Some symptoms can't wait for office hours. Cats deteriorate faster than dogs, and a few of these conditions are fatal within hours if untreated. The rule of thumb: if you're asking yourself whether it's an emergency, treat it as one. The cost of an unnecessary visit is small. The cost of waiting through a real emergency is not.
Keep an emergency clinic's address and phone number in your phone now, before you need them. Many areas have a separate after-hours clinic; your regular vet usually has the number on their voicemail.
Go immediately
These warrant an emergency vet, day or night.
Difficulty breathing
Open-mouth breathing in a cat at rest is always an emergency. So is fast, shallow breathing, breathing with the head and neck extended, or any blue or grey colour to the gums or tongue. Cats don't pant like dogs — if your cat is breathing with its mouth open and hasn't just sprinted, go.
Collapse, weakness, or unresponsiveness
A cat that can't stand, can't keep its head up, or won't respond to its name needs to be seen. Sudden hind-leg paralysis or dragging is a specific emergency — often a blood clot (saddle thrombus), which is painful and time-sensitive.
Seizures
A single short seizure (under two minutes) in an otherwise normal cat still gets a same-day vet visit. Repeated seizures, or one lasting more than five minutes, is a go-now emergency. Keep the cat away from furniture edges, time the seizure, don't try to put anything in the mouth.
Suspected poisoning
Lily ingestion (any part of the plant), antifreeze, human medication (paracetamol is lethal in tiny doses), rodent bait, chocolate in quantity, or any of the foods toxic to cats. Bring the packaging or a photo of the plant. Don't try to make the cat vomit at home — methods that work for dogs are dangerous for cats.
Trauma
Hit by a car, fall from height, dog attack, or a bite from another cat. Even cats that look fine after trauma can have internal bleeding or a ruptured bladder. Cat bite wounds in particular nearly always abscess; antibiotics within 24 hours head it off.
Urinary blockage
A male cat going to the litter box repeatedly, straining, producing little or no urine, possibly crying out. This is fatal within 24 to 48 hours if untreated. Don't wait to see if it resolves.
Severe bleeding
Bleeding that doesn't slow with five minutes of firm pressure, or any bleeding from the mouth, nose, or rectum.
Bloated, hard, painful abdomen
Especially if the cat is also vomiting or unable to settle. Can indicate obstruction, fluid in the abdomen, or a twisted organ.
Eye injury
Sudden swelling, a popped-out appearance, deep cloudiness, or visible blood in the eye. Eye conditions go from saveable to not within hours.
Heatstroke
Panting, drooling, very red gums, collapse after exposure to heat or a hot car. Move to shade or air conditioning, wet the fur with cool (not ice-cold) water, and drive.
Prolonged seizing in heat or cold
Hypothermia in a wet, chilled cat or hyperthermia in a hot one. If the cat is unresponsive and the body temperature feels wrong to the touch, go.
Go same-day, not next-day
Less acute but still don't wait until tomorrow.
- Vomiting more than three times in a few hours, or any vomiting with lethargy. See the vomiting guide.
- Diarrhoea with blood, or diarrhoea in a kitten.
- Refusing food for more than 24 hours — feline hepatic lipidosis develops fast in cats that stop eating.
- A swollen, painful limb or a limp that hasn't resolved in a few hours.
- Sudden, complete behaviour change — a social cat hiding, or a quiet cat suddenly distressed. See signs your cat is in pain.
On the way
- Call ahead if you can. The clinic can prepare oxygen, fluids, or staff before you arrive.
- Use a carrier. Even a calm cat in pain may bite or bolt. A pillowcase or laundry basket works in a pinch.
- Bring information. Packaging of suspected toxins, a stool or vomit sample, a list of any medications the cat takes, the cat's vaccination record.
- Drive carefully. You are not helping anyone by crashing on the way. Secure the carrier on the back seat.
Cats are stoic until they can't be. By the time you're sure it's an emergency, it usually is — go.