My cat is dying, not eating, drinking, or breathing well. What to do?

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. If possible, you need to seek veterinary care for him immediately. He appears very sick in your pictures and your description. He will likely need blood work and x-rays of his chest to determine why he is so sick. In the meantime, place karo or maple syrup on his gums. This will help if his blood sugar has dropped too low. It will give him a little energy. He will still need care though. I hope this information helps.

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.

Your cat sounds critically ill and should be seen by a vet ASAP. Open-mouth breathing is always an emergency in cats - it is a sign of respiratory distress. It is difficult to say what the cause is without doing some testing, but possibilities include cancer, pneumonia, asthma, or heart failure.

Squiggles need to see a vet. If he has lost that much weight my guess is he either has diabetes or kidney disease. He could also have a serious mouth/dental infection or even hepatic lipidosis. I'm sorry you think vets are expensive but there is a lot of overhead involved with running a vet clinic. The staff has to be paid, the utilities, all the medications, supplies and equipment. It is your responsibility to get him care when he is sick. Letting him suffer because of financial constraints is really not a good option. Not everything can be fixed at home. So, please get him evaluated by a vet and then you can go from there. If he has a severe disease and you cannot afford treatment then it would be best to humanely euthanize him.

Poor Oscar, I suspect he might be suffering with kidney disease. This is a common cause for increase thirst and urination in elderly cars. In order to stop progression of kidney disease you should not give him metacam anymore and opt to have a different form of pain relief. It is hard to answer your question, in a way his body is shutting down but it might take a week to get worse and another 3-5days for him to go. During those 5 days he will not eat, he will probably vomit and be in pain as not allowed to have/not taking his medications. My suggestion is to try to do something with your vet to help him feel better and if he should continue to deteriorate, not eat /drink a lot then let him go peacefully. Hope this makes sense, sending you positive thoughts

Hello. For such a geriatric kitty, I would have Charlie seen as soon as possible. These older kitties are very often just bordering on the edge of dehydration & will benefit from some fluids, often given subcutaneously. This alone can often help their appetite, too. Please have Charlie evaluated at your earliest convenience. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.