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Cat breathing through mouth, not eating. Is this an emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My cat has been breathing through his mouth for 2 days and he won't eat or drink anything. What can I do? What could he have?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on December 30th, 2016

Oh dear! This is very concerning - open-mouth breathing in cats is a sign of severe respiratory distress, since they never do this under normal circumstances. This could be caused by heart disease, a severe respiratory infection, free fluid in the chest cavity, or even a lung tumor of some kind. This is a serious, life-threatening problem, so I would recommend taking your cat to an emergency vet immediately. He/she can listen to his heart and lungs to check for any abnormalities, and will also probably need to take chest x-rays to help determine what's wrong and see what can be done to treat it.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 30th, 2016

    When a cat breathes through it's mouth, that's a sign of respiratory distress and it is a medical emergency. He could have a severe respiratory infection, fluid in the chest, or heart disease. He has to see a vet immediately, and I would take him into an ER vet now for treatment.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 30th, 2016

    If you mean to say that your cat is breathing through his mouth and not eating, this is an extremely serious problem - he needs to be seen by an emergency vet immediately. Open-mouth breathing in cats is never normal and is a sign of severe respiratory distress, which can be caused by heart disease, a severe respiratory infection, free fluid in the chest cavity, or lung cancer. This is a life-threatening problem that needs immediate veterinary care.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 29th, 2019

    Open mouth breathing in a cat is a medical emergency and can indicate internal injuries. She should be checked by a vet to examine any internal injuries or punctures from the wounds and administer pain medications as well as repair the wounds.

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