How to do CPR on a cat

Yes, you can do CPR on a cat. Lay the cat on its right side, wrap one hand around the chest at the heart, and give 30 compressions then 2 breaths into the nose, at 100 to 120 compressions a minute. Only start if the cat is not responding and not breathing normally.

Written by Justin Alcalde, AHA and American Red Cross instructor, CPR West Covina · Reviewed September 27, 2026

Read the video transcript

How to do CPR on a cat. Step 1. Not waking, not breathing: start within 10 seconds. Step 2. One hand around the chest: 30 squeezes, 2 breaths. Step 3. Swap every 2 minutes, keep going in the car.

Not waking, not breathing: start within 10 seconds.
One hand around the chest: 30 squeezes, 2 breaths.
Swap every 2 minutes, keep going in the car.

Is my cat not breathing, or just very still?

Cats breathe with small, quiet movements, so look at the belly and the flank, not the nose. Call your cat and touch its side. Then watch the flank for up to 10 seconds. A cat that gulps with its mouth open every few seconds is not breathing normally.

A cat that is breathing but floppy or hard to rouse does not get chest compressions. Lay it on a folded towel with the neck straight, keep it warm, and head for the vet. CPR is for a cat with no response and no regular breathing.

How do I do CPR on a cat, step by step?

Call for help on speaker
Phone on speaker keeps both hands free for the cat.
Lay it on its right side
A table or the floor, anything firm and flat.
Find the heart
Bend the front leg back: where the elbow meets the chest is the spot.
Wrap one hand around the chest
Thumb on the top side, fingers underneath, right over the heart.
Squeeze 30 times
100 to 120 a minute, letting the chest spring back each time.
Give 2 breaths into the nose
Mouth closed, neck straight, small puffs until the chest rises.
Recheck at 2 minutes
Quick look for breathing, swap rescuers, then straight back to squeezing.

Where do my hands go on a cat?

Your cat	How it lies	Your hands	Tip
Kitten, a few weeks old	On its right side	Thumb on one side of the chest, two fingers on the other	Gentle, but still one third of the chest width
Average adult cat	On its right side	One hand wrapped around the chest, thumb on top, fingers under	Your free hand rests along the back to steady the cat
Large or heavy cat	On its right side, on the floor	Heel of one hand over the heart	Your other hand steadies the back, not stacked on top
Cat on the way to the vet	On a passenger's lap	One hand wrapped around the chest	Passenger stays belted in, someone else drives

The 2024 RECOVER CPR guidelines dropped two stacked hands for cats and small dogs because it can press too hard. The Red Cross cat page still shows it.

How hard and how fast do I squeeze a cat's chest?

Squeeze until the chest narrows by one third to one half of its width. That is often firmer than people expect for such a small animal. Then open your grip enough for the chest to spring fully back before the next squeeze.

The pace is 100 to 120 squeezes a minute, close to 2 each second. Count out loud, it keeps you steady. One-handed squeezing tires the forearm quickly, so trade hands or trade rescuers at each 2 minute recheck. Our online cat and dog first aid course covers CPR at your own pace, which makes the squeeze and the count feel less new if the day ever comes.

How do I give a cat rescue breaths?

Hold the mouth closed with one hand and keep the head and neck in line with the spine. Seal your lips over the nose and breathe out gently for about 1 second, just until the chest lifts. A cat's lungs are small, so a full human breath is far more than it needs.

Give both breaths in under 5 seconds, then go straight back to squeezing. If you are worried about catching something from a sick cat, skip the breaths and keep the squeezes going. RECOVER 2026 supports compression-only CPR when breaths put the rescuer at risk.

What about kittens and newborn kittens?

A kitten a few weeks old gets the same 30 and 2 at the same pace. Your thumb and two fingers are usually enough to circle the chest. Use tiny puffs for the breaths, only until the chest moves.

