Heavy Breathing Cat? This Video Could Save Their Life 

It would be nice if you showed us videos of cats breathing instead of just talking about it. It's much better to visually see what is normal and not normal for yourself then to listen to someone's description of it.

Sadly our rescue cat was quiet and not active, and I noticed very heavy breathing which didn't seem normal. We took him to the vet, blood tests and ultrasound diagnosed major heart failure and he had incredible amounts of fluid in his lungs and around his heart. We had not choice but to let him go. We rescued him at 11 yrs but gave him 5 years of a happy and safe inside life with us.

My cat suffered for 9 years because I didn’t know what cat asthma looked like. What I thought was just coughing/hair ball, I would try to offer him water. (Not a great cat mom). I finally saw a video on cat asthma on RU-vid and I took a video of my cat having an attack to my vet. He now uses an inhaler with a mask. I trained him to let me place the mask in his face by feeding him treats out of the mask. Then slowly holding the mask to his face and then giving him a treat. The inhaler does great and I can tell his asthma attacks are associated with seasonal allergies. We have air purifiers in the house to help him and my own allergies. He’s a happy 20 year old now… doing just fine. (Inhaler is very expensive but it lasts him a very long time) Thank you!

My cat was breathing weird so I took him to the ER after watching this video. They pulled out 300mL of fluid from his lungs! He's breathing a lot better now and acting more like himself again. Thank you!

my cat is dying and it's full of ads

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video

Sarah, I appreciate all your helpful topics you cover. Thank you 🐈 🐾

Thank you so much, Dr. for your time and care in helping us pet parents to determine the severity of these symptoms. The veterinary industry is very much harder to get worked in to be seen, post COVID. Bless you and your wonderful work with these precious little souls! :)

It's nice to meet you, friend. Thank you so very much for sharing. My darling cat Kira had CHF two years ago (I lost her) and had the heavy breathing issue. She was 16 1/2. I really appreciate your sharing this valuable information with us! I wish you continued success and happiness always.

Lots of good info Dr Wooten 👍 you're also a pro at making cat noises!

My beloved cat just had lung surgery to remove a tumor growing in her left lobe. Your video was incredibly helpful!! I have a sense of what to look out for and the signs of dyspnea! Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for all of this information!! Seriously helpful ❤️

Absolutely informative. Thank you for your time. .

Only discovered your channel today and immediately subscribed. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and empowering us 🐈 lovers.

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. Getting X-rays for my kitty this week. Thank you for your positivity of them being able to live long lives. Hoping it’s not heartworm!

Thank you for giving us your time & your tips & your very compassionate heart & advice! God Bless You!!!

I’m a Respiratory Therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience. I’ve seen All of these signs and symptoms in human patients of all ages. Your video clearly shows how similar these respiratory signs & symptoms can be for cats. Btw, dusting, cleaning or removing carpets and drapes may also help minimize dust mites and allergens. Love your content. Thanks again for sharing.😺👍

Omg 😳 you are our angel . We just recorded video of our cat heavy breathing for our vet ! That’s is soo crazy that you I saw your video !!

Thank you for this great video, it's really helpful.

Excellent video! Thank you for the time stamps

Thank you for another informative video. You always cover the subject so thoroughly! I will bookmark this one to re-watch. I'm always learning new things from your posts.

Thank you for sharing this important information with us!

Great information, thank you!

Thanks for explaining everything very clearly ❤️

Thanks for these videos. Great job.

Thank you so much for this video! As a crazy cat lady for over 40 years this information is priceless!

Fabulous video full of helpful info thank you.

Great video - thank you so much! It would be helpful to see video examples, but overall most awesome!

Dr Sarah...you are the best! I watch your videos every time they come out. They are definitely helpful!! Very much so. I have learned so very much and can take even better care of my baby now. In the future, I would appreciate you speaking on feline kidney disease. From beginning treatments to the most dramatic at the end.

This video was beyond helpful, Dr. I think I speak for all of us when I say you're a godsend. Thank you ❤

Your video is so needed and, this video is so beneficial, I am going to re-watch it, to better understand. Thank You so much...

