed told me), just a little bit of fluid come out of his mouth. I’m assuming the smell I smelled when I went in my room earlier that night was the expelling of bodily gases from the muscles contracting? I have no idea, I’ve NEVER had to experience this and have actually (thank GOD) never had to even SEE A dead animal first hand. Oh, our Blakey was the BEST cat ever! He never hissed or bit at anyone, from the time he was a kitten, my daughter would dress him up and he never got mad….oh, he was NOT just a cat…..he was her best friend…and MINE, too!! I just wish I knew what caused him to die. I would rest better knowing!
He is sorely missed!
I’m very sorry about your cat. I just lost my best friend on Dec 5th to kidney failure. She was only 8 years old. I will never forget her. I did all I could do to save her but had to let her go. She was so very special. Spent every minute with me for 8 years. Hard to let go. I keep waiting for her to jump in my lap.
I lost my cat misty this morning, and I am in complete shock and agony. It happend SO fast. She was an indoor cat, completley healthy and pampered. She had no symptons that anything was even wrong, and I still cant belive shes gone! Yesterday she wouldnt come out of my parents room at all and wouldnt eat her dinner. When my parents came home to go to bed they went to mover her form there bed and noticed she was lying in urine. When they went to ove her she wouldnt move which isnt like her because she runs the second you try and touch her. Then I noticed she was breathing really heavily. We left her to sleep for night and this morning we found her in my brothers room lying on the bed. My other cat was lying right next her which is not normal at all. My mom went and picked her up and she cried and was really strugling to breathe. She just lied there. We quickly picked her up and brough her to the emergency vet. There the doc quickly took her and put her on oxygen. The doc then came back and told us she had lots of fluid around her lungs and was suffering from either heart failure or cancer. They told us she was in complete agony and the best thing to do was put her down. How could I put down my cat when just 2 days ago she was playing with her new cat nip toy? She was 13, which they say isnt really that old! they brought her out to us and at this point she could barley breathe, she just looked at me with the glossy eyes, lying there wrapped in a towel and couldnt even lift her head. I knew I had to put her down and get her out of this agony. I cried and said my goodbyes and kissed her and ran out of the room. My mom stayed with her while she went, and when she went this bloody liquid came out of her nose and then the doc said she knew she had heart failure and also had fluid inside of her lungs as well as the outside. I know it was the right thing to do, but why?!?!?!?!? It just happend so quickly! I miss her sooo much, and I just want her back! She loved ice cubes and would cry for one everytime you walked into the kitchen and now shes not there. I just dont understand why there was nothing to do to help her! I just hope she knows how much I loved her!
I too, am so devasted. We lost our precious Toby, just four days ago. He was abandoned by a stray cat in our dog house four and a half years ago, so he was hand raised starting when he was just days old. We always laughed that since I was about to lose my only son to the Air Force at that time, that God had sent me a second son to help ease the loss of my first born(and we already had 3 female house cats).
We got up this past Wednesday morning and everything was just fine. We had our normal morning rituals of petting and play time and off to work I went. My husband was at home that day and heard a commotion in the kitchen where Toby was sleeping in a dining room chair, but by the time he got to him, Toby was already gone. His pupils were fully dialated and his body totally limp. My husband didn’t see any convulsions but we assume something happened because of the rattling of the chair. My husband rushed him to the vet who found no heart beat and asked to perform a necropsy. All internal organs looked healthy and fine. No sign of anything, so she assumed there had to be a problem of some kind in the brain. How can a kitty so young and healthy one minute, die so suddenly without any warning or previous symptoms? I know my grief is overwhelming me right now and with time will get better I pray, but I’m just looking for any kind of explanation if anyone might have an idea. We did always wonder why his birth mother(I definately became his Mommy) might have abandoned him……..maybe she sensed something? I’m also a little worried about my other kitties, could something happen to them now too? Without knowing what happened to Toby, how would the vet even know if something was wrong with my other cats?
In loving memory of my Toby Boy!!!!!!!!!
