Anaemia in cats — a reduction in red blood cells or haemoglobin — causes weakness, breathlessness, and reduced quality of life. Identifying the underlying cause is essential for targeted treatment and welfare restoration.
Anaemic cats experience a state of chronic low oxygen delivery to tissues that manifests as profound weakness, breathlessness on minimal exertion, and lethargy. Cats with severe anaemia may be too weak to groom, eat adequately, or engage in normal activity — reducing their quality of life substantially. The welfare urgency depends on the severity and acuity of anaemia: a PCV dropping below 15% is an emergency requiring immediate intervention. Blood transfusion provides dramatic short-term welfare improvement in severely anaemic cats but must be followed by targeted treatment of the underlying cause. Chronic mild-moderate anaemia from CKD causes sustained, low-level welfare compromise that responds well to erythropoiesis-stimulating therapy in cats with stable kidney disease. Regular PCV monitoring in cats with known anaemia risk factors (CKD, FeLV, chronic disease) enables early detection and treatment before severe compromise develops.