Unwell Siamese - any help appreciated

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I have an 8 yr old Siamese, no previous health problems apart from getting in the odd scrap. On Monday night we noticed he had a very slight wheezy cough and we put it down to a possible hairball (although he has never had a problem before).

DH got home from work yesterday and found him laying on the back of the sofa, with very quick but deep breathing. He didn't want any food, and didn't want to move. He was trying to sleep but clearly was unable to settle. Before bed I wrapped him up in a blanket and put him on my pillow (we totally spoil love our cats as you can probably tell). In the morning he seemed perfectly well, he was running up and do the hallway screaming for his breakfast. Dh went to work after me and said he was still coughing badly and quite often but otherwise seemed fine.

I have got home tonight and he now seems worse than last night. I placed my ear on his chest and it sounds like he is hyperventilating. He has also started dribbling from his mouth. We can't think of any changes in the house which could have cause this reaction, and anything that could harm him is locked away. We did wonder if he has been spooked by something as he is a rather sensitive would, but this does seem an extreme reaction and doesn't explain his wheezy cough. Also, he is kept in during the day as we don't have a cat flap, so he couldn't have got hold of/eaten anything whilst we were working.

Rusty I'm so sorry for your loss. Watch the other cat carefully. Pengirl is still off her food following the recent loss of Penboy

There was nothing you could have done, I know that doesn't stop you from feeling guilty. it is so shocking to have normality one moment then they've gone. I lost two cats to FIP at 5 and 9. The first time it happened I was inconsolable for about a week. Not everyone will get it but don't let that worry you. He was beautiful.

This sounds so distressing for you, I have tears in my eyes just reading it. What a beautiful boy & I am so sorry. Be gentle to yourself

I'm so sorry. We lost a Siamese when I was a child. It was the first time I saw my parents cry. Awful loss.

I always light a candle, Kind. (Human or cat.)

I'm so, so sorry. We lost our Siamese at 18 months old due to very sudden onset cancer. It destroyed me. They are such complete characters, aren't they?

We were going to light a candle for him last night, but we couldn't find any. Probably because he would have knocked it off the side. I miss him so much

Get one for tonight.

(I also have a bottle of very good whisky put by for a toast. Even the great cats die but, to my mind, they all deserve a salute when they go.)

We both had a glass of whiskey last night in his honour

Quite right.

Isamonster, I lost 2 cats to FIP, then 2 to the road, now I have 2 new little ones and I much more protective of them than I am about my children!

FIP is really shocking.

I'm trying to focus on the good times, like when he ran off with our neighbour's fish and chips takeaway, or when he got a crisp packet stuck on his head. Last week he slept in between me and dh, with his body under the cover and his head on a pillow. He also used to spend hours cleaning Dh's hair, we think he thought dh was a cat too. We used to imagine that he sounded like Leslie Phillips

I remember when Firstcat thieved most of the Christmas turkey.

(My first cat and my first Siamese. He was called something utterly unpronounceable - it was in the days when Siamese were still, largely, called by local names rather than things like ' Muddleby's Moonlight with Silver Butterflies' etc. )

Our boy once got hold of the majority of a Christmas turkey. He ate so much that he had to go bed and sleep it off for nearly a whole day. He also absolutely loved chicken chow mein so whenever we had Chinese he would try and hook noodles out of my bowl

Firstcat had several days at it. My mother had taken us off on Boxing Day to visit relatives, leaving Firstcat with my uncle who lived with us. And most of the turkey on the kitchen table.

When we returned, Uncle was almost grumpy and eventually said that he'd thought that my Mum might at least have left him some of the turkey to eat while he was house and cat-sitting.

'But, but, but..........I did!' said my Mum. 'FIRSTCAT? (Yelled.)

We found the remains eventually - in a little hidey-hole.

I've had Siamese all my life. They leave such a hole when they go - but you've got all the memories of the lovely and loving cat. They are such people cats.

Our current male is a 9 year old blue point (the other is a 12 year old chocolate tabby point female). He is such a softy - very much an integral part of the family.

Firstcat sounds just like my boy he had an extremely regal name which suited him perfectly. He loved our balcony so I am thinking of buying a nice rose to scatter his ashes on. Do you think that is ok? I also asked the vet for some fur which has been great comfort to dh.

Prettybird he was my second Siamese, both were rescues. First Siamese we rescued just to give him a nice home to die as he had numerous health problems, including FIV. However he somehow managed to last a good few years before he passed away. He got me hooked on Siamese

I think that sounds a lovely idea.

Dh's and my 2nd cat (we'd bought a sibling pair shortly after we moved in together: a chocolate tabby point male and a chocolate point female), Muscat (the female) died while we were on holiday (fell ill without warning and SIL had to take her to the vet ). At our request, SIL brought her home and put her in the (spare!) garage freezer , where we kept her until we had the "right" place to bury her in the garden. She is now under the magnolia tree I was given for my birthday.

She just looked like she was sleeping when we took her out the freezer.

Oh prettybird, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry about you dear cat in the freezer! I did consider bringing him home, mainly so Dh could say goodbye, but we have so many foxes here that I couldn't risk burying him. Growing up, we had so many pets, but his death has hit me the most. I think partly because he was my pet (others were family pets) and also because he was so unique. I don't think 'pet' is the right way to describe him though, he was one of us. Although I secretly think he believed that we were his minions

We did get a few comments from friends about "the cat in the freezer" especially as it took us a few years to get round the burying her

One friend's kids used to ask to see her when they visited at Christmas - they were most disappointed when we told them she'd been buried

Current pair

They are beautiful! The one on the left reminds me of my boy.

Our boy once got hold of the majority of a Christmas turkey. He ate so much that he had to go bed and sleep it off for nearly a whole day. grin He also absolutely loved chicken chow mein so whenever we had Chinese he would try and hook noodles out of my bowl.
What a character he sounds Rusty

Another thing that helped me once Rusty, was to get a note book and write down absolutely everything possible I could remember about our adored oriental friend who had fallen ill and died suddenly. I had not been able to stop crying but doing that helped, and I felt I was keeping something of him to hang on to forever that way.

I think sadly Oriental and Siamese cats are being in bred with susceptibilities and they are dying younger than other moggy cats. It is tragic.

Rusty, I am so sorry. It's a horrible, horrible shock and you are left feeling desolate. My 17 year old Siamese had a stroke in March, a severe one and was pts. I find comfort in the fact that he didn't have a lengthy illness and was well and happy almost to the end. It sounds as though your boy didn't suffer for too long and I hope this gives you some comfort too. I understand the grief you are feeling and send lots of warm hugs. x