Excellent video ! Thanks for all the info ❤

Very good info. Wish I knew about you before my fur baby developed breathing issues & enlarged lymph nodes. You explained different types of breathing symptoms plus possible causes, treatments so well. My sweet callico wasn't so lucky, I had to euthanize her at the young age of 6 yrs. Abdominal tumor & enlarged lymph nodes causing fluid in chest cavity. 300 ml removed, but 2 days later fluid was returning. She was so stressed at the clinic, her nostrils were flaring during respiration. Her appetite was decreasing, but still would scratch post, stretch & wanted to rest in my arms. Never knew I could cry so much since she's been gone. Thank you for this video! God bless you.

As a vet tech this was a great little review, thanks!

Thank you for that. Great video. My cat Bob just diagnosed with heart failure. Hadn't realised his snuffly nose was breathing related till your video. He's on various meds now and whilst prognosis is scary, his quality of life has been much improved with various meds. Appreciate the time you've put in to this to help people help their cats 😊

Great video. Thank you for all the informations given

Thank you. Super helpful information.

So much information that is valuable. Thank you Dr Wooten!

I spent $700 for a vet today, my cat has a noisy breath on the expiration since 2 days and it's getting bad to worse. 3 vets saw my cat none of them found the problem, I would have spent twice this amount to see my cat get better. Good vid, I thought I would have found a solution here 😢

Thanks your amazing wish we had vets like you

What a great, thorough, & helpful video! I’ve noticed my big orange (f) rescue does make a weird noise when sleeping or at rest for long periods. It’s not a distressed sound just occasionally a little raspy like mucus or fluid. She dsnt take too many breaths p/m or hv other symptoms… oh she has incredibly smelly turds 💩 which were esp bad when I first got her but got better after deworming. She is overweight now at 3 years old and I’m terrified she may have heart issues or tumors or something because that would be so expensive… I would never let her suffer but things are beyond tight rt now ** My big orange, GARBO, is the friendliest most open, up for anything, cat I’ve ever experienced. She ❤️ all living creatures, interacts with fawns, bunnies, birds, dogs, baby possums, chipmunks & a raccoon. She is not the brightest but certainly the dearest… tho she dwarfs my tiny black long hair, MONKEY, by 2, monkey bosses her around & bullies her like a mean girl w/ little use for her. MONKEY is the Ren to GARBO’s Stimpy & MONKEY Even communicates with her buttons, is in the theycantalk.org communication research program, (with talking dog Bunny & Billi the cat). I don’t know why I’m terrified Garbo has a serious problem as there’s nothing else out of the ordinary, It’s just a terrible feeling I have and her audible sleep breaths worry me. I have elaborated far too much but I just wanted to say thank you for explaining the types of distressed breaths/causes/possible conditions. You are wonderful and I’m going to try and narrow this down a little further. **(w/ my own complete facial reconstr. after being attacked, beaten & left for dead) Life is hard enough with PTSD as a result etc. But I’m happy to barter with any vets as a prof copywriter, nonprofit consultant, publicist etc. I’m good at what I do and it’s of value so I’m hoping I can find a veterinary practice that could use my skills in exchange for any care till I can work again post surgeries . Dr Sarah- is there a professional association for vets that are interested in barter exchanges or any sort of sliding scale assistance for pets in need? If so I’m sure you would know about it. Thank you again I feel much better prepared and without The inflated anxiety I had b4 I spent 20 min with u & yr straightforward, simply explained, info breakdown here! ❤️ 🐈 🐈‍⬛ 🙏

THANK YOU SO MUCH Dr. I just found out yesterday my cat has lung cancer and now I’m keeping an eye on his breathing. This explained it way more than my vet did.❤

Thank you for the video, helped get me to take my guy into the vet today. Had to put him down, this video validated all the worries and allowed us to give him relief. Thank you..

Phenomenal level of really important information you are sharing in this video. Thank you and please more excellent videos like this one. You Rock!

Very helpful, thanks

Excellent summary.

I so love your videos! They are so very helpful! I have learned so very much! ❤❤ Thank you Thank You Thank You!!

I was hoping to find video examples of what normal breathing looks like and also, what dyspnea could potentially look like. It's challenging to apply these academic descriptions to a real-world situation without visuals.

