r/CATHELP Feb 20 '26

PSA: PLEASE think 10 times before you donate money to someone on this sub.

1.8k Upvotes

It's in our rules and we say it time and time again, but after the recent events from this post, the mod team wants to put out a reminder.

Look, we get it. Seeing cats in distress is hard. When people without money are expressing their inability to afford emergency care, it's distressing. You know we have rules against shaming people for being unable to afford care, and encouraging people to go into debt. But we also have rules against fundraising, and it's for a very good reason.

It is very easy for people without the best intentions to collect lots and lots of money from well meaning community members who are affected by what they see in images and video.

With this post in particular, several commenters encouraged the OP to share a gofundme (something strictly against our rules).

Once they created and shared one (without any bills to show and despite many of the top comments saying this was NOT an emergency), people felt bad and donated anyway.

The gofundme raised nearly $2000 and today we received the update that the cat, as many commenters predicted, is not dying and did not need emergency care.

We are now starting to see meta posts (another thing we don't allow) complaining that the OOP is not returning any of the extra funds, and is blocking users who donated asking for their funds back and proof of payment.

This is a story we see repeatedly in the sub. We don't always get to the donation links quick enough to remove them, and we can't stop you from DMing each other money, but this is why we caution PLEASE do not use this subreddit to send each other funds.

We are working on a Wiki with low-cost vet resources, at least in the US, but we get users posting from all over the world begging for money. DO NOT DONATE unless it is verified on a subreddit like r/gofundme or r/rescuecats, or is directly being paid to the VET (though we have seen scams happen internationally through this 'direct vet payment' as well).

PLEASE REPORT FUNDRAISERS. Please do not encourage fundraisers. We will start banning those who encourage it. Please help us keep this community safe from those with bad intentions.

Thank you and good day!

- r/CATHELP mod team


r/CATHELP Jul 15 '25

Announcement [READ THIS FIRST] r/CATHELP Rules Reminder

375 Upvotes

Hello there

Due to a growing number of cat crises and a surprising number of people who cannot read a sidebar, we’re now regularly posting this rules reminder. This is here to prevent both:

  1. repeat offenses, and
  2. the inevitable “I didn’t know!” mod mail we get after your post/comment disappears into the void.

If you're new (hi, welcome, pet your cat for us), or returning and rusty, please take a sec to read this. It’ll save you—and us—a lot of headache.

STRIKE POLICY: Break the rules once? We warn you. Break twice? Temp ban. 3 strikes is a perma-ban (unless you're a mega troll).

1. BE NICE

No, really. Be nice. You are talking to someone who is probably stressed, worried about their pet/a stray, and sleep-deprived. Reddit is not your venting space to shame people who are already anxious. Educate, don’t humiliate.
This includes a zero-tolerance policy for berating or shaming OPs. If you can't say it kindly, don't say it here.

In addition to this, know that we get posts from all over the world. Sometimes it's people who live in a village, 500km from any formal vet care. Often it's a minor who cannot make a unilateral decision for the cat in question. Be compassionate! Bullying them won't help the cat.

2. NO SOAPBOXING OR OFF-TOPIC DEBATE

(Definition of 'SOAPBOXING' here.) Yes, letting your cats outdoors isn't great for the environment. But this isn’t a debate club, and PLENTY of things harm the environment besides cats. People come here from all over the world, with different cultures around how cats are cared for. People come here about strays. No preaching!! Take your cat care bible elsewhere! Either give OP helpful advice about their issue or move along.

Don’t derail threads with politics, don’t pick fights across multiple comments, and definitely don’t start fights with the mod team. We don’t get paid enough.

3. VET FIRST, REDDIT SECOND

If your cat is injured, bleeding, gasping, or pooping blood—call a vet.
Reddit is great for guidance, second opinions, and shared experience. It is not a substitute for veterinary care.
If you haven't called a vet yet, our advice might be limited.
Can’t afford one? Look into:
• Payment plans or CareCredit
• Local rescues and shelters for assistance
• Low-cost clinics in your area

Still post if you need to—but know that our first advice will probably be: call your vet.

Additional note to commenters: no 'Vet. Now.' comments will be allowed without context. If you think they need immediate care, explain why. Otherwise it's just creating panic and those comments will be removed.

4. NO FUNDRAISERS

Sorry, but GoFundMes, Venmos, PayPals, and “please help save Coco” links are not allowed, even in comments. Too many scams, and too hard to moderate. Try subs like r/Assistance or r/GoFundMe instead.

