HomeEmergency
Emergency Care

Is your Cat having
an emergency?

Our Feline Experience Specialists are available to take your calls during clinic hours. For after-hours emergencies, you are automatically connected to our licensed RVT triage team when you call, or you can go directly to VEG. A real licensed professional is there for you 24/7.

📞 Call Us Find ER Hospital →
⚠ Go to an Emergency Vet Immediately If You See Any of These

Open-mouth or labored breathing • Collapse or inability to stand • Seizure or uncontrolled tremors • Suspected toxin or foreign body ingestion • Straining to urinate with no output, especially in male Cats • Unresponsiveness • Severe trauma or injury • Significant uncontrolled bleeding • Sudden profound behavior change or extreme distress • Pale, white, or blue gums

Not Sure If It Is an Emergency?

When in doubt, call.

Call our Feline Experience Specialists during clinic hours and they will help assess your Cat’s situation. After hours, you are automatically connected to our licensed RVT triage team when you call our number, or call VEG directly. Their emergency doctors are available to speak with you 24 hours a day.

There is no charge to call and ask. If your Cat needs to be seen, you want them seen as quickly as possible. Always better safe than sorry.

📞 Call During Clinic Hours

Urgent, Seen Today

  • Prolonged vomiting or diarrhea (more than 24 hours)
  • Significant lethargy or unusual unresponsiveness
  • Not eating for more than 24 to 48 hours
  • Hiding more than usual combined with any other sign
  • Labored or rapid breathing without exertion
  • Visible signs of pain, guarding, hunching, crying
  • Eyes squinting or partially closed
  • Any litter box change combined with other signs
Emergency Hospitals

Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)
Open 24/7. No appointment needed.

All three Denver-area VEG locations are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Walk in anytime, a veterinarian will see your Cat immediately. You can call ahead to speak with a doctor before you leave.

Closest to Stanley Marketplace
VEG Denver — Colfax
3845 E Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80206
Open 24 Hours · Every Day
📞 Call NowDirections
South Denver / DTC Area
VEG Denver Tech Center
6305 E Hampden Ave, Suite 101
Denver, CO 80222
Open 24 Hours · Every Day
📞 Call NowDirections
West Denver / Edgewater
VEG Edgewater
5485 W 20th Ave
Edgewater, CO 80214
Open 24 Hours · Every Day
📞 Call NowDirections
Already a CatsOnly Patient?

Call us during clinic hours before you leave. Our Feline Experience Specialists can send your Cat’s complete records to the emergency hospital before you arrive. If you have the CatsOnly App, your Cat’s entire medical record and diagnostics are accessible from your phone anytime, and you can share them directly at the ER.

Booking Online?

Not sure if this is a wait-for-an-appointment situation or an emergency?

Use these quick-reference guides to check whether the signs you are seeing could need attention sooner than your scheduled appointment. These are the same resources linked in your booking confirmation text.

💧
Urinary & Litter Box
Is your Cat straining, crying, or not producing urine? Check this first.
Open Quick Reference →
🤢
GI & Digestive
Vomiting, not eating, suspected toxin ingestion, or abdominal signs.
Open Quick Reference →
⚠️
All Other Concerns
Breathing, collapse, trauma, behavior change, vision, or anything else.
Open Quick Reference →
Common Feline Hazards

Know what is dangerous at home.

🌻
Toxic Plants
Lilies (all species) are acutely life-threatening, even small amounts cause kidney failure. Also dangerous: tulip bulbs, daffodils, azalea, oleander, sago palm, pothos, and dieffenbachia.
💊
Human Medications
Never give a Cat human pain medications. Acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen sodium (Aleve), and aspirin are toxic even in tiny doses. Many prescription medications are dangerous as well.
☢️
Household Chemicals
Bleach, cleaning products, essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint), antifreeze, and rodenticides are highly toxic. Use Cat-safe cleaning products throughout your home.
🍔
Toxic Foods
Onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, xylitol, alcohol, and caffeine are all toxic to Cats.
🐕
Dog Flea and Tick Products
Permethrin-based topical flea and tick treatments designed for dogs are acutely toxic to Cats. Never apply a dog flea or tick product to a Cat or allow a Cat near a recently treated dog.
🍃
Cannabis & Medicinal Mushrooms
Cannabis ingestion causes neurological signs, disorientation, and can be life-threatening depending on the amount and form. Certain medicinal mushrooms and supplements can also be toxic. When in doubt, call poison control immediately.
☢️
Suspected Ingestion?
Call ASPCA Poison Control immediately.
(888) 426-4435
Available 24/7 · Consultation fee may apply
📞 Call Poison Control
During Clinic Hours

How our Feline Experience Specialists can help.