Mommy misses you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I lost my Bobby cat. I am in so much pain, he was the love of my life and tonight I will miss him, as always, when I go to bed and he snuggles up to my pillow and I rub his tummy and he purrs with love. Now my pillow is empty and I also feel like an empty shell. My tears will not allow me to write more, but reading that I am not alone in my grief is consolation. May Rainbow Bridge be there for him to enjoy until the day I can join him.
wow!i read all these,the same happend to my baby luckycharms today,he was 7 and a half totally fine the day before,then bam!the next day i lost a very important part of my life. i dont know what happened,my mom said it may have something to do with all the bad cat food situation,and recalls,um still not sure,if anyone can help please feel free,trhank you.
i lost my sweet creamy at age 6 1/2 on feb 24th..my situtation was almost exactly that of michele bledsoe….this cat showed not a sign of any illness, the happiest, healthiest, sweetest thing you’d ever want to know…he was fed at 5:30 pm for dinner, crying like crazy for his food and before 7 we found him dead in his kitty condo….i first thought he was tangled in the blinds or choked on something, or was attacked by something, but there were no signs at all….we took him to the vet right away and he found nothing…he did have a low grade heart murmur on his last checkup which caused no alarm on the part of the vet…i’ve had cats for 30+ years and NEVER experienced anything like this….me and my kids found him at the same time, thinking he looked so cute in his kitty condo and here he was not alive!….i am in such pain and miss him so much….not knowing what happened is adding to the stress, but reading other accounts does bring some relief….my sympathy and understanding to all of you….rhonda
Our beloved Damian passed away suddenly today. He was 4.5 years old. He was a large healthy Sphynx.
We don’t know why, but we suspect HMC. He was terribly afraid of the tile floor because it was cold and that’s where he was found. He was fine and eating well. We just found him passed away on the floor.
We’ll miss him sleeping in our bed (especially during the winter), waiting for us when we got home…playing fetch with his pirate doll…he loved to rub his head on my beard and absolutely loved to be held like an infant.
It’s amazing how much you can love a pet and how much they return that love in exchange for nothing more than a place to sleep, food, water and companionship.
My condolences to those of you who have also lost your loved pets. I believe that there’s a place where we all reconnect with the things in life that brought us joy.
A, C and A Lopez
i lost my best firend he was 15 yrs old but it was so sudden, he was fine a few days earlier then he got sicki would not eat , then we took him to the vet . the vet said that he had low red blood cells and so we gave him a blood transfussion then the next day nothing changed …he was hardly breathing and the vet gave no answers for why my best friend was sick…nothing ….nothing… nothing..now im stuck with a huge bill and my ebony is dead..im completely heart broken…my heart hurts so bad sometimes that i can hardly breath..
i forgot to mention he was in great health
Peachy died today while I was at work. He was panting next to his water bowl on Sunday. I suspect he was poisoned. He was only 2 years old. A beautifyl long haired buff mail and very sweet and kind. Since he was semi-feral he lived outside though he was more than welcome to come in and get cozy which he did during cold winter days last winter. He was born in my previous neighborhood and was not handled as a kitten so never became acclimated to petting or holding. I was able to trap him to bring him wiht me to this one where there was more open space and parkland surrounding for him to live in and a garage that he could go in and out of. He preferred being outside. I could not pick him up so I was at a loss as to how to get him to a vet. He was panting and having trouble breathing and sitting over his water bowl. I detected an ammonia smell about him which indicated kidney failure. I have smelled this before right before another kitten died, but that was from poisoning too, it was from eating the melamine poisoned cat food. Therefore due to his symptoms. I suspect he was poisoned in some way. I believe there are people who leave out rat poison becuase they do not like cats in their yard. That is my suspicion in this case. He could not turn down a saucer of milk. Although it could have been antifreeze. So my other four beloved kitties will not go outside anymore. sadly.