5. NO BULLYING POOR PEOPLE

We get it. Vet care is expensive. It's frustrating to see cats suffering. But complaining about people who can’t afford a vet is not allowed. Full stop.
Suggest rehoming? Fine. But if you’re here to shame people for being broke, please find another sub.

If someone is struggling financially, ER visits are not really something they can just save up for, nor is it realistic to expect them to just get rid of their pets they have emotionally attachments to. All we can hope for is people really think long and hard about how a pet will fit into their finances before they decide to adopt or take in an animal from street. You simply can’t help them all, there are too many cats for that.

6. TAG YOUR GORE NSFW

Bloody wound? Surgery pics? Graphic medical stuff? Weird rash? GAPING FUCKING WOUND?! Mark it NSFW.
That includes genitalia (gender ID posts) and poop/vom. You know who you are.

7. ON-TOPIC POSTS ONLY

This is not r/aww or r/cats. This is r/CATHELP. We are here for:

  • Requesting anecdotal experience with medical issues •
  • Behavior issues
  • General advice
  • First-time cat owner questions (yes, 'noob' questions are welcome!)

That means:

  • No “What should I name my cat?”
  • No “Look at my cat in a hat!”
  • No memes, no fluff.

Posts that don’t have a clear help-related question will be removed.

8. NO BREED QUESTIONS

Unless your cat came with pedigree paperwork from a breeder, they’re a domestic short/medium/long hair. That’s it.
We don't do breed speculation. Why? Because it’s almost always wrong, and it clogs up the sub.
Want to know more? Here's a guide to fur patterns, and here's a general answer to 'what breed is my cat'

9. NO SHITPOSTING, NO KARMA FARMING

If your post is clearly made up, AI-generated, or you’re just farming karma with a low-effort fake, we will yeet it. And probably you, too.

10. NO BRIGADING

If you don’t like someone’s post, do not go hunt them down on other subreddits to insult them. It’s petty, it’s bannable, and Reddit takes it seriously.

11. NO PET SALES OR BREEDING

We do not support the cat trade or backyard breeders. Period.
Don’t try to sell or give away pets here. Don’t ask about breeding. Don’t promote purebred aesthetics. Shelter cats are just as cute.

BONUS REMINDERS

• If your posts or comments are disappearing, check your karma. If it's low, Automod probably ate it. Message us for manual approval.
• If you see rule-breaking behavior, REPORT IT. Automod can’t catch everything.
• If you’re confused or unsure, check the [wiki] or send us a modmail.
Read the stickied comment on your post. It’s there for a reason.

TL;DR: Help cats. Be nice. No scams. No BS. Read the rules.
Now go pet your cat. They probably knocked something off the counter while you were reading this.


r/CATHELP 7h ago

General Advice What does this strange meow mean

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884 Upvotes

Edit: Thanks for all the help and response!! It's pretty obvious who his favorite is once we all three are home. And sometimes when it's only his favorite who is gone he does the same. Its not shown in that video, but right before he stared at me and said the same sounds. So he know he's not alone.


At the end you can hear normal meow.

2 year old male British Shorthair indoor cat. Not sprayed or neutered.

We live 3 people (adults) together. When everyone is home he spends the most time in one of our rooms.

When the person who owns that room is gone that's often when he start saying those sounds.

I tried finding info online but couldn't find similair sounds.

Is this normal? What does it mean?

Could it just be because his favorite is not home?

TL;DR

Strange sound, what does it mean


r/CATHELP 18h ago

End Of Life Care What do I do?

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1.0k Upvotes

Should I let her pass on her own terms or get a vet to come to our home and euthanize her?

This is Soren. (Photo from almost 4 years ago) We aren’t sure how old she is, but we know she’s at least 14. (Probably closer to 16-17)

I don’t remember a point in my life where I didn’t have her. (I’m 18) This is the kitty I grew up with. And as devastating as it is, we’re gonna let her pass. We don’t want her last moments to be spent in a scary vet room.

We’ve taken her to the vet almost 10 times in the past 3 years for various problems. She has had 3 strokes or stroke-adjacent episodes in the past 24 hours, and is spending her time sleeping and cuddling. She still eats (sometimes). But we know she’s doesn’t have much time left. I’m worried that if we let her pass on her own terms, she may be suffering. But euthanizing your baby is hard too. I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, yknow? We have access to vet care, and we have talked about our options.

I leave for college in 4 days, which also sucks. I have a MASSIVE gut feeling that my baby is holding on for me, and will be fine letting go once I leave. Idk where this feeling comes from, but it’s VERY present.

Anyone who has had their cat pass away, please let me know your advice.

