R.i.p.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Sorry, bud. Pretty sudden. The throwing up sounds like poison. I'm sure you've already wondered about that.

Well, there is nothing for him to get into, but having an autopsy to make sure he didn't get heart worms from a bite on one of his few trips out side.. He never went out alone and I'm very careful about what they can get into..

[5String43]

I'm so sorry, Byron. Losing any pet is tough, but losing something as bright, loving and goofy as a Maine Coon just breaks your heart. We lost ours, Marty, a couple of years ago and I still miss him terribly.

[billybek]

Things have to get better for you, Byron.
A roll of luck like this can't go on...
Sorry to hear of your buddy.

[VINMAN]

Byron, Im so sorry bro. My heart goes out to you. Going through this too right now.

[911pcars]

Sorry about that.

Sherwood

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by 5String43

I'm so sorry, Byron. Losing any pet is tough, but losing something as bright, loving and goofy as a Maine Coon just breaks your heart. We lost ours, Marty, a couple of years ago and I still miss him terribly.

Thanks, and as big as he was, when playing, he kinda "Pranced" and he loved to play. Any time I came into a room he was in, he also gave me a look like the really appreciated being taken in and was happy & thankful to be here and a little meow..

[Oh Haha]

Sorry for your loss, Byron.

[Reg]

ah man. Another one. Condolences Byron

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

Thanks, and as big as he was, when playing, he kinda "Pranced" and he loved to play. Any time I came into a room he was in, he also gave me a look like the really appreciated being taken in and was happy & thankful to be here and a little meow..

Though not a pure bred, I suspect there is a lot of Maine Coon in our "garfield"...nearly 20 pounds, very affectionate, fits the behavior you describe.
Byron, we who have cats sure know about "heart worm"...yep, they are very talented at worming thier way into your heart.

We who have lost loved pets know how you're feeling now...so, my sympathy to both you and Vinny...

[Baz]

Cats don't get heart worm disease like dogs do - according to what I have read. My 3 black kiddles are outside 24/7 and have been since they adopted me 5 years ago.

Again sorry for your loss Byron. We've all gone through this and it is never easy no matter what the circumstances. You gave your boy a good home and he had a very good life and for that you should be very proud and thankful.

Weep not for me though I am gone
Into that gentle night.
Grieve if you will, but not for long
Upon my soul's sweet flight.
I am at peace, my soul's at rest
There is no need for tears.
For with your love I was so blessed
For all those many years.
There is no pain, I suffer not,
The fear now all is gone.
Put now these things out of your thoughts,
In your memory I live on.
Remember not my fight for breath
Remember not the strife.
Please do not dwell upon my death,
But celebrate my life.

Respectfully,

Baz and the girls

[KFC911]

Very sorry Byron...be well!

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Sorry, bud. Pretty sudden. The throwing up sounds like poison. I'm sure you've already wondered about that.

OK, the doc called in the results.. Heart attack...

Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon Cats : An Animal Model of Human Disease

Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon Cats
An Animal Model of Human Disease
Presented in part at the Scientific Conference on the Genome Project: Applications to Cardiovascular Biology, San Diego, Calif, March 8–11, 1998.
Mark D. Kittleson, DVM, PhD; Kathryn M. Meurs, DVM, PhD; Marcia J. Munro, BA; Judith A. Kittleson, RN, MS; Si-Kwang Liu, DVM, PhD; Paul D. Pion, DVM; Jeffrey A. Towbin, MD
From the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis (M.D.K., J.A.K., P.D.P.); the Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus (K.M.M.); The Animal Medical Center, Caspary Research Institute for Veterinary Research, New York, NY (S.K.L.); and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex (J.A.T.).

Correspondence to Dr Mark D. Kittleson, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616. E-mail mdkittleson@ucdavis.edu

Background—A naturally occurring animal model of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHCM) is lacking. We identified a family of Maine coon cats with HCM and developed a colony to determine mode of inheritance, phenotypic expression, and natural history of the disease.

Methods and Results—A proband was identified, and related cats were bred to produce a colony. Affected and unaffected cats were bred to determine the mode of inheritance. Echocardiography was used to identify affected offspring and determine phenotypic expression. Echocardiograms were repeated serially to determine the natural history of the disease. Of 22 offspring from breeding affected to unaffected cats, 12 (55%) were affected. When affected cats were bred to affected cats, 4 (45%) of the 9 were affected, 2 (22%) unaffected, and 3 (33%) stillborn. Findings were consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with 100% penetrance, with the stillborns representing lethal homozygotes that died in utero. Affected cats usually did not have phenotypic evidence of HCM before 6 months of age, developed HCM during adolescence, and developed severe HCM during young adulthood. Papillary muscle hypertrophy that produced midcavitary obstruction and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve was the most consistent manifestation of HCM. Cats died suddenly (n=5) or of heart failure (n=3). Histopathology of the myocardium revealed myocardial fiber disarray, intramural coronary arteriosclerosis, and interstitial fibrosis.

Conclusions—HCM in this family of Maine coon cats closely resembles the human form of FHCM and should prove a valuable tool for studying the gross, cellular, and molecular pathophysiology of the disease

[kach22i]

Heart attack.................

At least you now know.

Sorry to be reading of this.

[iplagolf]

Byron, so sorry for your loss. My heart stopped when I saw the two pictures. I lost my Travis McGee in July of 2008. I was living in Sunshine Holiday RV park in Oakland Park, FL. in my motor home. He was a very friendly and loving cat. The day he went missing, the Rv'ers next to me left and I always feared he stole away by accident in one of their storage basements. They were from Branson, MO and never returned the park managements calls to their home to see if they found him in their RV. The second picture of the two cats, I had a second black male called Bob. Gee brought him home to me as a kitten while I was in Indiana. They were fast friends, hunted, played and slept together. Usually on their backs with paws in the air. Bob was never the same after Gee went missing. He wandered off while I was in Northern Louisiana a year later. It's always been my hope that both boys found someone with a good home to love them and keep them safe. There's not a day goes by I don't think of them...Fritz