What would cause sudden death?

[FroyoBaggins]

My 13 year old cat passed away yesterday. I wasn't home as I'm house sitting for an aunt but I have two roommates so the house is rarely empty even when one of us is gone.

My first roommate left the house at 1:00 pm and she said that my cat was fine; he'd eaten his breakfast and was lounging on the couch. My second roommate got home at 4:30 pm and he was gone. So sometime in that three and a half hour stretch, he passed away.

I asked my roommates if he'd seemed lethargic or off his food, and they said no. I asked if he was having any litter box problems, and again, the answer was no. He seemed completely and perfectly normal.

I just hate that I wasn't there to do anything, or to even say goodbye to him. But what would cause him to just pass away like that? I just wish I knew what happened :(

Severe heart attack or severe stroke, I guess. I always assumed this when My Darling Oneago dropped dead one morning at the age of only 8 - so younger than yours. The postman had come (he absolutely loathed the postman - used to growl even when he heard the postvan coming up the street) and I'd gone downstairs to get a parcel when he knocked. I came back upstairs after only 5 minutes and Oneago was lying dead on the floor.

I've always assumed that he'd got further worked up at the knocking on the main door and that some congenital weakness inside him had blown with the raised blood pressure. You really need a vet's view though - maybe one of the vets who post will give a general thought later on.

So sorry for your loss.

Well, without paying for an autopsy you can't be sure.

I'm so sorry it happened this way.

I'm so sorry. Check carbon monoxide just in case.

Sorry for your loss. The same happened to our cat fine at 8pm at night, next morning a neighbour knocked on the door the cat had been found dead, no damage to the body. I didn't have the money for an autopsy, and even if I did I don't know what it good it would do in the long run to have known.

Thank you, everyone. My roommates are being sympathetic because they loved him, too. But as he's not the only pet we have, I don't know if they're as heartbroken as I am.

@cozietoesie -- I have to admit that my first thought was a stroke or heart disease or perhaps an aneurysm. Something that would have struck hard and fast. I'm so sorry you lost your darling Oneago, as well. Eight years doesn't seem that old.

@fluffycloudland77 -- I thought about an autopsy but I don't have the money for it. I wish I did, though. It's going to bother me for a long, long time.

@AndIfeedEmGunpowder -- I didn't even think of carbon monoxide. We have two other cats, as well as two dogs and none of them were sick, though. Would it effect all the pets in the same way?

Many years ago our cat died suddenly...came in and had her dinner, an hour later we found her dead. We had a post mortem done as we had a very old boiler at the time and suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, but it turned out to be a twisted gut. Sounds possible that it could have been the same for your cat as it is usually happens after eating a meal apparently. Sorry for your loss x

Sorry for your loss RIP kitty

Only just seen your update. Even if the other cats are fine I would want to eliminate CO. You can get detectors for £30ish on amazon. Some friends were very ill from CO poisoning a few years ago and were saved by their cat dying so it struck a chord.

I'd echo that. CO detectors should be installed in every home which has a combustion source - eg gas or oil-fired appliances, wood burners etc.