So, so helpful! My kitty has been having occasional little wheezing attacks (which point toward feline asthma, I think), and I am actually taking her to the vet for this later today, so getting this information from you is so helpful and so perfectly timed. Thank you! 🙏

Good day Doc🤩 new subscriber here, from Philippines, thank you for sharing this video God bless you Doctor🙏❤️

Thank you doctor that was extremely informative ❤

Thanks for the information

Thank you for this! Snoring higher pitched sometimes. I need to pay more attention to the type of snoring, which happens from time to time. No issue with energy or appetite. No nasal discharge.

God bless you, ma'am. I just want you to know that you are a VERY good human being and I'm SURE I speak for ALL of us cat parents when I say, "WE NEED YOU." I love you. I don't even KNOW you, but the love I have for you and the person that I see that you TRULY ARE, brings great comfort to me personally. I have learned so MUCH from you. Love, Marleigh Cowan.

Thank you for this video. I have had my cat Marilyn for 16 years and have noticed the sphynx posture. I am taking her in today.

Fascinating. Right now, I don't have a kitty but I am thinking about adopting later. I am amazed at how many illnesses felines get that sound so much like humans illness. I'm kind of overwhelmed. One reason is that where I live, it's hard to find a great, competent feline vet. It's pathetic. I watch & learn so much from this wonderful vet!!

Our Siamese had asthma starting at a young age. Vet gave him a year, but he lived on our love for 15 yrs. When his asthma got bad, he'd wheeze & sneeze. The times he had an asthma attack, it was heartbreaking Thankfully the meds helped a lot.

Thank you for this information ❤

Our cat has been breathing heavy for a week. She spent a week at the hospital. They did bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasounds...everything came back normal and "great" for a kitty her age. She won't eat. They syringed fed her. She is on antibiotics, a bronchodilator, a med to help heart functions, anti-fungal... they are throwing the "kitchen sink" at her. They are stumped and they are extremely good vets. We brought her home to see if she would improve. She has become a bit more active, is drinking, and letting us feed her. However, she continues to breathe heavy. It is heartbreaking!

My cat was panting once and definitely scared me . He’s never done that again but he’s going to the vets !

Thank you so much this is seriously so helpful

My snorty smush-faced Persian watched this video almost as attentively as I did! Thankfully she's never had actual *problems* breathing, but I'm glad to know what to watch out for now. THANK YOU Dr. Wooten!

Excellent Tutorial. Thanks xoxo

Nervous cat mom here. Thanking you for this. Have referred to this for the second time.

Great video! I think the only thing that would make it better is to actually see a cat doing the things you described. Not that we want any cats to go through that but we know some do….so maybe if you could people who posted their cats breathing on RU-vid and get their permission to use part of their cats video in yours then it would be an extra great video!

Thank you for all the precious information. I only want to say that Tachy comes from a Greek word “ταχύτητα” that means speed tachy-pnea means fast breathing….

Thank you Dr. Sara!!! ✨

Thank you for this information. It’s so useful to have. I shared a vid of my cat having a serious wheezing attack (happens frequently, especially during summer) and vet simply brushed it off as “normal allergies and nothing to worry about.” She loves to play but has to take breaks because of breathing. I’ve seen another vet, and their response was “it’s normal for cats to be lazy.” I did my own research and with the “allergy vet” sign-off, I asked to treat with OTC Zyrtec (low dose 1x day). It has seemed to help, but I really wish I could see a vet that took the wheezing seriously and understood how much it impacts my cat’s behavior. Still looking but it’s stressful to keep trying new locations.

YOU are an excellent Explainer ! My beautiful Cat passed due to fluid in cavity around lungs, though I only knew this 1 day before her passing, after 4 vet trips ($1000) & no diagnosis (until last but not the reason WHY fluid was there). 😪💙 I am glad I found you, I'm trying to learn All I can, before getting another Cat.

My little sweetheart got diagnosed with asthma in February of 2022. She has an inhaler and is doing better. Maybe a few episode every month. Sometimes more. I notice from time to time her breathing elevates.

