sudden death of our cat

Question
Our cat died suddenly today. We heard a strange noise that sounded like coughing and went to check on her. She was standing like she would when coughing up a hairball but saliva was spilling from her mouth. When I stroked her she fell onto her side and started to fit. After a few minutes she twitched less and less and then went limp and died.

Nothing like this has ever happened before. She was sick a little earlier in the day, but only saliva came up and she seemed fine after that. She had a litter of kittens about a week ago, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. She was about 3 years old. There is nothing noxious or poisonous in the flat that she could have eaten as far as we know.

Do you have any idea what could have happened? We're just so confused about the sudden loss of our cat, and it would help to know why she died.

Thanks

Lindsey Wilson

Answer
I am sorry to hear this sad news. I can only speculate as to possible causes for sudden death in your young cat. Underlying heart disease,(specifically cardiomyopathy), is a very common cause of sudden death. It can go undiagnosed and lead to fatal arrythmias of the heart and or blood clot formation. Based on your description, it is also possible that she vomited a hairball which became lodged in her trachea creating an airway obstruction. This would be a rare occurrence but still possible. Depending on where you live, heart worm disease is another cause of sudden death. If you feel strongly about getting an answer you could call your vet and ask them to perform an autopsy. This would be the most definitive way of determining the cause of death.
Dr. G.