Why is my cat lethargic, not eating, breathing hard, and dehydrated?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear about Luke. There is no way to tell what’s going on without examining him but some common possibilities are: a cat bite wound/ abscess, kidney disease, pancreatitis, something stuck in the GI tract, heart disease, diabetes, and others. Take Luke into the vet tomorrow. He or she will ask many more questions, do a physical exam, and rank these in order of most likely depending on those findings as well as his age, etc. He or she may recommend bloodwork which can help rule out some of those things mentioned above and may raise or lower suspicion for a toxin. Best of luck to you and Luke.

Poor Potato! He needs to be examined by a vet right away if he is having a hard time breathing. He could have a problem with his asthma, infection, or fluid in/around his lungs. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate his lungs and then determine the best way to treat. He may just need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, or other medications depending on the cause. Call your vet and have him examined as soon as possible.

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!

What a gorgeous cat! I am sorry he is not feeling well. Licking his lips is a sign of nausea. Even though he may not be vomiting today he is showing signs that he is still not feeling well. If he is eating (even small amounts) and drinking water as well as interacting with you, urinating, and defecating than he may be able to wait until Wednesday. However, if Michaleto's breathing continues to be abnormal at all to you this may be a sign that he is in pain or has some sort of disease of his heart or lungs. Any abnormal breathing - whether fast or hard - should be seen as soon as possible by a veterinarian. I hope he is feeling better soon.

No, I recommend to have Harlem examined immediately. This could be an emergency situation. When pets suddenly develop a change in their breathing pattern, they need to be examined immediately. This is especially true for cats who can hide signs of heart disease and not have any murmurs or other clues on physical examine. Other causes include infection, asthma or fluid in the lungs. Have him examined right away. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Cassie sounds very ill at the moment, and at her age, there are a number of things that could be causing her symptoms such as heart disease, kidney failure, liver disease, or cancer to name a few. I think she needs veterinary care now. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

These symptoms are definitely of concern and most likely a sign of illness and not depression. It is not any fault of yours, but he does need to see a veterinarian to determine the cause of his illness. They may recommend running bloodwork to check for signs of systemic illness such as kidney disease or infection, and may want to test his for Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids since he was an outdoor cat before he came to you.