Feline asthma is a common inflammatory airway disease that causes episodes of wheezing, coughing, and breathlessness requiring long-term management.
Cats with unmanaged asthma experience repeated episodes of respiratory distress that cause genuine suffering through breathlessness and hypoxia. Severe episodes are medical emergencies with risk of death. Chronic poorly controlled asthma causes persistent airway inflammation and anxiety from intermittent breathing difficulty. Management with inhaled medications using feline-specific aerosol chambers is effective and highly welfare-positive, as it delivers medication directly to the airway with minimal systemic effects. Environmental modification to reduce triggers is an important complementary intervention. Early diagnosis and consistent treatment allow most asthmatic cats to live normal, comfortable lives with minimal welfare compromise.