Our cat just passed away suddenly last night. She was about 4 years old, and strictly an indoor cat. She had been exhibiting some weakness and lack of eating for about 4 or 5 days, and we were finding some areas where she had either vomited or passed a blackish liquid. Last night, she passed away. We were unable to find any poisons or any reason for her sudden illness. She was only around our one other indoor cat who is about 13. She seems fine. We're concerned as to what happened and if our other cat is in danger. Thank you.
Dr. Marie replied:
Hi Chris,
I am so sorry for the delay in getting an answer to you. We lost our internet connection at the office and did not get it back. So, now I am finally home and able to respond to your question.
Again, I am very sorry to hear about your cat passing away.
While I certainly can't say for sure what happened without doing a post mortem exam I can give you a few ideas.
By far the most common reason for a young, healthy cat to pass away suddenly is a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is a condition that Furby would have been born with. Cats with HCM have thickened walls in their heart. They often have no clinical signs at all until eventually the heart gives out and they pass away. Some cats will have a heart murmur that the vet can hear, but not always.
If it was HCM there was nothing that anyone could have done to prevent or even treat this.
The other possibility that comes to my mind is some sort of foreign body ingestion. A foreign object such as a ball, a small sock, a hair elastic, etc. could cause an intestinal obstruction or even a perforation of the intestines which could be fatal.
Whatever, the condition, this does not sound like something that should be a concern for your other cat. It does not sound like something viral or toxic.
Thank you very much for your patience today. Please accept my condolences on the loss of Furby.
If you have more questions, just hit reply.
Dr. Marie.
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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.
Dr. Marie replied:
Hi Chris...I just got your email. I am again so sorry that you did not get my reply. I had replied later that day and you should have gotten a notice. I will check to make sure my email notification is working properly. It seems like other customers are getting their answers ok.
I'll send you this link via your email directly as well.
Again, I am so sorry for the loss of Furby. Please let me know if you have more questions.
Dr. Marie.
Customer reply:
Thank you. I probably did get the initial response in my spam folder. I apologize for any confusion. Take care.
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Veterinarian, Dr. Marie created this site to be able to provide quick, accurate veterinary advice online. She would love to help with your pet's problem!
Dr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.
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