Antifreeze poisoning in cats – signs and what to do

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: PDSA

Contact a vet today

Contact your vet today if you think your cat has this – it can become serious. It is poisoning from ethylene glycol, a substance found in antifreeze.

What to do now

What you can do now

Contact your vet today.
Note when it started, how often it happens and what else you see.
Take a photo or short video to show the vet.
Keep fresh water available.
Let your cat rest somewhere calm.

Don't

Do not give any human medicine.
Do not wait if it gets worse.

What it is

Antifreeze poisoning involves ethylene glycol, which is found in antifreeze and can cause severe kidney damage, even in small amounts.^[1] It can be difficult to diagnose because cats may come into contact with antifreeze without their owner knowing.^[1]

Signs

Vomiting
Wobbliness and weakness
Low energy
Passing urine more than usual at first, then less than usual
Drinking more than normal
Difficulty breathing or fast breathing
Seizures or fits
Collapse

Causes and risk factors

Access to antifreeze
Spillages around nearby parked cars

How a vet finds out

Physical examination
Questions about access to antifreeze
Questions about spillages around nearby parked cars

How vets treat it

Fluids or a drip
Hospitalisation
Medication

What the experts say

“Treatment has a much higher chance of working if it‘s started early, before the kidneys are damaged. Your cat will need to be hospitalised, and treatment is likely to include: Medication to make them vomit – this will only help in the very early stages.”
— PDSA [1]

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

What signs can antifreeze poisoning cause in cats?

Signs can include vomiting, wobbliness and weakness, low energy, changes in urination, increased drinking, difficulty or fast breathing, seizures and collapse.

How will a vet find out if my cat has antifreeze poisoning?

A vet will examine your cat and may ask whether your cat had access to antifreeze or whether you noticed spillages around nearby parked cars.^[1]

How may a vet treat antifreeze poisoning?

Treatment may include fluids or a drip, hospitalisation and medication; treatment has a much higher chance of working when started early, before the kidneys are damaged.

Sources

PDSA

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

The same page for dogs →