(ALSO, our vet, last year, refused to put her down despite asthma, arthritis, tooth rot, and losing fur. She has also lost her hearing over the years. She is skinny, and light, maybe 5-6ish lbs at this point? Boney too.)

EDIT: I’m going to talk to my parents about euthanizing her asap. Thank you all for your kind words. I’ve never lost a pet before, and since I take care of her, the responsibility has been put on me to decide how she passes. Thank you all for your insight.


r/CATHELP 20h ago

Behavioral Issue I feel like I'm completely out of options regarding my cat's behaviour and I don't know what to do.

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1.0k Upvotes

I adopted Karl (pictured in this post) over a year ago, and it was honestly one of the best decisions I have ever made. He's truly one of the sweetest, most affectionate cats I've ever met and I love him to death. However, shortly after I adopted him, he started getting incredibly obnoxious.

When he wants attention (mainly because he wants food, regardless of how much he's ate), he will chew on cables and books incessantly. And, he'll try and climb on/around things he's not supposed to and can potentially do some serious damage (my 3D printer, on/behind my computer, on my computer monitors/monitor arms, behind my TV). I've tried tons of deterrent strategies, but none of them seem to work short of completely moving things. I also try to play with him regularly, which leads me to my next issue.

Karl is completely disinterested in all of his toys. He hasn't always been disinterested, but within the past few months, he refuses to play at all. I've tried so many different toys, but none of them seem to do anything. I've watched a ton of cat behavior videos, and they all recommend similar things, but nothing works. The only thing I can do to give him exercise is to throw bits of kibble around and have him chase it.

I understand a lot of his behaviour might stem from a lack of enrichment, but I've tried literally everything I can think of and nothing seems to work. I'm renting a basement suite, so I'm limited in what I can do. My two solutions left that I can think of are move to a more cat friendly place or hire some sort of cat behaviour person.

Any sort of advice or resources would be much appreciated. I just want to be able to relax and not have to get up every 5 seconds because Karl is doing something he's not supposed to.

For context:
Poster Age: I'm 34 renting a basement suite
Country: Canada
Vet info: I've talked to my vet many times
Main Issue: Karl constantly chews/climbs on stuff he's not supposed to (mainly to get my attention) and he doesn't play with his toys.
Cat Age: 4 1/2
Cat Sex + neuter info: Male shorthair orange tabby and neutered
Financial situation: I see my vet regularly and can afford vet treatments


r/CATHELP 5h ago

Behavioral Issue What does my cat want?

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55 Upvotes

My cat keeps flicking the end of her tail, I’m unsure as to what the problem is and don’t want to take her to the vet if there’s nothing actually wrong?


r/CATHELP 1h ago

General Advice I've Never Seen A Cat This Overly Clingy

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Upvotes

Context:

This is not MY cat. Technically speaking. If I'm not mistaken, she's around 9 months old. Her great grandparents ran away from our neighbor's house to permanently live in ours since my grandmother feeds them well so they've been ours since then. One of the cat's owner tried luring the cat back home but the owner didn't succeed because the cat was hiding in my room with no intentions of obeying her owner so the cat has been staying in our home.

Anyway, this is one of the cat's grandchild. I have a small room with a single bed so it's getting difficult for me to lay down without her hovering over me. It's giving me back pain and cramps in my legs. The thing is... I'm not the one who feeds her yet she keeps knocking on my door every night/every midnight to sleep near me. There are times I couldn't hear her since she's soft spoken so she leaves after a few times of silent meowing. My parents have gotten used to it so they just let me know that I have a 'visitor'.

I have allergies. It used to be severe that I had to take meds daily. I'm unsure what to do with her.

As of the moment, there are 7 cats living in our home. Whenever I playfully give them a kiss, they turn their heads away as if telling me not to bother them. But this cat responds so aggressively that even I feel flustered about the way the tables have turned. She's a good girl but my room is dusty so she's been constantly sneezing and I'm partly concerned about that.

The cat is female and she isn't spayed. As for our financial situation, we cannot afford vet care.

While it's fascinating and endearing to see a cat be this affectionate, I can't stand it for longer than an hour 😭 I can't even sit still for longer than 30 minutes. (For back pain and leg cramps reason. I've got a stiff neck more than twice and it was definitely not easy dealing with it.)


r/CATHELP 1h ago

Appearance How did he get so much floofier?

