Call a vet now
My cat ate something toxic: what to do right now
Cats are poisoned by things that are harmless to us and to dogs. Because several of these are treatable early and irreversible late, the safest move is to call a vet on suspicion rather than waiting for symptoms.
Signs that this is what you are seeing
- Any contact at all with a lily — pollen on the fur counts
- Drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, tremors, or sudden hiding
- A chewed packet, spilled liquid, or a dog flea treatment applied by mistake
What to do now
- 1Call a vet before doing anything else — treatment depends on the substance.
- 2Take the packet, plant or bottle with you so the vet can read the ingredients.
- 3If the substance is on the coat, stop your cat grooming it — wrap them in a towel until you get advice.
Never do this
- Never make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to.
- Never give paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin — paracetamol is fatal to cats at ordinary human doses.
- Do not wait for symptoms. Lily and antifreeze poisoning are treatable early and irreversible late.
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.
- Trouble breathingCats almost never pant. Open-mouth breathing is an emergency until proven otherwise.
- 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.