Sudden Feline Death

Question
We have a male cat that is approximately 4.5 years old and last night he died
suddenly.  We heard a noise and thought it was him jumping off furniture as
usual and upon finding him he let out a breath and died.  There were no
warning signs.  His diet, bathroom habits and demeanor had no change.  He
was somewhat overweight about 13 pounds.  However, in the last few days he
felt heavier but we just though maybe he gained another pound.  Do you have
any ideas as to what might have happened to him.  We really do not want to
have then cut him to examine him.  We also have a 9 week old puppy could
this been a factor?  Should I have any concerns for the puppy?

Answer
Abbe,

I'm so sorry for your loss!  To have that happen at all is devastating, but to have it happen so suddenly makes it even more difficult to cope with.  Again, I'm so sorry, and know that he is your little angel now looking down on you.

Your question is a very difficult one to answer, though.  The sudden death could have been any number of things, and unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to have a necropsy done.  If he was a completely healthy cat, had never been dx'd with anything before, then it may be worthwhile to have the necropsy, because if it was something contagious, you'd want to know so you could protect your puppy.  On the other hand, it could have been a freak thing.  Often, when I hear of or see cats with sudden death, the first thing that comes to mind (and is usually correct) is something cardiac.  Usually there was an underlying heart condition that hadn't been dx'd yet.  Or the cat could have had thrown a clot and had a massive stroke.  Cats often throw clots from the femoral artery area (the very large artery in the upper rear legs on the inside (where the hip meets the leg), and those are almost always fatal.  Those are some of the most common reasons why a cat suffers sudden death.  

It is also important to note that certain breeds have a higher risk for sudden death events.  Maine coons, ragdolls, birmans, and a few others are known to have a genetic pre-disposition towards sudden death.  In ragdolls and maine coons, it's HCM, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  This is a condition where the heart is enlarged and thickened, and it simply can't keep up with the demands anymore, and just stops working.  Of course, in any heart condition, you run the risk of throwing clots, which of course, can themselves cause sudden death.  

Another condition that could cause sudden death is cancer.  If your cat had cancer that was undiagnosed, it's possible that the cancer just grew too large, or affected too many organs that it started shutting down organ systems one by one.  Your cat could also have actually been affected by any illness or condition for yrs or months, but was asymptomatic, and when symptoms started showing, it was severe enough that the condition took him immediately.  

Infectious conditions can also be a possibility.  Ruptured organs can spill toxic contents into the abdominal cavity and infection can overwhelm the cat within in hrs.  My mother had a similar incident with her cat.  The cat had been acting fine, then one day, she was so ill--it was like someone flipped a switched.  By the time my mom got her to the vet, she had died.  It turned out she had a tumor in her abdomen/intestinal area.  It had ruptured, and she had overwhelming infection within a few hrs that her body couldn't fight off.  It was so sudden and unexpected, and no one was prepared to lose her.  

It's a personal decision to have a necropsy done.  Some people feel they need to know what caused their cat's death; others don't want to know.  Others feel that cutting the body will prevent the soul from getting to the Rainbow Bridge; still others say the soul left the minute the cat died, and it's just a body without a soul anymore.  And still others don't care--they just want answers, because that will allow them to have closure.  Only you can decide if you want to have a necropsy done, but it will likely give you answers, and you have to ask yourself--are you ready for the answer?  

Please remember to take care of yourself during this time.  Grieving the loss of a pet is normal, and doesn't have to be over within a certain amt of time.  It's okay to grieve for a cat the way you would grieve for a person.  It's okay to cry, to sob, to feel genuine loss.  I lost the love of my life last June, and to this day, I still cry.  She meant the world to me, and I ask myself every single day--is there anything more I could have done to have kept her here?  Did I make the right decision by putting her to sleep (she was an 18 yo blue cream point Himalayan)?  She was my child, my daughter, and I will NEVER be over her death.  I will mourn her for the rest of my life. She meant the world to me, and without her, life just isn't the same.  My point is, don't let other people dictate how you grieve or mourn for your cat. Remember to take care of yourself at this time as well.

Savannah