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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
I slept in today, and when I woke up he was next to me with foam around his mouth and nose. He was on my chest while I was dozing earlier in the morning. I didn't notice him doing anything strange. He was about 7; not an old cat. I have no idea what happened to him.
I'm in a state of shock, even though he was not my favorite cat. I don't know what to do with myself. I think I'll leave him on the bed until my kids come home from school so they can see him.
In a way, this is a good thing, because he was very dominating and terrorized the other cat. My daughter's been bugging me to get a kitten, and I've been putting her off because the dead cat was so dominant and unpleasant to the other cat. I feel a little guilty about these feelings.
It's so strange to have a dead cat on the bed, and knowing he died right next to me. Poor little beast. I hope he wasn't in pain.
I.
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on August 30, 2005, at 16:42:32
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
((Ilene))
((Ilene's kids))Sorry about your kitty. I'm an animal person and that would break my heart if it happened to one of my cats. I think that it is sweet that he went by you to die. Sort of like he wanted to be close to you. I would suspect that he didn't suffer b/c if he were, he would have been making noise and you would have woken up.
How did your kids take it?
Best,
EE
Posted by ClearSkies on August 30, 2005, at 16:55:44
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
Sorry, I had to change the subject line. I was just talking about my old dead cats (Rocky and Bullwinkle) today and what good companions they were to me. (They died quite a while ago, it just happened to come up in conversation today.)
That must have been quite a shock, Ilene - are you OK?
ClearSkies
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 16:59:26
In reply to Re: My cat is dead, posted by Emily Elizabeth on August 30, 2005, at 16:42:32
My kids aren't home yet. I left the cat on the bed for them to see when they come home from school. I should be doing something (shopping for dinner, doing laundry, doing dishes...) but instead I'm hanging out on PB, reading cookbooks, etc. My husband took the only car that runs well so I'm not going to Costco or Trader Joe's, which was the plan for today.
My husband pointed out another upside--we will go to a shelter with our daughter, and she might decide to volunteer there. She's depressed and doesn't have much of a social life. We moved about a year ago and she hasn't made new friends.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 17:17:43
In reply to Oh, dear. » Ilene, posted by ClearSkies on August 30, 2005, at 16:55:44
Am I OK? I'm wandering around the house at loose ends.
I just talked to the vet, who said the most likely cause was cardiac arrest. My daughter came home and didn't want to see him, but she wants to make sure it wasn't anything infectious because of our other cat, so I guess a much-delayed trip to the vet is in order.
I.
Posted by ClearSkies on August 30, 2005, at 18:08:15
In reply to Re: Oh, dear. » ClearSkies, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 17:17:43
I'm so sorry. It would completely freak me out if it happened to me. I hope the vet's suspicions are true, but what an event to have to go through!
(((Ilene + kids)))
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 19:27:17
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
I called the vet to see about getting a necropsy because we're worried the cat had something infectious. A necropsy costs $600--more than I want to spend. She said it was most likely sudden cardiac arrest. Heart damage can't always be detected by a regular exam. (A friend of mine has a heart condition that wasn't detected until she started passing out.)
My son got home and just sat on his bed, staring at the floor, not saying anything. The cat was mostly his.
Thanks for all your hugs and good wishes.
I.
Posted by Sarah T. on August 30, 2005, at 19:30:18
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
Hi Ilene,
I'm very sorry to hear about your cat. Even if he wasn't your favorite, you still took care of him and made him part of the family, and it is such a shock to find a dead animal next to you in bed!
I have a couple of suggestions. . . First, as I think you're planning to do, I think it's an excellent idea to try to find out how your cat died so that your other cat and any new animals you bring into the house don't contract a disease.
Secondly, if you do decide to go to the animal shelter to pick out a new kitten or cat, try, if possible, to take the new cat to the vet BEFORE you bring it home. That way, it can be examined and tested for diseases such as leukemia, feline AIDS, and the usual pests, such as worms, fleas, ear mites, etc. You don't want fleas in the house. The egg casings can last a long time, and it's such a nuisance to get rid of them. Better to have the cat dipped at the vet's office before you ever bring it into the house. I've adopted the last few cats from shelters, and even though the shelters assured me that the cats had been thoroughly tested (and treated, if necessary) for all sorts of illnesses, I found out the hard way that the shelter either had not really tested them or else the testing hadn't been done thoroughly. In one instance, I was assured the cat didn't have fleas. Within a few days, I had bites all over my legs and stomach. I went to my own doctor, who didn't know what the bites were from. I showed the bites to the vet, and she said they were flea bites! So, I had high veterinary bills and my own doctor bills!
A friend of mine adopted a cat from a shelter and was assured her cat had tested negative for leukemia and feline AIDS. My friend brought the cat home and went to the vet a few days later. It turned out that the cat tested positive for feline AIDS. It's so difficult to part with the animals once you've taken them home and grown attached to them. If an FIV (feline AIDS)-infected cat isn't too sick, you can keep it as long as you don't have any other cats in the house and as long as you never let the cat outside. If you had a cat that had leukemia, I'm pretty sure that you're supposed to wait a certain period of time before bringing another cat into the house. I can't remember what the length of the waiting period is. If you had a cat that had FIV, I think you just have to scrub everything (litter box and dishes, etc) with chlorox. I don't think you have to wait to adopt another one though.