I lost my kitty Ramadi exactly one month after Michael Jackson died..and as many of you said it was very sudden. I was working until about 5:00pm and when I came home she was laying on my bedroom window cill where she always went to wait for me to pull up in the driveway. But this time she was stiff and blood coming out of her nose. It really saddens me the more because of the night before she died, she slept in my bedroom cuddled up with me with my arm over her laying on her side. She always slept with me…but that night seemed different to me..
She was the most wonderful pet I’ve ever known..so caring. I would be in the living room watching tv or something and I would laugh or talk loudly and she would rush to me everytime walking up my chest to meet my eyes with the look of worryment to see if I’m okay. Her favorite toy was the kitten mitten which looked like freddy kruegers glove with bells on it. For last Christmas I bought a kitty stalking for her and put presents in there for her..
It’s been a month and a half and I still miss her horribly. I really wish I could’ve known what had happened..
I moved into my own place now…I just wished I could’ve taken her with me to always keep that smile on my face and to be there when my g/f & I argue to be cute and draw us closer to happiness and forgiveness. :’(
No one will know how spectacular you were to me. But I know u knew…Your picture will be up in my apartment so I can have the site of you still..but the presence of you being gone will never be fulfilled.
I Love You Madi..Alwayz
My cat died yesterday while I was at work. He was fine in the morning, ate his breakfast, then went onto the screened porch to lay on his cat tree I made for him. When I got home I thought he was a sleep, but when I went to pet him, he was stiff.
I don’t know what happened, but apparently he died in his sleep. Which is better than any alternative, yet it feels like I have been punched in the gut. I love my Sammy! I will never forget him, or how he would put his paw on my shoulder when he wanted something. He wa only 7 but he sure was full of life..
This site and all the postings have been extremely therapeutic for me. Yesterday our sweet, yet fiesty, year-and-a-half Zorro died suddenly. Just as many of you said, he also seemed fine before becaming very ill quite suddenly. He vomitted overnight and became weaker as the day went on. He became lathargic and was not responding to us – with the large diallating eyes and shallow breathing. When my husband went to pick him up to take him to the vet, he died.
This has been quite traumatic for both of us and before reading this site, I was blaming myself for not taking him to the vet sooner and searching for an answer to what could have happened. You have all helped me realize I did all I could, and it was his time. Although the pain is still wrenching, I know it will get better with time.
Zorro was an amazing cat. We didn’t expect him to come into our lives and were only married a month when our friend called us saying he found a kitty in the dumpster. At first we hesitated, but after being innundated with pictures of him, we caved. I was so excited getting all the cat toys, bowls, treats, etc at the store and it feels like I just got past the realization “I have a cat!”
Just last week was our one year anniversary of adopting him.
I could go on and on about how amazing his personality was and all the cute, wonderful things he did, but the main thing I want to say is – Thank you Zorro for blessing my life so fully this past year! You were the best pet I could ever ask for!
I know how the person felt who lost their cat by being knocked down by a car. Our lovely cat Jet, 12 years old was nowhere to be seen. I shouted for her and felt the worst, my husband had put her out the night before, he didn’t get her back in as usual, he thought she would come in with our son later on.
I then saw her body lying on the pavement on the other side of the road.
My husband said that it was unusual for her to move much, she usually stayed in the front garden. He said she had two puncture marks near her neck.
To say we are devastated is an understatement !
I miss her so much !It is comforting to read other people’s comments.
Two nights ago my wife and I lost our amazing boy cat, Moe (named after Philadelphia 76er Maurice Cheeks). He was a gorgeous 10-year old Himalayan who had regular vet visits and was seemingly in perfect health. On Sunday my wife called me and told me that he was panting and seemed lethargic. My wife got him to the vet ASAP and was told that his gums were white which indicated anemia, and that she suspected it may have been a tumor that developed recently and had metastacized. By the time I arrived, he had already been put down. I nuzzled him on the table where he passed and told him how loved he was and how much he gave to our family. I feel like a hole has been punched into my heart, and it doesn’t seem to be going away. I know it will in time, but I will always remember the Boy.
