Poison and Cats

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Was Cat Poisoned

My two-year-old cat came in today and lay down and was sluggish. He looked like he had vomited, as there was some on his head. He usually naps all day, after being out all night. Tonight, he had a half hour of convulsions, and foaming at mouth (after a couple seizures) and then died. There was no time to get him to the vet, once he started convulsing. Could he have been poisoned? This was so quick and sudden. Or would this be Distemper? He had his shots. Help! We have another cat - what should we do for him?

~~Maureen

Expert Reply

Hi Maureen,

I'm so sorry to hear this. How horrible for you and the cat. The symptoms for Distemper usually show up slowly, over time, and are a bit different than what you describing. Plus, he had been vaccinated and was not a kitten or elderly cat. That leads me to believe it wasn't distemper in this case, although only an autopsy would show for certain. It does sound a lot like some type of poisoning, because of the convulsions. Is it possible he got into antifreeze or mouse poison? This is often unintentional on a neighbor's part. They don't realize the cat will get into antifreeze that has leaked onto the ground. Or, if they put out poison, and the cat eats the mouse, the cat can be poisoned.

I would probably go ahead and take your second cat to the vet and have him checked over, just to be on the safe side. He will likely check out fine, but it will give you some peace of mind that you need right now.

Please check back and let me know if the other cat is okay.

Sending some cyber-hugs your way.

~~Lori.