One other thing I wanted to mention is the behavior issue. You said that you didn't like the cat that died very much because he was so domineering and aggressive. Well, it's possible that might happen again. As you probably know, cats are very territorial, and in multiple-cat households, usually there is one cat that ends up being the dominant one. Sometimes, one cat is so dominant that, in addition to being the aggressor, it will almost always sit on the highest spot it can find, well above the other cats. Sometimes the dominance shifts, so that the hierarchy that exists when you first bring another cat into the house may be turned upside down in a year or so. Right now, I have two cats. When I got the younger one, the older cat was very nasty and aggressive towards the younger one. The younger one was very sweet and wanted to play and be friends with the older one. The older one would have nothing to do with the younger one. Over the years, this has changed. They still dislike each other, but now the younger one is the aggressor and is always picking on the older one. I've heard that this kind of behavior can be worse when both cats are the same gender. Also, certain breeds, like calicos, tend to prefer being the only cat in the house.
Anyway, I see I've been a bit long-winded here. I love cats and I got carried away.
Again, I'm sorry to hear that your cat died. I hope you find an affectionate, healthy kitten at the shelter.
Sarah
Posted by JenStar on August 30, 2005, at 19:47:01
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
hi Ilene,
Are you sad about the cat? Even if he wasn't your favorite, it sounds like you gave him a good life. :)It sounds like you can now get a sweet little kitten, which will be so much fun for all of you! I'm jealous. I wish I could get a little kitty, too! (But my dog would never allow a new cat into the house w/out terrorizing it!)
It sounds like the cat died without making noise, and that means it was probably quick and painless.
take care,
JenStar
Posted by JenStar on August 30, 2005, at 19:51:20
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
I realized I forgot to say "sorry", so...
I'm so sorry about the effect the cat's death is having on your kids (and you.) I hope your son & daughter aren't too sad.
To be honest, I wouldn't worry about a disease check on the dead cat. There are very few things that can cause a cat to die suddenly, and heart disease (most common) isn't catching, luckily.
But if you're worried I'd recommend taking the OTHER cats to the vet and getting THEM checked out. Do they have their shots? If not, this might be a good time to do it -- that way you'll be covered.
Are they indoor or outdoor cats? If they're indoor, there is even less chance the dead cat could have caught a disease. Even outdoor cats are pretty "safe" unless they don't have their vaccinations.
Take care! I hope you all are doing ok.
JenStar
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 23:45:35
In reply to Re: My cat is dead » Ilene, posted by Sarah T. on August 30, 2005, at 19:30:18
Thanks, you've given me a lot of useful information. We're thinking of going to a private shelter that also operates a veterinary hospital. We can't afford a necropsy, so we're going to assume it was sudden cardiac arrest. I talked to a vet who said the most common reason for sudden death of a healthy cat was cardiac arrest. Our other cat seems perfectly fine.
Thank you,
I.
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 23:51:26
In reply to Re: My cat is dead » Ilene, posted by JenStar on August 30, 2005, at 19:51:20
You're right, I should take the other cat to the vet. I've been procrastinating because it's so much of a hassle. There's no parking lot, and the street is always parked up. (We live in a very urban area.)
I've been bummed all day, and spacy. My son is very upset, I can tell even though he's not saying anything.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I.
Posted by crushedout on September 2, 2005, at 10:41:22
In reply to My cat is dead, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 14:37:20
i'm so sorry ilene. i think if he was sleeping next to you he must not have suffered. when cats are in pain, they go hide.
Posted by Ilene on September 2, 2005, at 13:41:31
In reply to Re: My cat is dead » Ilene, posted by crushedout on September 2, 2005, at 10:41:22
>
> i'm so sorry ilene. i think if he was sleeping next to you he must not have suffered. when cats are in pain, they go hide.That's what I'm thinking. He looked fairly comfortable. I hope he was asleep when it happened.
Thank you,
I.
Posted by crushedout on September 3, 2005, at 11:32:12
In reply to Re: My cat is dead » crushedout, posted by Ilene on September 2, 2005, at 13:41:31
it sounds to me like he was asleep. and that's the best way to go.i had a cat die like that and i was very happy that he died so peacefully, although i was also of course very sad.
Posted by gardenergirl on September 3, 2005, at 15:53:51
In reply to Re: My cat is dead » Ilene, posted by crushedout on September 3, 2005, at 11:32:12
Ilene,
Sorry, I must have overlooked this thread (a few times, it seems). I'm sorry about your cat. I know it's hard to lose a family pet.((((Ilene))))
gg
Posted by Susan47 on September 3, 2005, at 18:05:38
In reply to Re: My cat is dead » crushedout, posted by Ilene on September 2, 2005, at 13:41:31
At least you know he was comforted by your presence when he died. He probably sought you out, he might even have been purring at the time.
I feel so badly for your poor son. If the cat was mostly his, he may want to do the choosing of the next one. Does he want another cat right away? I think most children really do. Poor guy.
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