sudden strange death

[alegna]

I brought a stray cat home not quite a week ago that looked and acted very healthy that I thought might have been lost or even abandoned. She acted familiar with the inside of a house and looked plump and healthy and, since it was close to the weekend, I didn't take her to the vet right away. This cat has been fine, just like any other cat I've known so I never thought anything bad would happen.

This morning, she was acting fine but as I was brushing my teeth, apparently the cat was throwing up-though I didn't know it at the time. When I came out of my room and saw the cat coughing, I thought she might have a hair ball and I picked her up and brought her to the living room where I was and knelt beside her to see if she was okay. She walked around, went to her litter box but didn't stay, then went under my dining room table and began to act strange. I have a hard time describing it but strange as in groaning, pooping all over herself-though it was normal poop not diarrhea or anything like that-and just all around acting strange. I put her in my laundry room so that she wouldn't run off (she did try) as I got dressed and called my husband. Over about a 30 minute timetable, the cat was dead. She didn't act like she was choking, she never lost conciousness and I never suspected anything by her actions earlier that day. The only way to describe it is if she might have a tummyache. She never acted lethargic or mean and she died with her eyes open.

She had thrown up a large chunk of food including pieces of a mouse and we've been trying to decide if she choked, if maybe she was poisoned (though I never lay out poison for mice and I don't suspect mice travel to another house because I'm in the country and it's a far journey to the next house), or even if there's something we don't know about her such as rabies.

I have two ferrets and a dog and, as traumatic as it was to lose the cat, my concern lies with them and with my family's health. I don't know a lot about cats or rabies in cats so naturally I wonder if she had rabies and we didn't know it? I don't really know the signs of rabies on a cat except the ones I've grown up hearing (foaming at the mouth, etc) but she was never vicious. Does anyone know what could have caused such a sudden death?

I'm sure some people will suggest an autopsy and I even mentioned that to my husband, but in my small town I am limited on where to take her and on money also. Would it be a good idea even though it'll be at least tomorrow?

[coaster]

I'm very sorry for you that you opened your home to this kitty and had to experience this, and sorry for the cat. I don't think you have to worry about rabies. For sure so long as no one was scratched or bitten penetrating the skin. You didn't mention the cat's age, but since you said "cat" and not "kitten" I'm assuming it was an adult. Since it was outside, it could have contracted any number of fatal cat diseases. Based on being an adult and your description of the coughing, followed by a number of unusual symptoms and finally death, I have a sneaky suspicion it was heartworm, which poses no threat to your health. You'll never know for sure without an autopsy, but unless you really have a need to know, I don't think you need to do it. I don't know what cat diseases if any are contagious to dogs and ferrets. Someone else here may know.

[BoscosMum]

Awe what an awful tragedy!
My assumption would be that she ate a mouse that had been poisoned with rat poison.....You said she was a stray and may have traveled a ways before coming to your house. IT would have taken her body a while to start digesting that.

Do a really thorough cleaning of your home and everywhere she had the accidents beofre her death.
I am sorry.

[coaster]

ya, I'm thinking this over, and leaning toward poison now, also.

[alegna]

Poison was also my first thought but, having never dealt with it, I wasn't sure if it would happen so suddenly and violently like that or what would cause death so suddenly like that.

[BoscosMum]

Well....it actually took about a week. Since you have none of that rat stuff around. That is heartbreaking. I think it was poison because of her wretching, coughing, pooping and groaning.
My heart breaks when animals die painful deaths like that.

[Hippyhart]

Alegna, that's so sad...so sorry for your family and the poor kitty. Can you call poison control to ask what symptoms she would've had before she died?

[alegna]

I emailed the poison control but may also call if I don't hear anything back through email. I never realized that a cat could die from poison just like that and that's why it's hard to understand. I always assumed there would be other signs but she was fine before. If she did come into contact with it outside before I found, then five days later for it to suddenly pop up like this just blows my mind.

Thank you everyone.

[Hippyhart]

Cats are good at disguising their pain, so she may not have been feeling well the entire time you had her. Even if you had taken her to the vet, who's to say her symptoms wouldn't have slipped by the vet, since they happened so suddenly? I guess you wouldn't have been able to tell if she was feeling yucky unless you knew her for awhile and could tell if her personality had changed.

Sorry again for your loss

[emma_pen]

I would say poisoning almost for definite. My friends cat died from antifreeze poisoning within 30 minutes - it can be very sudden and traumatic. Are you sure she couldn't have had access to anything? If she vomited up mouse, that means she must have eaten it within 24 hours or so?

Ems