Evaluator
What are you seeing?
Large buttons. Short trees. A recommendation to go now, go today, or watch — never a diagnosis.
Straining or not urinating
A male cat who cannot pass urine can die within hours. This is the most missed feline emergency.
Straining in the box with little or no urine — especially in males — is an emergency.
Breathing trouble
Cats hide respiratory distress until they are close to collapse. Open-mouth breathing is never normal rest.
Open-mouth breathing, blue/gray gums, or the belly pumping hard is an emergency.
Collapse or unresponsive
A cat who cannot stand, does not respond, or is cold and still needs a hospital, not observation.
Unresponsive, seizing, or unable to lift the head — go now.
Hind legs weak or cold
A saddle thrombus cuts blood to the back legs. Cats cry, the paws go cold, and the pads may pale.
Sudden back-leg paralysis with cold paws is an emergency.
Vomiting
One hairball is common. Repeated vomiting, blood, or a cat who cannot keep water down is not.
Unproductive retching, a swollen belly, or vomit with blood needs a veterinarian now.
Not eating
Cats that skip meals risk hepatic lipidosis. Forty-eight hours without food is never a wait-and-see.
A cat who has not eaten in a day, especially if overweight, needs a veterinarian.
Possible poison
Lilies, acetaminophen, antifreeze, and many household products are feline crises.
Known lily ingestion, human pain medicine, or antifreeze — go now, do not wait for signs.
Seizure
A seizing cat needs space, a timer, and a hospital if it lasts or repeats.
A seizure longer than three minutes, or cluster seizures, is an emergency.
Trauma or bleeding
Falls, cars, dog bites, and bleeding that will not clot need a hospital even if the cat walks it off.
Bleeding you cannot stop, a limb at an odd angle, or a cat hit by a car — go now.
Hiding or sudden lethargy
A social cat who vanishes under the bed and will not be lured out is telling you something.
Hiding plus no urine, no food, or labored breathing is an emergency, not a mood.
Eye pain or sudden change
A squinting eye can lose vision in a day. Keep the cat from pawing and get a veterinarian.
A bulging eye, a cloudy cornea, or a pupil that will not constrict needs urgent care.
Diarrhea
One soft stool is common. Blood, black tar, or a kitten with diarrhea is a different problem.
Black tarry stool, large amounts of blood, or a collapsed kitten — emergency.