[carnival queen]

be found dead with no sign of trauma? She was about 2 years old, her body was found in a garden a little way from her home. She was much loved.Lesley D - she was missing overnight and was found the following late afternoon

[SERVICE CREW]

age,poisoned

[Chalice]

Oh dear, I'm sorry. Sudden death in young, apparently healthy animals is very often due to a heart problem. Heart defects are many and varied, and can otherwise go undetected until they suddenly die. I've seen it in two very young dogs so far. One was a year old boxer just last weekend actually - collapsed when on a walk with owners. Heart problems are common in boxers tho. My own cat in fact died suddenly when she hadn't been ill, although she was 18 and did have a slight heart murmur, so I assumed it had been a heart attack.A vet could do a post-mortem for you, but it would be costly. I think if you asked for reasons, heart failure would be first on the list.ChaliceIf the cat was poisoned I think there would have been some signs, like bleeding. It is a possibility tho I suppose. I don't think it was very nice of that poster to suggest that 'cared for' cats stay inside! What nonsense.

[LESLEY D]

I am so sorry for your lost .. it must have been an awful shock to find your poor cat dead and not know what has happened to him/ her.you do not say whether the cat had been missing for a while .. or the length of time between you last seeing him and finding him dead..cats can die of poisoning pretty quickly.. then with rat poison there would be blood around the teeth and gums..just because there was no outward sign of trauma doesn't mean that the cat hadn't been hit by a car.. shock can kill.the only definetly way to find out would be to take the cat to the vets for an autopsy.

[kristel m]

Hi,If there are no signs of trauma or road accident, the chances are high that somewhere in your area, somebody lives who keeps birds or race pigeons who have a dislike to cats. I strongly suspect poisening. I used to work for the Belgian equivaledge of the rspca for 8 years, and 8 out of 10 autopsies told us this. The other two reasons would be stroke or heart attack, but taken the age into consideration, I really doubt that. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.Take careKristel

[Darla G]

I am so sorry for your loss. Your vet can perform a procedure called a necropsy that will give you the answer you need. If your cat has companions this may be crucial. You found your poor baby in your garden? Could she have come in contact with pesticides? Could a neighbor have put out poison? I lost a healthy young male when a neighbor put out poison for a possum who was ransacking his garden.Nothing can prepare you for the shock of finding a beloved pet dead. My heart goes out to you..