Cat Fast Breathing

[Meganao]

Hello all, this is my first time posting but i wanted to see if anyone had any advice and/or good outcomes? My cat, Josie, is 7 years old and this week i noticed she seemed to be breathing faster than usual. I have been monitoring her and it doesn’t seem to have worsened but it hasn’t gotten better either. Even when she’s sleeping, her stomach is moving fast. She’s not panting or acting funny. I’ve read and believe it’s called tachypnea. Anyone else have this problem with their cat? What was the underlying cause?

 

[mikameek]

Welcome to TCS! I'm sorry you came here because of issues with your cat.

Fast breathing (tachypnea) can be caused by lots of different things. It could be hot weather, pain, a URI, it could be hyperthyroidism or a heart problem. Lots of different possibilities here.

I would recommend taking her into a vet to be checked out. I would also personally observe her closely before taking her in so that you can be specific with the vet. Do you notice it happening more during a certain time of day? Does it wake her up? Does she seem to be struggling to do normal activities like play or eat? How is her eating and drinking habits? Is she hiding more often?

Having more information about what you've noticed that you can tell the vet is best! Even if that information is "It's consistent 24/7, even through sleep, and it doesn't seem to be keeping her from doing normal activities."

 

[Meganao]

Thank you!! I have videoed her a couple of times so i can show the vet. She doesn’t do well with other humans so i know he’s not going to be able to handle her and her let him observe her that way. So i know vidoes will help

 

[mikameek]

Thank you!! I have videoed her a couple of times so i can show the vet. She doesn’t do well with other humans so i know he’s not going to be able to handle her and her let him observe her that way. So i know vidoes will help

That is great that you've done that! I would try to get in as soon as you can, just for peace of mind. When you call, ask them about if she can wear a calming collar or something of that nature so it makes the vet visit less scary. That would be my thought to try if my cat was really scared of the vet.

 

[silkenpaw]

Great idea to video her. Signs to watch for are mouth breathing and sitting up looking apprehensive. If Josie is doing that, it’s time to go to the vet right away.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

Hello all, this is my first time posting but i wanted to see if anyone had any advice and/or good outcomes? My cat, Josie, is 7 years old and this week i noticed she seemed to be breathing faster than usual. I have been monitoring her and it doesn’t seem to have worsened but it hasn’t gotten better either. Even when she’s sleeping, her stomach is moving fast. She’s not panting or acting funny. I’ve read and believe it’s called tachypnea. Anyone else have this problem with their cat? What was the underlying cause?

I’ve had two cats who had breathing issues though they were likely worse than your cat.

One cat had a heart issue - if we’d caught it early we could have medicated but he was a very independent outdoor cat who stayed away and hid symptoms so we caught it late and it was very far gone.

The other cat unfortunately had lung cancer. They had said it might be asthma initially so that is a possibility.

I think it is much more likely your cat has something mild or treatable but worse case scenarios happen so worth a vet visit.

 

[Meganao]

I wanted to update everyone, even though it's been quite some time. This may be helpful for others who are searching later on. The vet put Josie on Lasix due to suspected congestive heart failure. The meds seemed to be working okay and I thought we would have her for a while as long as we kept her on the meds but 2 weeks after my original post, Josie passed away at home with us. We were/are still heartbroken because it happened so fast and she was only 5 years old. I still haven't gotten another kitty since her passing, it just won't be the same. Thank you everyone for your responses. Erinlinkcappy mikameek silkenpaw

 

[Meganao]

I wanted to update everyone, even though it's been quite some time. This may be helpful for others who are searching later on. The vet put Josie on Lasix due to suspected congestive heart failure. The meds seemed to be working okay and I thought we would have her for a while as long as we kept her on the meds but 2 weeks after my original post, Josie passed away at home with us. We were/are still heartbroken because it happened so fast and she was only 5 years old. I still haven't gotten another kitty since her passing, it just won't be the same. Thank you everyone for your responses. Erinlinkcappy mikameek silkenpaw

I mistyped, Josie was 7 years old, not 5.

 

[DesperateMistrustful]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. I also lost a cat her age to something similar. Thank you for giving Josie a wonderful life with you (and for giving such an old thread a conclusion).