Feline asthma and chronic bronchitis affect up to 5% of domestic cats, causing recurrent bronchoconstriction and respiratory distress with significant welfare implications requiring long-term management.
Cats with asthma experience both acute distress during bronchoconstriction episodes - which can be life-threatening - and the chronic burden of persistent airway inflammation even between acute events. The distress of respiratory difficulty is profound; cats show characteristic postures (crouching with elbows out, neck extended) and open-mouth breathing in severe attacks. Long-term oral corticosteroids manage inflammation but cause side effects including diabetes and immunosuppression. Welfare-centered management uses inhaled therapy to minimize systemic effects, environmental modification to reduce trigger exposure, and emergency protocols for acute episodes.