Do cats leave their owners to die alone when they are very sick?

I'm really sorry to hear about poor Tierra. Cats that feel bad prefer to hide and keep to themselves, so it would actually be better to let her stay where she wants to stay. It will be fine for you to sit next to her, but she may not want to be touched - you will be the best judge of that. She may even come out at some point of if she feels well enough. I hope that helps and Tierra feels better soon.

Cats are typically the animals that disappear when they are sick, and seem to be the ones who go off to die, not dogs. It could be that your GSD was found by a someone who decided to keep him, or he could have been hit by a car and killed. In my experience, animal control will try to find the home of a lost animal, and will usually keep it in their facility for a specified number of days waiting for an owner to claim it. You can call local animal control to see if they did find him so that you may get some answers. I'm sorry he disappeared and didn't come back!

I am so very sorry for your loss. I can't image how surprising and upset that must have been for you. The best way to find out why you're little boy passed away would be an autopsy. Without an autopsy, my best guess would be heart disease. Cats get a heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle is abnormally thick and doesn't pump blood effectively. Often and tragically the first symptom of this disease is sudden death. Little One could be grieving the loss of her brother - this is quite common. The surviving pet's routines and life are suddenly different and their playmate is gone, so they experience true loss. Depending on how recently your boy passed away, I might be concerned about a toxin making them both sick. If you know about any potential toxin exposure or if there is mouse bait in or around your home, Little One needs to go to the emergency vet right away. I would be most concerned about a toxin if it was within the last 12-24 hours that your boy passed away. Beyond that, it's unlikely that it's effecting her so much slowly. All in all, if she's really acting strange, not eating, sleeping too much, having any vomiting or diarrhea, it would be best to take her to the emergency clinic for an exam. If you still have your little boy's body, doing the autopsy could ease your mind as well. Please accept my condolences during this difficult time.

Oh dear, it sounds like he may have been suffering from a UTI, bladder stones or urine crystals. If that is the case, he would need treatment immediately. It is a severe condition and left untreated may be fatal. Cats are known to hide when they are unwell, but will often take themselves away if they are very sick and dying. I am afraid to say that it is a possibility, but try to remain positive. Cats are known to be magical healers and return after long stints away from home. I would do your best to search for him and locate him, if you find him please take him immediately to a vet for an exam.

It doesn't necessarily mean that she will die, but can indicate that she has a potentially serious illness. Eleven is quite old for a cat, but I would not expect her to be old enough to be at the end of her life. The best way to see if anything serious is going on is to have a veterinarian evaluate her. Given her age they may want to do some blood testing to ensure that her organs are functioning well. After this, the vet will be able to give you a much better answer about her current condition and what can be done to make her feel better. I hope that helps and Meika gets better soon.

I am so sorry for your heartache, I know how difficult this time is. You have a couple of options to consider. 1) Let her pass at home. Make sure she's got a warm comfortable bed, allow her to be propped into a whatever position seems most comfortable. If she's having any difficulty breathing, it may help to prop her so that she's sort of lying on her chest, (so the breastbone is on the surface)--this allows both of her lungs to expand most comfortably. There is no medication that I can advise you to give her, but just being with her is the best thing you can do to make her comfortable. You can keep things she really likes (a cat toy she used to love, etc) and familiar scents (one of your worn t-shirts,etc) in the bed with her. Don't try to force her to eat or drink. 2) Call an emergency clinic. They likely have 24/7 full services, including euthanasia. Additionally, they may be able to refer you to "on-call" in home euthanasia services in your area. More and more of these at home services are available 24 hrs in metropolitan areas. Costs will vary, but will be more expensive than taking her in to your family veterinarian, due to the 24/7 service. You and your kitty are in my thoughts. Thank you for trusting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry you suddenly lost your cat! Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain what caused her to pass away, but I can make some guesses. In senior cats, cancer is common, and because our animals can't tell us what is going on with them, oftentimes we find that they are suffering from cancer but we don't know it until it's too late. It could be possible that your kitty had cancer, and it ultimately took her life. She could have also been suffering from kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or other organ failure. I hope my guesses may give you some peace of mind, and again I'm sorry for your loss :-(