Looking for Answers

[moosmom]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Sometimes, when cats know that the end is imminent, they go to find a peaceful place where they can pass over to the Rainbow Bridge. (See www.rainbowbridge.com) Animals are very wise, and that comes from the wild. They go off to a private place where no other animal can find them and they drift off. (I hate to say the word die).

To give you and your family peace, go to the above website and you will find comfort there. I know I did when my two cats passed.

To answer your question about death...death is not an easy thing to understand in animals. I do know that in humans, rigor mortis sets in 18-36 hours after a person dies. I don't know if that holds true for animals.

"Rigor Mortis: Shortly after death all the muscles in the body become soft and flaccid. At a variable time later, they become firm and rigid. This is known as rigor mortis. Rigor commences in the smallest muscles such as those in the face and the hands, and then extends to the limb muscles. Rigor can be ‘broken’ by stretching the muscle, for example by moving the jaw or the elbow, and does not then return.

Rigor is brought about by a chemical change in the muscle. The normal reaction between adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate (ATP and ADP) within the muscle fibres, which supplies energy for their contraction during life, ceases and the ATP level in the muscle progressively diminishes. This is accompanied by accumulation of lactic acid and a fall of pH (increase in acidity), which leads to stiffening and firmness. Whether or not the muscle fibres actually shorten has not been established.

Temperature is an important factor in determining the time of onset of rigor. In normal circumstances and at room temperature rigor is complete in about three to six hours. If the temperature is higher the onset is more rapid — perhaps no more than an hour in tropical temperatures. Conversely, the onset of rigor is delayed at low temperatures. In cases of drowning in cold water, for example, rigor may not appear until the body has been removed from the water, even after several days of immersion. The onset of rigor is hastened if there has been intense physical activity shortly before death. Thus, in forensic medical practice, the presence of rigor is a poor determinant of the time of death. Once established, the duration of rigor ranges from 18 to 36 hours."

From what you have told me, it seems that your beloved Taffy died very soon before you held her in your arms.

I cannot express how sorry I am for your loss. You were very lucky to have closure in that you held her, closed her eyes and told her how much she was loved. Many pet owners don't have that opportunity.

I do hope this explanation has helped. As far as why she died, it sounds like she was either in advanced renal failure or she had a problem with her thyroid. But I'm not a vet (I have a paramedical background) so I really don't know. Only a necropsy can determine the cause.

RIP sweet Taffy. You were truly loved and will be sorely missed.