Cat Breathing

[amarshall0919]

Hi everyone. My five year old cat, Midnight, has been breathing rapidly. When he sits or lays down, both his chest and abdomen move quite a bit. He is also taking coughing fits where my fiancé and I can hear mucus. In these coughing fits, he doesn’t open his mouth when he’s making the noises, he just lays low like he’s about to throw up a hairball. When he’s about finished, he then opens his mouth like he’s about to throw up and gags. I will try to get a video of him doing it next time. He is eating fine, drinking water, using the bathroom, and even wanting to play. Please give me your opinions, and even ways to possibly help him because he will not be able to get into the vet for two more days.

 

[amarshall0919]

I currently have him in the bathroom with the hot shower on, and it seems to be helping his breathing just a little, but he is still breathing quite hard.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Has your cat ever had anything like this before? It sounds (obviously) to be respiratory related, but there are many causes behind that - environmental/seasonal allergens, an upper respiratory infection, asthma, heart issues, and so on.

First, check Midnight's respirations -
Cats at rest normally take 20 to 30 breaths per minute. Breathing should be smooth, with exhales taking longer than inhales. To check his respiratory rate, count the number of times his chest rises (or falls) over a one-minute period in a resting position.

Be concerned if his breathing is abnormal. That means it’s unusually slow, fast or noisy; has a high, harsh or whistling sound; or if he is having difficulty breathing. And remember that a purr signals more than pleasure; it can also be a sign that a cat is in distress. Just because he is purring doesn’t mean he’s feeling good.

Secondly, check his heart rate -
An adult cat’s heart normally beats 140 to 220 times per minute with an average of 195 beats per minute. To check his pulse rate, put your hand on the inside of the rear leg at mid-thigh. You should feel the femoral artery pulsing near the surface. It’s easiest to find if your cat is standing or lying belly up. Count the number of beats you feel during a 15-second period and multiply by four to get the beats per minute.

If the numbers are extremely out of range, you might want to contact your vet and tell them what you've found, perhaps they can get him in to the office earlier than scheduled. Some vets will also put you on a list to be called in the event of a cancellation.

In the meantime, keep up with the hot shower routines if they seem to help. And if he goes outside, for now I wouldn't let him do so. If anything else about him changes - eating/drinking water/etc. that should also be noted with a call to the vet.

Hopefully, you will hear soon from other member with their thoughts/ideas. Keep us posted!

 

[amarshall0919]

Even when he was little he has had a problem with breathing. However, the coughing fit only just began in October of last year. It lasts for about a week and went away before he went to the vet. The vet believes he has bad sinuses.

I’m not home right now but earlier I can almost bet that his breathing was more than 30 beats per minute. I just looked on the camera, and I could see him breathing and it seems his breathing has slowed down a little bit. I’ll make sure to keep a close eye on him, and check his heart rate when I get home. We have been having the windows open here lately because it’s been very warm, and that may have aggravated his allergies. He loves to stick his nose right to the screen and smell the outside.

Thank you for replying