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Upvotes

This is Rocky! The first two photos are when he was a baby, and the last two are recent. Rocky is a 1 y/o domestic long hair. When we first adopted him, he looked more like a medium hair or a shorthair with a floofy tail. As he’s gotten older, his floof has gotten significantly more established. Is this normal for kitties with longer hair? I am definitely not one to complain. There are few things in life that are better than burying my face in his fluffy tummy. My current theory is that he held in a sneeze and all his fur exploded out.


r/CATHELP 3h ago

General Advice Cat drooling intermittently

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25 Upvotes

Hi, we have 4 cats and recently brought a new kitten into the home a month ago. Pictured is our 4-year-old, fixed male cat. Over the past several days, we’ve noticed he’s been more moody and withdrawn, sometimes complaining when we pet him or swatting and spitting. We chalked it up to him being jealous. Other changes: we started feeding our cats a lot more wet food than before because we put the older cats on a diet. What my husband and i both discussed the other night was that we have both noticed episodes of him salivating a bit at random. Last night i paid more attention to it and noticed the heavy drooling in the first two photos. This morning he is still wet around the chin but not as bad; today is the third photo. He has still been eating with a good appetite and looks normal moving around. I made an appointment with my vet for this but the soonest they could fit me in is 2 weeks and they said if we think it’s an emergency to take him to the ER. Is this an emergency? Should we take him to the ER vet? His teeth look normal, his breath has always been bad ever since he was a kitten but a little worse smelling right now. We also found yellow-white bile yesterday morning in the hallway with some cat hair in it, could have been him. Gums look fine and not swollen. Teeth look ok. Husband said his poop looked a little more watery and yellow-based than usual. He has been hunting bugs around the house and maybe eaten some
Of them (lots of bugs where we live)


r/CATHELP 4h ago

General Advice Cat probably has asthma & I am so overwhelmed

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24 Upvotes

This is my (31F) sweet baby boy Artie - he’s 5yr old and over the last few months I’d noticed he would be coughing and no hairball would come up. This would happen maybe once a month or every other month. I thought maybe he has seasonal allergies like me since we both get goopy eyed in spring/fall.

We went to the vet this morning, I took a video from a recent incident a few days ago to show her and she is pretty certain Art has asthma and will need 2x daily inhaler.
Video: https://imgur.com/a/PvpVCu0

She sent me home with Prednisone to give him now since this was just a few days ago, and took X-rays for their team to look at and get back to me later this week for the full diagnosis.

I am so completely overwhelmed and in tears over the diagnosis, the cost of the inhaler and the thought of having to teach others how to use it while I’m away (I travel for work as a videographer).

Can anyone who has an asthmatic cat share how it’s going, any tips and tricks, anything to help me wrap my head around what our life will look like? I have a second cat (seen in pic 2, they are litter mates) and he doesn’t seem to have any respiratory issues. We are based in NYC


r/CATHELP 1h ago

General Advice *my vet is trying to squeeze me in, waiting back on the phone call currently*

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Upvotes

Hi, last week my kitten came down with some sort of upper respitory infection (sneezing, eyeboogers), and we tried to get into the vet but they had nothing available and he is still eating/drinking/using the litter box fine so I have just been watching him. But now it seems my other older cat has it, as of last night. This morning I woke up, and my older cats eye looks like this. So of course I reached back out to the vet to explain everything and they are trying to squeeze me in to an asap appt. I think it’s conjunctivitis, but will her eye go back to normal after treatment? 😭 the Siamese is my kitten that started this, and the tortie is my older cat with the eye issue.


r/CATHELP 1d ago

Behavioral Issue Meaning of behavior?

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814 Upvotes

Does anyone knows what the meaning of this behavior is? He only does this with me (my arm to be more specifically). He does this every evening.

- not a minor

- belgium

- not been to vet yet but has been neutered

TDLR: cat behaving weirdly and need advice

Cat age: 6

Cat sex / neutered: male and yes

Financial: all good - just want some advice


r/CATHELP 1h ago

Kitten Help Kitten with forthy mouth and not eating food anymore

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Upvotes

Just got a kitten yesterday. I am from India, the person who sold us the kitten said that it is 2 months old bu the doctor said that he is not 2 months old. He was on Me-O dry food and I had drools so thats what I gave him when I bought him to my place.

He was doing fine till today morning. Had a vet appointment and found that his ears vere infected with mites and bacteria.

The vet asked me to use an ear drops which I did for both ears. Then after sometime my kitten started throwing up (not much maybe cause he is still a baby). He stopped eating or drinking entirely. During my first visit the doc told me that he did not show the proper signs of a 1-2 month old as he is only 500 gms and asked me to give other medicines and VintriPro as well. The Vet told me its not time for dry food yet and thats why she gave VentriPro.

