unexpected death in my cat

Question
I came home on Christmas night and found that my 9 year old cat, Scooter was behaving strangely.  He was disoriented, confused, lethargic, running into walls and walking in circles to the left.  By the next day, he was no better, and his eye was weird looking...like there was something over it.  He would not eat, drink or go the the restroom.  He just would lay there for awhile, then get up and start walking into the wall and walking in circles. He would literally walk into a wall and just stand there with his head leaning up against it.  I couldn't take him to the vet because it was the weekend and my vet did not open until Monday. So I just held him and comforted him all day and night.  Sunday afternoon may son was holding him and Scooter just stopped breathing.  Before Christmas (Friday) he was fine, very active and very healthy.  What could have caused his death.  We checked him right away for any type of trauma in his body and there was none.  What could have happened to my beloved "Scootie"?

Answer
Janet,

I am sorry for your loss!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, I am not a vet, but the most likely happenstances would be that Scootie threw a blood clot (like a stroke) or had a heart problem (some kind of cardiomyopathy).  It is also possible Scootie might have gotten into something toxic.  The odds are that even were you able to get him to your vet, there may have been little that could have been done to save Scootie.In any case, your vet may be able to determine the cause of death by a necropsy.

Sad regards... Norm.