# My cat died and I don't understand what happened **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2019, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265 "2019-02-10T03:35:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/21 "2019-02-10T18:03:03Z")
My condolences for your loss, **Lurker**. ---
**Author:** ![half-elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@half-elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/half-elf)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/22 "2019-02-10T18:06:28Z")
My condolences, **Lurker**. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/23 "2019-02-10T18:17:28Z")
Dental abscesses can be very bad things, even in humans. The infection can easily spread to the heart, as well as elsewhere, like into the bones. Someone close to me ended up getting a nasty heart infection from bad teeth. He spent months in the hospital, and had heart issues for the remainder of his life. Ultimately, he ended up dying because of his heart issues several years later. He was only about 30 years old. Dogs, cats, and other pets don’t complain the way humans do, and often don’t look anywhere near as sick as they actually are. And with a dental abscess, a lot of the infection would probably be in the internal organs where you wouldn’t be able to see it anyway. Veterinary medicine is definitely not my field of expertise, but I suspect that pumping your cat full of antibiotics was probably about the best that the vet could do. Under the circumstances, I think you did the best that you could do. You just had a very sick kitty. I’m very sorry for your loss. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/24 "2019-02-10T18:20:26Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@SamuelA](#): > > I know this isn’t much comfort but cats behave so similar that I suspect most of their behavior is hardwired. So I don’t feel as bad when I lose one since the amount of information making that particular cat unique was small. I would get another kitty. This is insensitive enough that many would consider it to be jerkish behavior. Please do not post things like this in any thread about the loss of a pet of any kind, especially when the OP clearly indicates that they have some level of emotional stress over the incident. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/25 "2019-02-10T20:19:30Z")
I’m so sorry, **Lurker** and **Napier.** ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/26 "2019-02-10T23:29:32Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > If you can get yourself feeling ready for it again, I hope you keep adopting and caring for them. I’m sorry to hear about your cat too. I have his mother and brother. I got the three of them as group. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/27 "2019-02-11T04:42:38Z")
So sorry for your losses, **LurkerInNJ** and **Napier**. We’ve all been through this, and it never gets easier. I’m still mourning the loss of my beloved kitty whom I lost last year. I miss him every single day. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/28 "2019-02-11T08:34:02Z")
I am so sorry for your loss. As I posted last week, I lost my Natasha last week. She was also diabetic and not eating and I was holding her insulin until I could get her to the vet but it turned out that her sugar was very high. Unfortunately I had to make the decision to let her go. I just wanted to say I know how hard dealing with a diabetic cat can be. I almost feel bad about how much simpler my life has gotten with only one cat. I no longer have to trap my cat in the bathroom twice a day to keep her from eating the other cat’s food, no longer have to carefully measure her food, scooping the litter box is so much easier without her going against the walls and often over them and not dealing with a cat who never covered anything. I really miss her. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/29 "2019-02-11T08:41:32Z")
I also wanted to add that my two cats could not have been more different. Even though they were littermates and almost never appart, they were completely different. She loved meeting new people and he hid until they were gone, she begged to be brushed and he hated it, she meowed when she wanted something and he comes up and hits you, she loved catnip and he ignores it and if given a new treat she would cautiously sniff and explore it while he grabs it and runs and hides so he can check it out in private. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/30 "2019-02-11T21:02:05Z")
Sorry about your kitty. We had a cat behave the exact same way. Turned out it was a problem with his liver. He died almost in the same manner as yours. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/31 "2019-02-11T22:45:15Z")
Sorry for your loss of your cat. it’s never easy. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/32 "2019-02-12T06:00:01Z")
Heartbreaking. My condolences. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/33 "2019-02-12T07:20:27Z")
I’m so sorry **Lurker**. The same thing happened to my Buffy when she was 14 – I can’t remember what it was exactly, but she had started having bladder infections from time to time for about two years before that. Losing a pet always hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Fairway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Mrs\_Fairway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Fairway)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/34 "2019-02-12T13:01:08Z")
My heart breaks for you. Especially not knowing exactly why he died. I’m so sorry. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/35 "2019-02-12T15:08:50Z")
Thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/36 "2019-02-12T20:57:06Z")
Fisher (dog) and GrayZ (cat) in bed with me: [https://i.postimg.cc/Qx7Z3b95/S5030989.jpg](https://postimg.cc/tY9MdFzC) My sister’s goofy cat Bobby: [https://i.postimg.cc/d3kPDR5b/S5030284-2.jpg](https://postimages.org/) [https://i.postimg.cc/0jTgS63b/S5030400.jpg](https://postimages.org/) [https://i.postimg.cc/FF8X8qRN/S5030415.jpg](https://postimages.org/) [https://i.postimg.cc/vZdFHVfK/S5031061-2.jpg](https://postimg.cc/hfM32hC8) [https://i.postimg.cc/wjcKtjkj/S5031154.jpg](https://postimg.cc/4Yd2qZMD) ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/38 "2019-03-23T20:36:57Z")
I am so sorry. It hits hard to lose a much loved cat. When one of mine’s kidneys appeared to suddenly fail my vet said that cats can happily bumble along with around 10% capacity. Then it drops to 5% and they are done. I suspect it is similar with other conditions. Did you make it to the funeral? That must have been awful, two losses in one week. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265/39 "2019-03-23T21:45:56Z")
Greenish exudate suggests bacterial infection, to me, but I’m a people nurse, I don’t work with cats. A localized infection may be held in check for awhile, and then take off. Sorry [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-died-and-i-dont-understand-what-happened/829265.md?page=1)