📞
Urgency Assessment
Not sure if your Cat’s situation is urgent? Call us. Our Feline Experience Specialists will help you determine whether your Cat should be seen today, needs emergency care, or can wait for a regular appointment.
📋
Records Access
If you have the CatsOnly App, your Cat’s entire medical record and diagnostics are accessible from your phone. If needed, our team can also send the full records directly to the ER when available, so the emergency team has full context before you walk in.
📅
Same-Day Booking
If your concern is urgent but not a go to emergency now situation, our Feline Experience Specialists can book your Cat in for the earliest available same-day or next-day appointment.
📞 Call Us
Your appointment request has been received and is being reviewed. While you wait for confirmation, please take a moment to read through this list. This resource is here to help you understand whether the signs you are seeing could indicate a more serious condition that needs attention sooner than your scheduled visit. It is not meant to worry you, it is meant to make sure your Cat gets the right level of care at the right time. If you are unsure about anything, please call us right away. Even if we cannot get to the phone immediately, or if it is after hours, you will be connected to a licensed Registered Veterinary Technician who can triage your Cat’s situation and guide you on next steps.
⚠ This May Be an Emergency — Act Now
Call us or go to an ER immediately if you see any of these.
  • Going to the litter box repeatedly with little or no urine coming out
  • Crying, yowling, or vocalizing in or around the litter box
  • Straining hard but producing nothing, or just drops
  • Abdomen looks or feels tight and hard, or your Cat flinches when you touch it
  • Lethargic, hiding, or not responding to you the way they normally would
  • Excessive licking of the genital area combined with any straining
  • Vomiting alongside any of the litter box signs above

⚠ Male Cats who cannot urinate are a critical emergency. This can become life-threatening within hours. Please do not wait to see if it improves.

🕒 Your Cat Should Be Seen Today
If your appointment is not today, please call us to move it up.
These signs are not a go-now emergency, but they should not wait until tomorrow. If your appointment is scheduled for later than today, please call us right away so we can get your Cat in sooner.
  • Blood visible in the urine or on the litter
  • Urinating outside the litter box for the first time, especially in unusual spots
  • Frequent short trips to the box but still producing some urine each time
  • Crying or obvious discomfort while urinating
  • Not eating today alongside any litter box change
✓ Your Appointment Timing Sounds Right
These signs can wait for your scheduled visit.
  • Occasional accidents without straining or any signs of distress
  • Mild change in litter box frequency, no signs of pain
  • Urinating more or less than usual with no other symptoms
  • Drinking more water than usual
  • Litter type or location preference changes
Not sure which category applies? Just call.

You do not have to figure this out alone. If something feels off but you are not sure how serious it is, call us and we will help you sort it out. Our Feline Experience Specialists are available to take your call during clinic hours. If we are unable to answer, or if it is after hours, you will automatically be connected to a licensed RVT who can triage your Cat and guide you, whether that means heading to an ER right now, monitoring at home, or getting your appointment moved up.

Your appointment request has been received and is being reviewed. While you wait for confirmation, please take a moment to read through this list. This resource is here to help you understand whether the signs you are seeing could indicate a more serious condition that needs attention sooner than your scheduled visit. It is not meant to worry you, it is meant to make sure your Cat gets the right level of care at the right time. If you are unsure about anything, please call us right away. Even if we cannot get to the phone immediately, or if it is after hours, you will be connected to a licensed Registered Veterinary Technician who can triage your Cat’s situation and guide you on next steps.
⚠ This May Be an Emergency — Act Now
Call us or go to an ER immediately if you see any of these.
  • Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like dark coffee grounds
  • Abdomen looks bloated or distended, feels hard, or your Cat flinches when you touch it
  • Retching or dry-heaving continuously with nothing coming up
  • You know or strongly suspect they swallowed something toxic or a foreign object
  • Collapsed, extremely weak, or unable to stand on their own
  • Pale, white, grey, or blue gums
  • Completely unresponsive or very difficult to wake
  • Heavy bloody diarrhea combined with weakness or significant lethargy

If you think they may have eaten something toxic, call ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately. They are available 24/7 and can advise before you leave the house.

