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Expert: - 2/19/2009


Question
About a month ago my cat died while we were sleeping.  In early morning i heard him gasp, as if getting ready to throw up a hair ball.  Since he sleeps with me i rushed to turn on the light to only find his eyes wide open and to watch him take his last breath.  Question is, he never showed signs of being sick.  He just died.  He was a stray that adopted us and three years prior i had to save his life from a urinary blockage.  Thus he became indoor cat.  I had him tested and shots provided and he never returned outside again.  He was very young (atleast only 5 or 6 according to vet).  But the only symptom was a few weeks prior to his death his hair seemed to start getting all matted.  Little by little it got worse and then out of nowhere, he developed scabs on his skin.  That is all that showed up that i can think of.  Now, i have a dog (7) and another cat (always been in door since born and she is 10.  But i constantly watch them like a hawk now.  i noticed my dogs hair (Scottish Terrier) had a couple knots much the same as the cats had begun and of course, paranoid i am, i thought I'd ask as the vet mentioned to me that other cases much like my cats were related to heartworms and of course now, my 10 year old cat has medicine for them.  Heartworms were not a test i did on the cat that died so i bought it.  But as always, i have a question in the back of my mind if my other animals could get sick.  dead cat lived outside for a few years before lining inside with me - just an FYI.  Thank you.  i appreciate any input you may have.


Answer
Kendall,

I am sorry for your loss.

I am not a vet, but it also seems to me that the cat either threw a blood clot or died of a heart problem.

I would guess his heart began to fail and the other symptoms you saw may be due to his no longer grooming himself properly.

I would not worry too much about his death being due to something contagious.  Of course, you can always see your vet if you are concerned.

Sad regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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