A newborn kitten that is not breathing is a different situation. Vets start with warmth and the airway. Hold the kitten with its head lower than its chest and gently wipe membranes and fluid from its face. Then rub it briskly with a warm, dry towel, focusing on the face and chest.

Do not swing a newborn kitten to clear fluid. The Merck Veterinary Manual warns it can cause a concussion or bleeding in the brain. Call the vet while you rub, and they can talk you through the next step.

Can I carry on with CPR while we drive to the vet?

Yes. A cat is small enough to make it practical. The 2026 RECOVER First Aid Guidelines say a seat-belted passenger may be able to keep one-handed compressions and nose breaths going on a cat while someone else drives. Stopping CPR for the drive can lower the odds, so keep the cycles going.

Call the emergency hospital before you leave so the team is waiting at the door. You can stop once your cat starts breathing by itself, lifts its head, or the vet team takes over. It is worth putting these steps on your phone now: PetAid, our free pet first aid app, has them for cats, dogs and four other kinds of pets.

Does CPR actually bring a cat back?

Sometimes, and it is worth knowing the real odds before you start. In veterinary studies, about 1 to 19 percent of cats in cardiac arrest recover well enough to leave the hospital, the Merck Veterinary Manual reports. Many of those cats were likely already in a hospital when it happened.

Cats whose heart stopped for a reversible reason, such as a problem under anesthesia, tend to do better. At home, CPR is how you carry your cat to the people who can look for that reason. If your cat does not survive, you still gave it every chance it had.

Get to the vet now if

Your cat collapsed, will not wake, is breathing with its mouth open, or has pale, grey or blue gums, even if it seems to recover. Cats that needed CPR or rescue breaths need a vet check straight after.

What changed in 2026 for cat CPR?

The 2026 RECOVER First Aid Guidelines start CPR on two findings: no response and no regular breathing. Feeling for a heartbeat is not one of them. Squeezing begins within 10 seconds, before any airway check or breaths.

The American Red Cross cat CPR page still opens with the ABCs and a 15 second check for breathing and a heartbeat. Where the two differ, follow the 2026 guidelines. Both agree on the 30 and 2 cycle and the pace.

RECOVER 2026 also advises against sweeping inside the mouth blindly with a finger. If something is plainly visible after a round of squeezes, lift it out. Otherwise leave the mouth alone.

Learn it properly

American Red Cross Cat and Dog First Aid, online at your own pace. $50, certificate when you finish.

Start the course

Keep the steps on your phone

PetAid for iPhone, for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, fish and reptiles. Free on the App Store.

Get PetAid

Human CPR uses the same fast, steady rhythm with your whole body behind it. Learn it hands-on at our West Covina classroom: Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED.

Questions people ask

Can a cat seem fine and then suddenly collapse?

It can happen. Cats often hide signs of illness, and heart or breathing trouble can stay quiet until a crisis. Hiding more than usual, eating less, or breathing with the mouth open are worth a same-day vet call.

How do I carry a cat that has collapsed?

Slide a towel under the whole body and lift it like a hammock, keeping the neck straight. A carrier with the lid off works as a tray. If you are still doing CPR, carry the cat on your lap instead.

What if my cat bites or scratches when I touch it?

A cat that can bite is not in cardiac arrest, so it does not need CPR. Drape a thick towel over it, scoop it into a carrier and go to the vet. If a bite breaks your skin, have a doctor look at it.

Is the hand position different from a dog's?

Yes. Most dogs get two stacked hands pressing down on the side of the chest. A cat's chest is small enough to squeeze between your thumb and fingers from both sides. A big, heavy cat may need the heel of one hand instead, never two stacked hands.

Can CPR hurt my cat?

A rib can crack under firm squeezing, and that usually mends. A cat in cardiac arrest has no blood moving at all without your squeezes, so that tradeoff favors continuing.

More pet first aid

This is first aid, not veterinary care. Get to a vet or an emergency animal hospital as soon as the steps are done.

Sources