4 year old domestic shorthair sitting with shoulders back a lot.

ericy5150 · May 7, 2020

My 4 year old black domestic shorthair, Meemo, just had a really bad upper respiratory infection two weeks ago. He has recovered but now he is sitting seemingly uncomfortably at times with his paws up at his chest and shoulders up and back and breathing seems to be quick and shallow. I'm attaching photos. My vets office is swamped and said theyll get back to me

Otherwise he seems to be acting fine. Ever since. I got him at 6 months though he has loud breathing when hes laying down or sleeping which I took him in for but the vet said he sounded fine there so maybe check for a polyp or something down the road. He could still be recovering I know ..he was really bad a couple weeks ago.

rubysmama · May 7, 2020

Awwww, poor little Meemo. I'd suggest trying another vet, but they're probably all swamped.

Sending vibes that he feels better soon. :vibes:

Mamanyt1953 · May 7, 2020

Yeah, do see if you can find another vet who can see him. I know it won't be easy, but I think he's still having problems, and should be seen.

daftcat75 · May 7, 2020

It's possible that he has an easier time breathing in that position vs laying down. I used to think my Krista was in pain when she'd crouch like that. I call it her "wings" position because her shoulders sticking back like that look like chicken wings. Now my best guess is that with her arthritis, laying is sometimes uncomfortable. That position is actually a common one among all cats (even wild cats and big cats like tigers.) It might still be a good idea to take him to the vet when they have a chance to see him. But if he seems okay otherwise, you might just chalk this up to "cats are weird" and like to keep us worried about them.

FeebysOwner · May 8, 2020

Hi. The first thing that crossed my mind was the breathing aspect as mentioned above - given his respiratory issues, and the fact that his breathing is quick and shallow. If your vet accepts videos, you might consider recording Meemo and asking your vet to take a look. Maybe if they see what he is doing, they might be more receptive to a vet visit to check him over.