I'm sorry to hear about Spitty. We lost a cat suddenly last year, and did opt
for the necropsy, mostly because we have other cats and wanted to determine the
death was not something that the other cats would be at risk for also. You
mentioned the other cats were throwing up also...did the vet mention the
possibility of a poisonous plant, or some other substance the otheer cats could
have been exposed to also?

Sherry

The fact that some other cats were barfing causes me to suspect some sort of
poisoning. However, if that's the case then whatever poisoned them was new;
poisonous stuff had to have initially appeared inside or near the exterior
of your home beginning Saturday.

If there's something toxic that they're eating then that's a cause for
concern. You may still lose more cats unless you get rid of whatever it is
that they shouldn't be eating.

Personally, I feel that you should have the autopsy done. It will at least help
you to determine what caused his death.

It sounds like something poisonous. But in what form did the poison get to the
cats - rather than guessing, you must find out what caused his death.

I'm very sorry for your loss.  What it sounds like to me, since your other cats
were also throwing up, is that these cats got into something poisonous or
toxic, like a cleaner perhaps.  I highly recommend immediate vet care for the
other cats, and a thorough investigation into what's in your home.

Lauren
________
See my cats:  http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

So sorry for your loss.

We lost our 8 yo Ralf last October with similar symptoms. He went from being
fine to almost dead in 12 hours. Our vet thought he ate something poisonous.
We didn't have an autopsy done either so I'll never be sure. Our vet did ask
if he could have gotten a hold of tylenol, alieve or laundry powder. I
suppose someone may have dropped an alieve and not realized it but I'll
never know. I have gone through the house with a fine tooth comb to make
sure there is nothing toxic where the rest can get to it (not put away
behind a cabinet door) and alerted everyone to be really careful with any
medications they are taking. After the cleaning job I did in the laundry
room it's probably the cleanest in PA.

I thought the same thing as you. As I've had cats occasionally barf before I
didn't think much of it at first.

Wendy

Last Saturday, "Spitty", our 5.5 year old 20 lb. male tiger threw up a
half dozen or so times. Several of our other cats had thrown up over
the last few days, so we didn't have a major concern.

On Sunday, he threw up a few more times, but drank a little and seemed
to be lethargic, but otherwise OK. Around 6PM he navigated up a ladder
into the loft over my wife's craft room and hid. She retrieved him,
and he was barely moving. Shallow breathing. He could stand up and
navigate, but was a bit clumsy.

We got him to the Vets by 8PM. His heart rate was slightly elevated,
he had no temperature, and was slightly dehydrated. We left him in the
Vet's care. He was given fluid via an IV and was OK when the Vet left
at midnight. Testing was to begin in the AM. When the Vet arrived at
5:45 the next morning, Spitty had passed away a short time before.

Spitty was one of our healthiest kitties (we have 21). He had never
been sick, was playful, and never seemed to be uncomfortable. He is
also one of our "best" males - sort of the role model for the males.
None of our cats go outside.

I wanted to have an autopsy done, but the wife wouldn't hear of it.

Does anyone have any idea as to potential cause? Our Vet suggested
liver damage as a possibility.

Thanks.

Lee and Spitty

Lee Frette <frette@rochester.rr.com> wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav:

I would have had the necropsy (autopsy for animals) to rule out
anything that could affect your other kitties.  I wouldn't have a clue
what it could be otherwise.

I would opt for a necropsy. I'm the type who would want to know, especially if
it were something contageous or maybe the other cats get the same illness. They
cost about $75. My cat Boots threw up for a day, didn't eat, was a little lazy
about the house so I took him to the vet. Vet said he was fine. Next day he
still threw up so I took him back. Vet said he was basically fine. That night
he collapsed. The other vet looked at the same xray and said he had
stoumach/liver cancer. They confirmed it with ultrasound in the morning. By
then he was going wayyyy down hill so we helped him go to sleep while we pet
him and told him what a good kitty he was. Did your cat walk a little funny,
didn't want you to touch his belly, lie on his back a lot? Any other signs or
symptoms? So sorry all of you had to experience this. I know how sad and
shocking it can be. My kitty was the healthiest cat in the house. I thought my
ex-FLV kitty would die first. She's still doing fine. The 13 year old outdoor
stray with no teeth is even still doing fine. Why my healthy younger Bootsie?

You have my sympathies on your loss.

Pray, what kind of flea control are you using on the cats?

Thank you all for your sympathy and your insights.

All of our other kitties are still OK.

In hindsight, I wish I had further testing done.

None of our cats ever go outside, so we use no flea control and none
are allowed in our basement near any cleaners.

The vomiting by the other cats is not necessarily unusual. We had
introduced a new cat food recently. It seems to have settled down.

Spitty was never one to sleep on his back. He also had an extremely
high pain threshold and if he was in pain, he wouldn't necessarily let
one know. We were playing together and he was fine and very active
Friday night. Spats, his litter mate brother, has a heart murmur and
Spitty has a cleft palate. Of all of our cats, he always seemed to be
one of the most robust. He was also the least likely of all to eat
anything other than cat food. Several like Wal Mart plastic bags and
Fuzzy, his older sister, really a good cardboard box from time to
time...

Again, thanks for all of your help...

Lee and Spitty