Cat emergency? What to do right now
A cat emergency can turn serious within hours. Know the emergency signs, who to call, and what to do on the way to the emergency vet.
Call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic now
If you think your cat was poisoned, call a pet poison hotline. Both are open 24 hours (US, a consultation fee applies):
Go to a vet now if you see any of these
- 01Straining in the litter box with little or no urine (especially a male cat)
- 02Breathing with an open mouth, panting, or breathing very fast at rest
- 03May have eaten a lily, human medication, antifreeze or another poison
- 04Collapsed, can’t stand, or had a seizure
- 05Bleeding that won’t stop, or blood in vomit
- 06Hit by a car, fell from a height or was attacked by an animal
Call ahead: what to tell the emergency vet
Calling on the way lets the team get ready and tells you whether they can see a cat right now. Have this ready:
- Your cat’s age, rough weight and any health problems or medicines.
- What happened, when it started and whether it’s getting worse.
- If your cat may have eaten something: what it was, roughly how much and when.
- Ask what the exam fee is and whether they can give you an estimate before treatment.
If your cat may have been poisoned
Poisoning is one of the most common cat emergencies, and cats are more sensitive than dogs to many everyday products. Call your vet or a pet poison line straight away, even if your cat seems fine, because signs can take hours to appear.
- Don’t make your cat vomit unless a vet or poison line tells you to. Home remedies such as hydrogen peroxide or salt can harm cats.
- Bring the packaging, the plant or a photo of it to the clinic.
- Lilies: go now if your cat touched or chewed any part of a true lily or daylily, including pollen or vase water. Early treatment can prevent kidney failure. Read are lilies toxic to cats.
- Other common dangers: human painkillers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen), dog flea products containing permethrin, antifreeze, rat and mouse poison, and some essential oils.
Check a plant or food with our toxic plant checker or human food checker, but don’t let a search delay the call.
What to do on the way, by type of emergency
| What’s happening | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Straining to pee, little or nothing comes out (especially a male cat) | Go now. Don’t wait to see if it passes: a blocked cat can die within a day or two. See urinary blockage in male cats. |
| Breathing trouble, open-mouth breathing or panting | Keep your cat calm and cool, handle them as little as possible and use a carrier with good airflow. Don’t hold them down. See cat breathing fast. |
| Bleeding that won’t stop | Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth. If it soaks through, add another layer on top rather than lifting the first. |
| Hit by a car or a fall | Go even if your cat seems fine, because injuries can be internal. Slide your cat onto a towel or board to move them, keeping the body as still as you can. |
| Seizure | Don’t hold your cat or put anything in their mouth. Move objects away, dim the lights and time it. A seizure over 5 minutes, or several in a row, needs a vet now. |
| Overheating (panting, drooling, weak after heat) | Move your cat somewhere cool and wet the fur with cool, not ice-cold, water on the way. |
| Collapsed or can’t stand | Keep them warm and still in a carrier or box and go now. |
In every case: use a carrier even for a calm cat, because frightened or hurt cats can bolt. Don’t give food, water or any human medicine unless a vet tells you to.
What happens at the emergency vet
Emergency clinics see the most urgent patients first (this is called triage), so a stable cat may wait while another animal is treated. Expect an exam fee first, then an estimate before tests or treatment. You can ask what each part of the estimate is for and whether there are options. Our guide to emergency vet costs for cats and the vet cost estimator show typical ranges.
Be ready before an emergency happens
- Save your vet’s number and the nearest 24-hour emergency vet in your phone. Find an emergency vet near you.
- Save both poison line numbers: ASPCA Animal Poison Control 888-426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661.
- Keep the carrier somewhere you can grab it quickly.
- Keep a note of your cat’s medicines, health problems and vaccination dates.
Not sure how urgent it is? Use our symptom check. This page gives general first-aid information from veterinary sources (ASPCA Animal Poison Control, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual). It isn’t a substitute for a vet, so always call one.