i lost my 14 year old male cat named siah last nite.i have had him since 6 weeks old. he was pretty healthy cat except some issues with teeth and gum. i noticed last week that he is not eating his favorite dry food as much as he likes to but still seemd to be ok. last sunday nite i noticed when he was sitting on the couch next to me he has breathing problem like labor breathing. i took him to vet first thing monday morning and the blood test showd that his pancreas is inflated and some disorder on white blood cell. the vet gave me some pain medication and antibiotic for the next couple days but noticed that it did not improve his condtion as much and he was still not eating. i took him back againg on thursday and since he had some inflamation and bleeding in his gum, we thought that might be because of pain in his mouth, more medication and he felt better thursday evening and start eating but stll some breathing problem. when we went to sleep that nite he came next to me and got close to my face and with abnormal breathing he was still purring!!!he stayed there till friday morning like he knew his days are number. everything was good yesterday and i checked on him in the afternoon on my lunch and gave him a kiss and went to work. i came back last nite at 830pm and called his name and look for him and did not see him anywhere till i got to bedroom and noticed he was dead on the bed. i hope he did not sufricated and i wish i could have been with him to comfort him. his mouth was open and some fluid on blanket and liquid stool from his ractum. it was a tough sight to see that my little companion is gone. took him to vet and they really can’t tell what caused it but could be similar cases mentioned here like heart failure or tumar or fluid in lungs.
it just happened so fast, did not give you any indication till it was already too late and no medication will help.i am devistated..
he is in better place and no pain..RIP MY SIAH
I lost my beloved ragdoll indoor cat jess this morning. I am still in total shock. She was only just 7 years old and appeared in perfect health. I found her dead on my bed and thought i must still be dreaming and having a terrible nightmare. She had shown no signs at all of illness so i have no idea why she died. I am absolutely heartbroken and cant believe i will never see her again. I’m also worried now that the same thing will happen to her sister. I feel for everyone who has lost a beloved pet.
I lost Sammy, my little seven year old Tuxedo kitty last night. I still don’t understand it. He was in perfect health. We had just sat and watched a movie together and he hopped down to get a drink. When he came back, he made the strange noise and tried to jump on the couch and fell backwards. When I picked him up, he head was cocked sideways and he was limp. By the time, I ran downstairs with him for my husband to help, he was already gone. I don’t understand it. There is a whole in my heart that I don’t think will ever go away. He was my best friend, always by my side, always.
I lost my beloved Cat Ahi suddenly on Feb 22nd 2010. She will be 8 on June 5th. She was a bit shy but very loving. She gave me & my husband unconditional love and was always there for us 24/7. She kept me company when I was down or when I couldn’t sleep at night. She let me know when she wanted to sit on my lap. She greeted me & she talked to my husband every morning. As a routine, she waited for us outside our door or she woke us up by meowing at the same time every morning. Then she will raced with my husband upstairs for her morning snack. As a result on Feb 22nd, after she got upstairs, I heard 4 loud cries and my husband screamed for me. I was still in bed, by the time I went upstairs, within seconds she was lifeless. We rushed her to a 24 hrs. hostipal where she’d already died. She died of a heart failure, without pain & suffering. It was so hard to say good-bye at the hospital. It was so painful for me, I cried & cried beyond control. I loved her so much that I didn’t know how to deal with her sudden death. I talked to friends who had lost thier beloved pets and searching on line for answer. It really helped by telling my story.
Ahi was my daughter’s cat while she was in Medical school. When she couldn’t take care of Ahi any more, I flew to New Orlean to pick her up & it was right before Katrina. We all said she was a lucky cat. We knew she was born with a heart murmur. She had yearly check up & was fine every year. Looking back, I wished I’d taken the advise of my vet to check with a cardiologist to see what condition she was in and may be medicine can prolong her life.
I also wished I listened to my daughter to put Ahi on a straight diet. Her heart will have to work harden with any weight gain. She was a small cat but not really overweight. Lately I have given her more treat than before because she kept begging and looking at me with those big eyes. Who can resist?
