Whether a cat's body is soft after death cannot be used as a basis for determining whether the cat is dead, because a cat's body does not immediately stiffen after death. A cat that has just died will still have a soft body. Therefore, to determine if a cat is dead, you can touch the cat to see if it still has a heartbeat.



If a cat has no heartbeat, it is dead. After a cat dies, its body temperature will continue to drop, and its body will become increasingly stiff. If you are certain the cat is dead, it's best to position it before its body becomes too stiff.