Call a vet now
Cat breathing with its mouth open: an emergency explained
A panting cat is not a hot cat the way a panting dog is. Open-mouth breathing in a cat that is not overheated should be treated as an emergency until a vet says otherwise, and stress alone can worsen it.
Signs that this is what you are seeing
- Open-mouth breathing or panting when not overheated
- Belly heaving with each breath, or breathing with elbows held out
- Blue or grey gums and tongue
- Stretched-out neck, refusing to lie down
What to do now
- 1Keep everything calm and quiet — stress alone can tip a struggling cat over.
- 2Carry them, do not make them walk. Use an open-top carrier or a towel-lined box.
- 3Phone ahead so the clinic can have oxygen ready when you arrive.
Never do this
- Do not restrain or hold them tightly.
- Do not put them in a small closed carrier with poor airflow.
- Do not attempt to look down the throat.
Find a vet clinic near you
Open the Felper emergency toolkit to search for nearby clinics and check their opening-hours information before you travel.
Other cat emergencies
- Straining in the litter boxA male cat that cannot pass urine is a life-threatening emergency within hours.
- Ate or licked something toxicLilies, antifreeze, paracetamol and flea products made for dogs are all lethal to cats.
- Fall, road accident or crush injuryCats hide internal injuries well — a cat that walks away can still be bleeding internally.
- Heavy bleedingControl the bleed on the way to the clinic, not instead of it.