3 years ago my cat was found dead in a puddle

by Shannon
(Colorado)

Three years ago my cat was found dead in a puddle of water. How’d she die?

I took a cat off the streets and got her shots at the SPCA. After my job ended, I left her with family while trying to settle myself out of state for a few months.

Upon returning, she had bonded with the family and she took me back, but two weeks later she died.

She was a great huntress and shockingly brought us a snake and a bat home. I had been home for one month and in due time to get the booster rabies one year after the first shot.

But, they might have gotten her the shot in the early summer like they do with the other pets, once a year when the clinic offers nearly free shots at an animal feed store. I don’t want to ask them and I was planning on taking her if not.

I wondered if someone drowned my cat or if she acted in pain and drowned. They said the huge puddle and soaked fur could be lockjaw.

Once before, I left her with the family, and she appeared lighter. I took her through a parasite treatment so she could gain weight again and that seemed to be the problem.

A few days before my Mom came to say she found her dead, I picked her up and she seemed slightly lighter. I wondered if I should give her the parasite treatment again.

She was very sweet, but I don’t know how she acted around the other family cats. I noticed her snarl unusually when a cat jumped up and then down.

Usually if I walked outside and called her or she meowed and wanted to come inside, she'd run to me and I'd pick her up and take her inside. The night before she was found dead, I called to her and she gave a muffled, weak meow and didn’t come to me like usual.

She didn’t turn her head to look at me. She was sitting, facing the window like the Sphinx in Egypt.

I picked up the family’s grey cat instead and carried her inside the house while planning to come back outside and get my cat immediately, but I forgot. She didn’t turn her head and the meow sounded weird.

The next morning she was found on her side, wet in a puddle. What could it be? It’s been three years.