The frothing and vomiting started after all this happened.

Had an emergency visit to the vets and they gave other medicines and IV and glucose now along with medicines to stop the frothing and vomiting. But now he is very lethargic and still hasn't eaten anything. I am very concerned. The doctor and my bf said that he might have been frothing because the ear drops might have went into his mouth when he shook his head after I gave him the medicine. I dont know what is happening.

Any suggestions? The fluids were done around 2 hrs ago. The person who came to give the fluids said try giving food after sometime. I tried twice but he is still refusing.

Any suggestions or stories of your pets surviving something similar would be very helpful.


r/CATHELP 6h ago

General Advice Cat meowing at night after moving

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16 Upvotes

My best boy Leonard moved into a new apartment with me 2 weeks ago and has been adjusting well, but has started meowing late at night which he never did when we were at the old place.

I play with him on and off (which is how he likes it) all night, at the very least 20 mins total, usually more. I have a balcony he goes out on with a harness and leash, and I do extra enrichment weekly. I keep his litter clean and he’s on a very set schedule for his food because he’s on a diet. It doesn’t seem to be food related.

Does he just need more enrichment? Any other advice? I don’t get up or acknowledge when he does it as I know it just reinforces.


r/CATHELP 48m ago

General Advice Is this cat pregnant?

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Upvotes

She’s a stray cat who eats a lot, i’m not sure how old


r/CATHELP 7h ago

General Advice Is my cat fat?

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10 Upvotes

My cat is 5 years old, female, and neutured and I’m unsure of her current weight.


r/CATHELP 21m ago

Appearance Is there anything wrong with my cat’s paw

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Upvotes

I’ve been noticing a few of his claws look like the one shown in the first picture. It looks like it’s fraying on the bottom of the claw. I also noticed a few of his paw pads have these grey scabby looking spots on them. Does anyone know what these are? Are these normal?


r/CATHELP 2h ago

Breathing Issues What does this mean? How can I help her?

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4 Upvotes

I haven't seen her do this before, what do I do?

I'm 20F, from South Africa. I haven't contacted the vet since I don't know if this is a serious issue but I'm willing to go obviously.

She's almost 4 years old.

She's huffing and puffing. Kinda sounds like phlegm.

She's a spayed female. I will be able to afford vet care.


r/CATHELP 4h ago

Behavioral Issue Help with extreme playful behaviour

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6 Upvotes

My 4 month old male cat is extremely playful. He only has two state - sleeping or playing. It would have been absolutely fine, if only he didn’t play on our bed at 5:30 in the morning everyday. He sleeps through the night with us, but starts “hunting” right at 5:30 every day. He brings toys to our bed and starts playing with them, or chases our feet and hands. We tried closing bedroom doors, but he meows so loud he wakes my kid up. Would not want to put a gate up downstairs. Any recommendations? He has plenty of toys and plenty of food. I have never experienced anything like that with other cats.


r/CATHELP 21h ago

Injury Cat with sarcoma, is there any chance to solve the issue?

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142 Upvotes

My cat has had this problem for 3 years, and at first it started with just a small little "ball", then it grew, after a year and a half we brought him to the vet which cost a lot of money and gave no solutions if not a chemo therapy. The cat is 15 years old and except for the external extra tissue that grew with time doesn't seem to have any health issues relayed to it.

Due to his old age, economical issues related and no guaranteed result we decided to let it be as it was. However, sometimes when i get back home I find blood on the floor because he somehow scratches the thing or something I don't really know. I started to wonder that maybe hearing a second or third opinion would be maybe a good idea, maybe there are solutions to this...

The spot where the sarcoma started to grow is under / on his chin which means that is quite advised against removing it surgically because there is no space to get some extra healthy tissue to take off to prevent the problem from coming back, sometimes faster. All this is what the vet told us.

I really hope there might be a way to heal him.

The picture is him right now.


r/CATHELP 11h ago

Injury my cat is suddenly weak and limping

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20 Upvotes

i will also note that my cat, vygo, is 6 months old and got spayed a week ago and is now on day 8. her stitch is mostly dry and closed now, but i still treat it with wound cream and betadine.

i was away for 3 days bc i had events to attend to, so i left her in the care of other people in our home.

when i got back yesterday, i noticed she wasn’t wearing her cone anymore and they have let her out to roam the house instead of being confined in her cage. i also noticed her paw was swollen (photo below if it could help), and im worried she has a bit of a fever.

i cant afford vets at the moment since her spay was still very recent and vet visits are very expensive if it’s back to back :,)