Feline asthma affects up to 1-5% of cats and causes episodes of respiratory distress that require appropriate management to prevent suffering and maintain quality of life.
Asthma attacks in cats cause acute respiratory distress that is genuinely terrifying for the animal. During an attack, cats crouch with neck extended, breathing rapidly with a characteristic wheeze or cough, sometimes going blue around the lips from hypoxia. Severe attacks are life-threatening. Between attacks, even well-controlled asthmatic cats live with chronic airway inflammation that affects exercise tolerance and comfort. Modern inhaler therapy using feline aerosol chambers represents a significant welfare improvement over oral steroid courses, providing targeted airway treatment that reduces systemic side effects while effectively managing the condition.