Fainting in cats is when they suddenly lose consciousness or ‘black out’ for a short while. Most cats recover quickly and return to normal within a few minutes. However, fainting can result from serious underlying health conditions. Seek urgent veterinary help  if your cat faints.

The medical name for fainting in cats is syncope. It happens when there isn’t enough blood or oxygen getting to the brain. When cats faint they lose consciousness suddenly and fall limply to the ground.This is different to seizures, where your cat is more likely to be rigid or have jerking limb movements. There are different underlying causes for fainting in cats. Not all are life-threatening, but prompt investigation is essential. Treatment and long term outlook depend on the reason for fainting.

What to do

What to do if your cat faints

• Check your cat is breathing
• Call a vet
• Cover your cat with a blanket to keep them warm
• If your cat vomits, make sure their head is down and mouth clear so they don’t inhale vomit into their lungs
• Try to record episodes on your phone

Things not to do if your cat faints:

• Don’t try to give anything by mouth. If your cat is unconscious whatever you give them may end up in their lungs.
• Do not try to give your cat a shock to wake them by slapping them or dousing them with cold water.
• Don’t assume everything is ok just because your cat recovers quickly and seems back to normal. There can be serious underlying causes of fainting.

Always seek veterinary help if your cat has a fainting episode, however brief.

Causes

What are the common causes of fainting in cats?

Syncope or fainting is a symptom, with more than one possible cause. Some of these causes are life-threatening. Urgent veterinary investigation is essential.

• Heart-related causes: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, irregular heart beat, congestive heart failure, very slow or very fast heart rate. All of these reduce blood flow to the brain and can lead to fainting.
• Breathing problems: Coughing or difficulty breathing due to pneumonia, bronchitis or BOAS. These illnesses reduce the oxygen getting into blood and brain, causing fainting.
• Brain or nervous system abnormalities such as seizures or tumours can cause vagal collapse. This is also called vasovagal syncope and causes a sudden drop in blood pressure. It can be triggered by coughing, straining or going to the litter tray.
• Metabolic illnesses: Fainting happens because of  low sugar, in cats with diabetes, or low sodium, caused by severe gastroenteritis.

When to worry

When to worry about fainting in cats

Find your nearest vet if your cat is:

• Fainting multiple times
• Taking longer than a minute to recover
• Showing other symptoms: blue or pale gums, breathing problems, severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

Joii can help with:

• Recognising the signs of seizures and fainting
• How to give medicine to cats
• Understanding illnesses that cause fainting
• Choosing the best diet for your cat

Prevention

How to reduce the risk of fainting in cats

Until we know what is causing fainting, prevention will be challenging.

General options and specific measures to reduce risk include:

• Avoid recognised triggers such as overstimulation, overexcitement and stress.
• Do not use scented air fresheners around asthmatic cats. Avoid smoking near any cat.
• Treat other illnesses effectively: give all prescribed medicine as directed by your vet.
• Feed and encourage your cat to exercise according to their age, lifestyle and general health.

Diagnosis

How do vets diagnose the cause of fainting in cats?

When your cat collapses it can help to differentiate between a faint and a seizure:

Factors suggesting fainting:

• Short duration, with full recovery in less than a minute
• Floppy sudden collapse
• May start with weakness, staggering, disorientation, vomiting or diarrhoea
• More likely to be triggered by exertion or stress

Factors suggesting a seizure:

• More likely to be disoriented and slow to return to consciousness
• More rigid limbs, possible twitching, jerking
• Often happen at rest or without any recognisable trigger

Once you and your vet have discussed the symptoms, further vet tests may include one or more of the following:

• Blood tests
• Urine analysis
• ECG: to measure electrical impulses in the heart. Holter monitor is a wearable device that records the ECG over a number of days.
• Imaging: x-rays, ultrasound, heart scan
• Advanced imaging: CT or MRI

Home treatment

How to care for a cat experiencing fainting episodes

• Give all medicines prescribed by a vet at the correct time and dose
• Feed your cat a diet appropriate to their age, lifestyle and any specific health conditions, such as diabetes
• Keep them slim, with a good body condition score
• Manage your cat’s lifestyle carefully, depending on their general health and any illnesses.
• Remove or avoid triggers such as stress by maintaining routines, using a calming diffuser, feeding calming supplements
• Treat other illnesses promptly

Vet treatment

What’s the treatment for fainting in cats?

Treatment for fainting episodes depends on the underlying cause. Possibilities include:

Prescription Medication:

• Controlling blood pressure
• Improving circulation
• Controlling heart rate and rhythm
• Treating diabetes and other implicated illnesses
• Improving airway function
• Treating seizures

Surgery:

• Helping brachycephalic cats to breathe more easily
• Reducing pressure on the heart and lungs or correcting blood vessel abnormalities
• Fitting a pacemaker to control heart rhythm and rate. The operation is done through the tummy to place the pacemaker device next to the heart via a small cut in the diaphragm.

Other procedures:

• Removing fluid from the chest. Usually performed under sedation.

• Cardiac Ablation: Inactivating part of the heart causing an irregular fast heart beat. Carried out under general anaesthetic. A fine tube or wire is placed  into a vein in your cat’s leg or neck. Then it’s threaded through the vein all the way to their heart.

Risk

Which cats are at most risk of fainting?

Factors which increase your cat’s risk of fainting include:

• Belonging to certain breeds: Maine Coon, Ragdoll, British Shorthair, Sphynx, Chartreux and Persian cats have greater risks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Brachycephalic breeds, such as Persians may faint due to difficulty breathing due to their facial shape and overheating.
• Having other illnesses: diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, severe gastroenteritis, liver disease, brain disorders, certain cancers.
• Being older or very young.

What else can look like fainting in cats?

Other conditions which may cause cats to fall to the ground an/or lose consciousness include:

• Seizures: loss of consciousness, but stiff or jerking limbs rather than limp.
• Severe Arthritis: falling or unable to stand, but won’t lose consciousness
• Muscle weakness: may fall to the ground, but won’t lose consciousness
• Vestibular disease: staggering and falling, but confused or dazed rather than unaware.
• Stroke: Fainting may result from a stroke. Other symptoms are also usually present.