Call today (not next week)
- Not eating for over 24 hours — in cats, anorexia risks hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver), a genuinely dangerous cascade; this timeline is shorter than for dogs.
- Straining to urinate, or crying in the box — a blocked urethra (most often male cats) is a minutes-to-hours emergency.
- Blood in urine or around the box — urinary disease, stones or infection.
- Repeated vomiting or vomiting with lethargy — see our vomiting guidance: rehydration matters, and withholding water makes things worse.
Go now — emergency
- Difficulty breathing or open-mouth breathing (cats in distress rarely pant — assume emergency).
- Seizures, collapse, or sudden inability to use the back legs.
- Pale, white or blue gums.
- Suspected poisoning — lilies (any part), antifreeze, permethrin flea products meant for dogs, human medications, string/swallowed objects. Call ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 on the way.
Watch closely, call within 24h
- Sneezing or eye discharge without lethargy.
- Mild limp with no swelling.
- One episode of vomiting in an otherwise bright cat.
- Slightly reduced appetite in a senior cat — seniors decompensate fast; when in doubt, call.
The poison-control card
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435 — 24/7, a consultation fee applies. Program it into your phone now: nobody dials calmly while searching for a number. Educational guidance here never replaces veterinary care.