For the past 5 or so days I'd say, we've had a random cat in our house. At first I was scared of it because it meowed pretty strangely, and both the cats that already live here seemed terrified of it, but I continued to let it live here and take care of it (feed it etc) because it looked starving and homeless. It stayed here every night but disappeared during the day. It always came back around 5ish and just slept and sometimes ate, but when it ate it immediately sicked it up - he/she just couldn't keep it down. As soon as Mum came back and saw the cat, she instantly knew the cat was old and had either kidney failure or cancer (she's pretty good with cats, but I'm guessing any cat lover would know this). She went downstairs this morning (I wasn't here then) and the cat meowed at her like crazy, and Mum went over and stroked it and stuff. She came and picked me up, and when we got home, the cat was dead. Lying in our living room in a sleeping-like position, but definitely dead.
Now I know cats sometimes disappear before they die; it's like they know it's coming and want to do it alone and in peace, but would this cat have came here because it knew it was dying? The cat had a collar so it must have owned to someone, which is why we're going to put up posters saying the cat is found and stuff and bury it in our garden. But yeah, any cat experts out there, what was the situation here? Would a cat really go into someone else's house to die or was it just a coincidence?
Aren't you from Cornwall? If so i actually worked there for a week or two, in Redruth, a cat would always jump through the open window of my room when there. Your cats must be extra friendly.
To answer the question, i do not know for sure, but if it was about to be dead maybe it just gave up at yours? I had wild kittens living by me and they all disapeared, i think they all just picked the first random stranger who showed any kindness and whatever happened happened.