I'll never forget our beloved spynx cat. we got him at 8 weeks old...lost hom at 4 years old.  we had noticed that he was short of breath one night. i took him to an emergency vet clinic and foumd out his heart was twice the size it should have been.  i was on the way home from the vet when he passed away in my arms...thank goodness i had a three day weekend, we both cried for three days.