8 Year Old Maine Coon Cat

Question
Hello,

I know that you are not a vet but I saw that you had some insight on a similar incident.  I had an 8 year old Miane Coon cat that I absolutely adored.  He was not displaying any signs of illness that I was aware of until last night.  He started breathing a bit heavy for a few minutes but I htought that I had startled him when I woke him to go to bed.  I found him deceased on my bathroom floor this morning.  There was a liquid coming out of his mouth that appeared to have some blood in it.  My boyfriend said that he heard him at 4AM coughing and he thought it was a hairball.  It just seems very young for him to die of natural causes.  Do you have any speculation as to what may have happend to him?  I think that it is important to note that he never goes outside.

Answer
Heather,

It sounds as if the cat may have died of a heart problem called hypercardiomyopathy (HCM).  A necropsy by your vet could confirm this.  This disease does occur in a percentage of Maine Coons and can be diagnosed by ultra sound by a veterinary cardiologist. There is no known treatment.

I am sorry for your loss.

Sad regards... Norm.