This is a photograph of a dead cat in an abandoned hospital. I was looking up cat ghosts and for some reason this came up. Clearly this cat is not a ghost. However, the slightly concerning aspect of the picture is that the cat looks as if he/she was terrified before death although there may be a medical reason as to why the cat’s mouth is so wide open.
We don’t have any idea why the cat died. There could be any number of normal, innocent reasons such as being locked in a space and starving to death or perhaps he died of old age. I am publishing the photograph because it is quite interesting although a bit disturbing, morbid and disconcerting.
After death our (human, feline, etc) mouths naturally fall open because it takes conscious effort to keep our mouths closed. You’ll see the same gaping mouth aspect in old skeletons. When a body is prepared for relatives to view, a couple of stitches are put into the mouth to hold it shut. Some exhumed skeletons have a length of fabric around the head (from crown to jaw) to hold the mouth shut.
You’ll also see many people sleep with their mouths open for the same reason – relaxation of the jaw muscles.
Thanks Sarah. Hope you are well and your family.
Horrifying. I feel so much for cats suffering. We should see these kinds of photos to remind us of what to help them avoid. It’s not enough to have a cat live a decent life only to end up like this, which can happen to any of them if not prevented.
Spent most of my life involved in horse rescue. I’ve seen enough in person up close regarding all animals to last a lifetime. A picture attached to a particular cruelty case isn’t going to phase me but just a random cat that obviously died in a horrible abuse situation given the feces around it I just don’t need.
Michael this is normal rictus. For me this is a step back into the crematorium where I witnessed my beautiful Kitten being put in a furnace because a negligent veterinarian toxified her body with enrofloxacin.
I have pictures of here there. All fixed to look normal that are only for me and my husband that despite the desire to publish them on that hated vets FB page I don’t because I respect the life Kitten had to much to show her dead even for shock purposes. That cat in the picture deserves it’s dignity too. It’s why I had her cremated so I would never have to picture her little body decomposing in the ground.
Didn’t need to see this. I’m affected by anything I see, whether beautiful or ugly, sad or joyful. This is a terrifying image that I won’t soon forget.
This IS morbid and nasty..there’s enough nasty and sad with all the idiots that let their cats loose to be run over or killed by dogs.