🕒 Your Cat Should Be Seen Today
If your appointment is not today, please call us to move it up.
These signs are not a go-now emergency, but they should not wait. If your appointment is scheduled for tomorrow or later, please call us right away so we can get your Cat in sooner.
  • Vomiting three or more times in 24 hours
  • Has not eaten anything in 24 to 48 hours
  • Diarrhea with any blood or mucus
  • Vomiting combined with hiding or noticeably lower energy
  • Kitten that has vomited more than once and is not eating
  • Senior Cat that has not eaten, even for just one day

Cats can develop serious liver complications from not eating faster than almost any other species. Please do not assume this will resolve on its own.

✓ Your Appointment Timing Sounds Right
These signs can wait for your scheduled visit.
  • Vomited once or twice in the past few days but otherwise acting normally
  • Soft stool or mild diarrhea, no blood, still eating and drinking
  • Eating less than usual but still eating something and acting like themselves
  • Occasional hairball production
  • Gradual weight change over several weeks or months
Not sure which category applies? Just call.

You do not have to figure this out alone. If something feels off but you are not sure how serious it is, call us and we will help you sort it out. Our Feline Experience Specialists are available to take your call during clinic hours. If we are unable to answer, or if it is after hours, you will automatically be connected to a licensed RVT who can triage your Cat and guide you, whether that means heading to an ER right now, monitoring at home, or getting your appointment moved up.

Your appointment request has been received and is being reviewed. While you wait for confirmation, please take a moment to read through this list. This resource is here to help you understand whether the signs you are seeing could indicate a more serious condition that needs attention sooner than your scheduled visit. It is not meant to worry you, it is meant to make sure your Cat gets the right level of care at the right time. If you are unsure about anything, please call us right away. Even if we cannot get to the phone immediately, or if it is after hours, you will be connected to a licensed Registered Veterinary Technician who can triage your Cat’s situation and guide you on next steps.
⚠ This May Be an Emergency — Act Now
Call us or go to an ER immediately if you see any of these.
  • Breathing with mouth open, gasping, or visibly struggling to breathe at rest
  • Breathing that looks faster than normal while your Cat is relaxed or sleeping
  • Collapsed, cannot stand, or unable to walk normally
  • Seizure or uncontrolled tremors or shaking
  • Unresponsive, or extremely difficult to rouse
  • Pale, white, grey, or blue gums
  • Significant uncontrolled bleeding
  • Suspected trauma: fell from a height, struck by a car, stepped on, or caught in something
  • Suspected ingestion of anything toxic: houseplants (especially lilies), human medications, cannabis, cleaning products, or dog flea and tick products
  • Sudden extreme behavior change, extreme distress, or hiding combined with any physical sign
  • Sudden vision changes, one pupil larger than the other, or eyes that look different than normal
  • Back legs suddenly weak, dragging, cold, or not working the way they should

Call us first if it is during clinic hours. We can help you assess the situation and coordinate care before you leave the house. If it is after hours, you will be connected to a licensed RVT when you call.

🕒 Your Cat Should Be Seen Today
If your appointment is not today, please call us to move it up.
These signs are not a go-now emergency, but waiting several days is not ideal. If your appointment is scheduled for tomorrow or later, please call us so we can try to get your Cat in sooner.
  • Not eating today and seems less active or more withdrawn than normal
  • Hiding significantly more than usual, especially combined with any physical sign
  • Limping or reluctance to put weight on a limb
  • Squinting one or both eyes, or eye discharge that appeared suddenly
  • Sneezing or nasal discharge combined with not eating
  • Noticeably increased thirst alongside any weight loss
  • Significant lethargy that has lasted more than 24 hours
  • A lump or swelling that appeared suddenly or seems painful to the touch
✓ Your Appointment Timing Sounds Right
These signs can wait for your scheduled visit.
  • Routine wellness visit, vaccines, or bloodwork due
  • Stable chronic condition, routine recheck or medication refill
  • Behavioral changes without physical symptoms, eating and drinking normally
  • Skin, coat, or ear concern without signs of pain or distress
  • Mild occasional sneezing, no eye involvement, eating and drinking normally
  • Gradual weight change noticed over weeks to months, otherwise acting normally
  • New kitten or first visit with no acute concerns
Not sure which category applies? Just call.

You do not have to figure this out alone. If something feels off but you are not sure how serious it is, call us and we will help you sort it out. Our Feline Experience Specialists are available to take your call during clinic hours. If we are unable to answer, or if it is after hours, you will automatically be connected to a licensed RVT who can triage your Cat and guide you, whether that means heading to an ER right now, monitoring at home, or getting your appointment moved up.