Ahi always had a place in our hearts. We will go to a support group this Sat. and I decide I will volunteer at the animal shelter to help with cats who need some loving.
I am just beside myself with sorrow. We lost our five yr old tabby, Charlie, just this morning. How does a young, healthy, indoor cat suddently die of pneumonia?
I noticed that his breathing was laboured yesterday; however, my husband kept insisting that he was fine and it was probably just a cold. His condition worsened through the night. His breathing became more and more laboured; he was drooling and limp, his pupils were dilated, and he almost seemed to lose half his body weight in a 24 hour period (most likely due to dehydration). Instead of hiding, like many sick animals do, he mustered up the courage and the will to jump on the bed and sleep nuzzled under my chin, right on my pillow. Unfortunately, we do not have a 24 hour vet in our area; so, we had to wait until morning to bring him in. We have a young baby whom I had to stay home with; so, my husband took Charlie into his arms and made the 45 minute drive to the vet. Initially, they suspected asthma; however, blood tests revealed it was Pneumonia. He died on the exam table, with my husband by his side.
I will always remember his sweet disposition. He absolutely adored our daughter. Whenever she saw him, she would shriek in delight, and he would return the favour by laying next to her, allowing her to poke and pet him. I don’t know that I’ll ever get another cat. In my eyes, he can’t be replaced.
Miss you terribly my Charlie Bear.
I lost my beloved JY.He was a stray about 15 yrs old. He had kidney failure. He was fine all day I saw him in the drive struggling to stand then he flopped over. He had a normal face but was bleeding profusely from nose and mouth. He was crying in pain and I could hear his lungs filling up.Within minutes he was dead and I am devastated. He was in pain and I could do nothing. His head and body were untouched so I presume it was some internal bleeding, I dont know.what else it could be. He had been off his food a few days but he was happy. It was like something had burst inside, is this possible? He hadnt been on the road. I feel so sick, I keep seeing his last moments and hearing his cries.My heart is broken.Iloved JY and miss him.
My cat Little Miss died Monday morning. She came and got me from my bed to let me know she was having trouble. She was breathing hard and then later panting and throwing up, and couldn’t walk steady. We took her to the emergency room and the doc took an xray and saw she had an enlarged spleen. They tried to take a blood sample but her bp was too low. The doc brought her in as she was dying and I had the doc put my little friend down while I held her. I am having a very hard time with this. She was my friend for over 9 years and such a physical presence. I hate going home knowing she won’t come down the stairs and I hate not seeing her in the morning greeting me. I feel I let her down and she deserved better.
My cat Gizmo died Saturday morning 07/08/10 at 9am, I’m still in shock and it brings tears to my eyes because it was so sudden. He was 17 years old, my baby xx.
All week he was following me everywhere, meowing and purring as usual, nothing was out of the ordinary. I did catch him earlier that week eating some grass, but actually thought nothing of it and that maybe he caught a little cold or had an upset stomach as his eaten grass before. He was still his active self even visiting neighbours cats. That Friday was acting fine, didnt really touch much of his food though, the evening he had some Whiskas cat milk, and wandered outside as usual (he would come in and out of the house as usual) and I didnt see him that night.
The next morning we found him lying on his side on the back balcony (a usual place he sometimes slept), his eyes were fixed and dilated, his mouth was open, he had fluid from his mouth (which had a little blood in it and was still warm when we found him) and rear end. His head was cold and he had no signs of breath at all and his legs were stiff. His stomach was quite warm still, and actually thought we felt a heartbeat, but it just sounded like his stomach was making sounds. We all sat with him a while to see if his heart was actually beating but quickly his body temperature went cold and he became more stiffer.
It was very sad to find him like this,I just hope he didnt suffer too much, and its still a big shock.
He was a major part of our family, and at 17years he will be sadly missed.I still hope to hear him call out and jump in bed, it will take some time to realise I will never see his gorgous face again. He was buried in our backyard.
