Well, poop. Sudden death in barn cat.

[Simkie]

We got a couple kitties from a local rescue that does TNR awhile ago. Totally feral from some farm that had a cat colony that wasn’t managed. They were trapped, spayed, vaccinated and brought to us groggy.

They’ve been in a crate to acclimate to our place. Longer than “necessary” as one–Tulip–was wheezy. Gave her antibiotics, she got better. We’ve been trying to figure out how and when to let the kitties out and Mr S has been playing with them while I do stalls at night check. Aloe, the other kitty, has never been ill or worrisome.

I was cleaning stalls tonight and heard a bang loud enough to startle the horses. Went to look and Aloe was on her side in the front to the crate, gasping and in distress. Ran to the house for the little travel carrier, planning on getting her to the ER clinic and she was dead when I got back to the barn perhaps 30 second later.

There is nothing obviously wrong with her. I am going to call my local vet and discuss a necropsy in the am, for my peace of mind as well as concern for Tulip.

I am not very good at this barn cat thing. I know I should just bury her and move on

Any ideas what might have happened?

[Laurierace]

Wow, that is weird and sad. My guess is something cardiac but who knows. Hope the other kitty is ok.

[wendy]

Bang? some kind of fall? A gunshot?
if it was just a aneurysm bursting or something I’d expect silence?
Agree the necropsy is a good idea.
Sorry these things are never easy.

[Simkie]

Not a gunshot. No blood on her. I heard her fall into the food bowl, I think, either from the top of the box they have in there as a hidey hole or perhaps just from standing? I don’t know.

Tulip seems fine, but I do worry about her without her friend and also that we may have missed signs that Aloe was sick.

(I am also super, incredibly paranoid that the cat isn’t dead and have gone out multiple times to check just once more that she doesn’t have a heart beat. Gah.)

[oliverreed]

Oh Simkie No ideas but I am so sorry. Hugs.

[brody]

So sorry. If that sudden an no signs likely embolism in brain or heart. Poor dear and poor you. Only benefit to being there is you know it was fast. I’m so sorry.

[trubandloki]

So sorry for your loss.
Hope the vet can give you some answers.

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=brody;7916188]
So sorry. If that sudden an no signs likely embolism in brain or heart. Poor dear and poor you. Only benefit to being there is you know it was fast. I’m so sorry.[/QUOTE]

That was what I was thinking. OP, how old are the kitties?

[hoopoe]

sudden onset of death in kitties is often cardiomyopathy.

they can often appear pretty normal leading up to the arrest.

[Highflyer]

We’ve had two-- a mother and a daughter-- who died very suddenly of what appeared to be heart failure. The daughter had health issues including a blood clot, but was healthy for several years before her death. The mother had no symptoms at all and was dead within a couple of minutes.

[Simkie]

Verdict is: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Left ventricle was pretty much toast. Poor Aloe At least it was fast, and there was nothing we could have done.

[JumpQH]

Awwww, sorry to hear the results, but at least you know now. Not knowing is a killer for me. Here’s wishing the best for Tulip!

[FatCatFarm]

Very sorry for your loss. Very good of you to have taken her in. Do take another. There are SO many who need homes/a soft landing.

[JBD]

Over the last 15 years we’ve had two barn cats die of unknown causes. Not a mark on them, not sick before so we never knew what happened.