My kitten died suddenly after showing symptoms and vomiting. Why?

He may have had an injury, been hit by a car or he had a congenital heart defect that caused a blood clot at the bifurcation of the aorta (that paralyses hind legs and hurts terribly). This can also cause a clot in the lungs which would cause breathing problems. Unfortunately most cats with these blood clots die within a short time. I am so sorry for your loss. This is very sad.

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.

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 :-(

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear about the loss of James. It is never easy to see a loved one pass away. His untimely death could have been due to a heart condition leading his heart to fail. Any underlying systemic disease that was going on that you did not know about could have progressed to the point where it overwhelmed James' system leading to his acute death. Unfortunately, it is difficult to speculate as there can be so many causes. I would discuss this with your veterinarian as he / she may be able to perform an autopsy on James to help determine what the cause of his untimely death could have been. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Poor baby! I am so sorry for your loss. My biggest concern with cats and sudden deaths like this would be congenital heart problems especially i male cats. It can cause them to throw clots which could have caused paralysis in the other rear leg. It can also cause a high blood pressure which could cause acute blindness. Another concern would be some type of toxin. You could always have a necropsy done on him to see if they can find the cause but sometimes the results are inconclusive. Again, I am sorry for your loss. I hope this helps.

I'm so sorry for your loss! Rescue work can always be heartbreaking. I worry that since the mother abandoned the kittens, she may have known they were sickly. They could have had a congenital issue or mom could've been infected with a disease that severely affected the kittens. You could take the kitten to have post-mortem performed if you would like a final diagnosis, but unfortunately, this is something that happens and we don't always get closure.

I'm so sorry. The blood from the mouth is a symptom of what your kitten died from, not the cause. There is no way to know for sure without a post-mortem exam. It could have been trauma or an infectious disease causing bleeding in the lungs.