R.I.P Gizmo you will be sadly missed my beautiful baby boy xxx
I am so sorry to hear about Zoe. I know what it feels like as a cat of mine went through something similar.
My gray tuxedo cat (a rescue) was estimated to be 4 – 4 1/2 years old. She had been to the vet a couple of times. Her annual was to come up when I return from a trip tomorrow. The cat sitter called this Tuesday afternoon saying she couldn’t find her. I suggested a place to look. She says via the phone (condensed for this blog), “There she is. Oh my G-d! I’m sorry to tell you she’s dead and blood is coming out her mouth.” Shock! Disbelief! I had her one year. All the cats I’ve had (only two other) lived to be very very very old. I am as sad as you all describe above. Great waves of sadness and tears come quickly and often. I loved her sooooooo much. I felt good that I was able to give her and her son/friend (we don’t know the relationship for sure) a wonderful life. Over the months, she grew to be very affectionate with me on her own terms. I LOVED that she would cuddle with me. She was the alpha cat, the younger one followed her lead. They played together, literally ate together. Now as I prepare to return to my home and bury her, I have to come to terms with this, and it’s very hard. As a major note to all, the trusted cat sitter was to “see” her last Saturday. When I asked today if she “saw” her Saturday, she said, “no”. That she thought the cat was just hiding from her. So now, I don’t know when my baby girl died over the last 2 days or 5 days, since she didn’t lay “eyeballs” on her Saturday and that eats at me too. So, for those who use cat sitters, on the note you leave for the cat sitter write, “Make sure you actually SEE the cat(s). Don’t assume the cat is hiding from you.” If my sitter had done this, maybe, possibly, things would be different. But from what I read above, it could have been a sudden heart attack. I’m crying again. I don’t know how to stop it. But I also know I have to mourn this before I can move on. Thanks to all who wrote above. A community of like-minded people is always helpful, comforting.
my cat charlie died today from lung cancer it was very sudden
I’m sorry for everyone who has been through this! I lost my cat Casper who was 15 years old a week ago today,and am struggling to accept that he’s really gone. Casper had been in good health all of his life, and was my baby……we first noticed something wasn’t quite right on the Tuesday night when he did a really strange 3 or 4 meow’s (Casper was a very quiet cat and any noise from him was rare……he generally didn’t see the need to be vocal when he could let us know perfectly well what he wanted without the effort of being vocal). He also seemed to have lost his interest in food. At that time we didn’t realise it was serious but by Friday night with no change we took him to the vets and discovered his gums had no colour at all, they were white. The vet kept him in, did blood work which I assume showed nothing, so kept him on a drip as they said he wasn’t stable enough to take an x-ray. The aim had been to wait until he was more stable and take an x-ray on the Monday but, he didn’t make it and passed away on the Sunday night. I have no idea why it happened or what caused it, except that he didn’t have enough blood circulating and was losing it somewhere.
People keep telling me there’s nothing I could of done, and that at his age things can happen quickly and it wouldn’t have made a difference if we’d realised and got him to the vets earlier but at the moment, I can’t help but blame myself thinking if i’d got him to the vets a little earlier he’d still be here. I wonder whether he was sick for longer than we’d known – but the day before any signs were shown he was his usual self chasing our younger cat around and showing her who was boss. I’m picking up his ashes on Tuesday so he’s coming home but it’s not the same, I know I can’t keep beating myself up and blaming myself and am trying to just focus on the good times and the memories but it’s just not the same and i’d give anything to just have him home. I’ve had the usual “just get another one” from those who simply don’t have a clue, but as everyone who’d been through this will know you can’t replace them and I have no intention of ever trying. Maybe at some point in the future i’ll consider a new kitten but not until I can accept it for who it is without making comparisons as it wouldn’t be fair.
