My cat is breathing hard, losing weight, and won't eat. What's wrong?

I'm sorry to hear that Midnight is doing so poorly. As Dr. Darvishian mentioned, breathing changes are a medical emergency and should be addressed by an emergency vet right away. It's possible that Midnight's breathing changes, coughing, weight loss, weakness, appetite and drinking changes, and lethargy could be due to congestive heart failure, asthma, cancer, or many other issues. She's likely experiencing restlessness and a loss of appetite because she can't breathe well enough to comfortably lay down or swallow. I strongly recommend taking Midnight to an emergency vet right away. This is not a situation that can be managed at home. I hope that everything goes well.

This is a medical emergency - he is also very pale which indicates he is not getting sufficient oxygen around his system. This can be due to anemia, heart/lung disease or severe infection and shock. Please have him fully assessed by a vet urgently as this is immediately life threatening

This is an emergency. I'm sorry that there is not a near by vet but your cat needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. I worry if you wait, things may just get worse. Please call the nearest ER and ask them for advice on the best way to get your cat to them.

I'm sorry that Mo isn't feeling well! I recommend having him seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine what is going on. Trouble breathing is considered a medical emergency, and Mo should be seen immediately if you believe this is happening. Labored breathing in cats can be caused by pain, lung issues, or obstructions. I hope this helps and that all is well with Mo!

Upper and lower respiratory issues in cats are very worrisome. Cats are prone to getting asthma (causes wheezes), pneumonia (crackles heard in the lungs), and upper respiratory infections (crackles in the nasal passage). They can also get heart problems that lead to fluid build up in the lungs. I would highly recommend taking Prince to your local vet to get examined thoroughly, potential bloodwork and x-rays of his chest. We need more information on what is actually going on internally so that we can select the proper course of treatment for Prince to hopefuly get him back on his feet. I would try to get him in as soon as possible, because it often is a sign of a serious illness whenever a cat decides to refuse food. Cats are masters at hiding illness, so we must take these symptoms that Prince is showing right now, very seriously and get him treated right away. Best wishes with Prince and I hope that he feels better soon.

Breathing more heavily than normal is often an early sign of illness in cats, so I would definitely encourage you to take Prince to the vet for a check up as soon as you are able to. Often, we see this in cats with heart disease, fluid in the chest cavity, or even certain types of cancer. They may not show any other symptoms of a problem until their illness gets much worse, so it's always best to have this checked sooner rather than later. Your vet can listen to Prince's heart and lungs to check for any obvious abnormalities, and may also recommend chest x-rays to look for some of the problems I mentioned above.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry Princey is sick! I would get him to your Vet tomorrow. Bring a stool sample. Possible causes for weight loss and not eating in a young cat are: foreign body, intestinal parasites, feline leukemia, FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), toxin ingestion, or even cancer. Your Vet may do blood work, feline leukemia test and X-rays. The tests will be based on their physical. I wish you and Princey the best of luck and I hope he gets better soon!