Choking cat: how to help safely

Cats are careful eaters, but string, hair ties, small toy parts, bones and grass can still lodge in the throat. Because cats are small, an airway blockage becomes critical quickly.

Signs of choking in a cat

• Pawing at the mouth, gagging or retching with nothing coming up
• Breathing with the mouth open — in a cat this is always an emergency
• Blue lips, gums or tongue
• Panic, then weakness or collapse

Phone your nearest emergency vet as soon as you suspect choking. If someone is with you, have them drive while you help.

Protect yourself first

A frightened cat will scratch and bite. Wrap the cat firmly in a towel, leaving the head free. Never push your fingers into a conscious cat's mouth.

Step 1 — Look

Gently open the mouth by tilting the head back and pressing the lower jaw down. If you can clearly see the object and reach it, remove it with tweezers.

String or thread hanging from the mouth? Don't pull it. It may be wrapped round the tongue or swallowed further down, and pulling can seriously injure the gut. Go straight to the vet.

Step 2 — Back blows

Veterinary first-aid guidelines published in 2026 recommend up to five back blows as the first technique for both cats and dogs:

• Hold the cat with its head angled downwards.
• Give up to five firm (but cat-sized) taps between the shoulder blades with the flat of your hand.
• Check the mouth after each one.

Step 3 — Chest or abdominal thrusts

If back blows don't work, and only if it's safe for you, hold the cat with its back against your chest and give up to five quick thrusts upwards and inwards just below the ribcage, using the fingers of one hand. Alternate back blows and thrusts.

If the cat collapses

Start CPR immediately: 30 chest compressions at 100–120 per minute, then check the mouth for no more than ten seconds and remove only what you can see — no blind finger sweeps. Give two breaths into the nose and continue. Our cat CPR guide explains the hand position.

Always follow up with a vet

Any cat that needed back blows or thrusts should be examined immediately, even if it recovers quickly.

Prevention

• Put away hair ties, elastic bands, thread, tinsel and ribbon — favourites for cats to chew.
• Supervise play with small toys and remove ones that are falling apart.
• Never feed cooked bones.