I don’t know to get over this, but guess it will just get easier with time…..I’ve bought a magnolia tree to plant in casper’s memory (to give myself something to focus on as this means I’ve now got a lot of work to do to sort out my pitiful excuse of a garden before it can be planted). At the moment, like other posts here my heart is broken & I just miss him so much xx
My heart goes out to everyone here who has lost a beloved furry family member in such a sudden, unexpected and heartbreaking way. All of your stories brought tears to my eyes. I lost my Coco just last week. She was my devoted companion for 9 years and 5 months, and I miss her terribly.
Coco seemed to be her normal self right up until Saturday morning, when she was beside me on the bed enjoying our usual weekend morning sleep-in. All of a sudden she made a noise that was a cross between a howl and a choked whine (I’ll never forget the sound… it haunts me), and she slid off of the side of the bed and onto the floor. I woke immediately and picked her up, crying her name, but her little body was limp and she was like a ragdoll. I think she died instantly. My husband and I rushed her to the vet, but I knew before she even left the house that she was gone.
All I kept thinking of was how she fell to the floor, and even though I was sleeping when she fell, I was distraught that somehow I let her fall… and that was her last feeling on earth–aside from the stroke, or heart attack, or whatever it was that took her. The vet didn’t know what had happened, and couldn’t explain it. Coco was a little overweight, but we’d had her on a diet for a long time and she wasn’t losing any weight. She had regular check-ups and the vet always said she was healthy, aside from the little bit of extra weight. I remember when I first adopted her from the SPCA they said she had a tiny heart murmur, but not to worry too much about it.
I couldn’t leave the vet right away. They were kind enough to let me have as much time as I needed to sit with her while I cried and cried and held her in my arms, and tried to memorize every last detail of her face in person for the last time. She had the cutest little black, white and orange calico face, and her fur was soft like angora.
I am having a hard time adjusting to every day life without her. She provided me with her quiet companionship and patience, unconditional love and utter devotion. She saw me through so many milestones in my life. She used to greet me at the door every day and couldn’t wait until I sat down with a book in our favourite chair so she could sit on my lap. I miss her little chirps and coos of communication. I can’t even bear to move her food dishes just yet. I used to always have a lint brush around to get rid of extra hair but now each little bit of fur I find is so precious.
I know it takes time to grieve and get over a beloved furry family member, but I am just so sad every day. The last time I was truly happy was the last day she was alive. If only I would have known… I feel so guilty because I was out at social events the two evenings before she passed away, so we didn’t spend our usual quality time together. When I got home on both of those nights she seemed fine, and her appetite was the same… but I just wish I would have been home to be with her on the last two nights of her life. That’s what hurts the most. I’m just grateful I was with her when she passed away, and not at work or something. I think was taken from me way, way too soon. I never would have imagined she would be gone from me at such a young age.
My little Coconut… oh how I miss you.
My cat Max, 6 years old, passed away on Saturday. He was not eating very well but I just thought he was under the whether, his nose was cold. He was panting on the thursday before that and when I googled it, it said that it could be stress, fright, heart problems or respertory problems. The last two didn’t sould right since he was always so healthy and I thought he was just under the whether so I thought stress since we were leaving out of town. It was only a few mins of panting and he calmed down. My husband and I went out of town for Thankgiving and we had a lady checking in on him and feeding him. Friday he greeted her at the door, breathing fast but not bad enought she needed to bring him in to the vet. Saturday morning she checked on him again and he was gone. She said he was still warm so it must have been in mins, she did mouth to mouth to see if she could bring him back, but he was gone. Our hearts are broken, that we were not there for him and that we didn’t know that he was so sick. He was far to young. He was our baby boy. We miss you so much!
I was at a Christmas party tonight. I came home and my cat ran to greet me at the front door. Then suddenly she started howling/moaning and fell to the ground. I tried “kitty CPR” but it was really no use. I think she was gone in less than 15 seconds.
She was 13 and in very good health, or so I thought. Good appetite, drank lots of water and an indoor cat (I live in a high-rise condo).
Still in the shock phase now. Tomorrow I will take her to a suburban friends house for burial.