Thank you for this extremely important video. We have had several cats but 3+ have had very serious & different breathing problems. Kitty Abby was only 7 when she developed extensive chylothorax… that was detected by the vet on a routine exam, although she had no obvious alarming breathing behaviors initially. Hence: vets can detect things even before we notice them. Regular exams ate important. Kitty Lucy started sneezing quite a lot when we moved into a new house. But, she also cornered behind a toilet. After a regular vet visit, instinct told us we should take her to Penn Vet (univ of PA). She had nasal pharyngeal cancer. The stress of moving might have exacerbated her behaviors, but thanks to two rounds of radiation, we had her for 3 more years. I recommend CyberKnife Proton Radiation if it’s available in your area for that kind if radiation. Kitty Sophie is only 5.5 but has asthma. She seemed to have a mild dry cough, like she was trying unproductively to cough up a hairball but couldn’t. X-rays showed mild asthma & though she was put on pred initially to reduce inflammation & symptoms, we are transitioning to an aerocat adapter for an inhaler long-term. Patience, love and calm, gooey treats in the inhaler mask help with the transition. There are lots of videos on youtube. Just keep with it. We also fostered 2 kittens who, unbeknownst to us, were FIP positive. One went into respiratory failure on the way to emergency vet, even though i did mouth to mouth the entire way. His litter mate succumbed, as well. That was traumatic. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT IF YOUR CAT ISN’T BREATHING NORMALLY… GO TO YOUR VET OR VET-ER IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!! NOW, IF THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG! This isn’t the time for internet research. Get your cat immediate care. Please. This is an exceptional video! Thank you!

Thank you for the videos. I think u r an intelligent doctor n wish we had u close. Most vets guess at problems. They never take time to explain the symptoms.😊

I've been watching your videos and learned so much from you. Thank you so much. I really wish you were my vet or at least near by that I could find you. ❤️

I have just found this video, ooh thank you for doing this, I believe you are God send.

This was one of the most thorough, helpful videos by a vet I've ever seen. My 5.5 yr old cat has lymphoma which started as a lump in his neck in March. He's on a steroid since then. He has stertor and an upper respiratory infection for a few months. The vet said all his symptoms are in his nasal and sinus area. Today he just started breathing heavy, mouth open, laying hunched, head up to the sky. He's still eating and drinking, but I'm worried he's in pain. I'm going to call my vet first thing in the morning. Thank you for this info!

Thanks for this video! I was waiting for you to talk about anxiety. My CH kitty has occasional anxiety attacks and will pant when he has one. Thankfully, one hasn’t happened for months now, though! Thanks again for the great video!!

Here in Australia during summer, there would be really hot days, over 40°c, where I'd sometimes see my cats pant and I'd do everything to cool them down. It's very rare, after a lifetime of having cats, I haven't seen it often at all.

Being a furparent for a long time now..and have witnessed lots of conditions in animals.. i can actually visualize what the vet is describing. This will help me a lot in observing my furbabies health. One of my cats just died recently because he was having a hard time breathing... He's maintainig his posture that time and decided to take him to the vet to know the underlying condition..but lifting him up caused him to much stress and he collapsed on the spot. I performed CPR but his heart could not start again. It's too painful. He looks very healthy the day before he stop eating and suddenly change his behavior and not moving as usual...and when i noticed that, i did immediate action but then.. It was too fast, and was very traumatic for me. This video helps me understand what happened. This new learning will help me save my future furbabies.. Thank you Doc 🙏

One of my cats sometimes wheezes (?) after drinking from the water fountain. :( She's very jittery and won't let me close even in a normal situation (I can only touch her if she comes to me for pets or she's sleeping, she likes pets when sleeping), but she always does it only a few times and then continues as if nothing happened. She'll choose the water fountain over a bowl of water despite this. :/ Vet hasn't noticed anything abnormal with her, so I guess she's just a sloppy drinker and inhales water while drinking.

Distinctions in labored breathing, healthy breathing and how soon to call the veterinarian were very helpful.

Thank you for this very educational video. First of all: My cat was diagnosed with FeLV when we adopted her 10 months earlier. Friday, I took my cat to the vet due to dyspnea, very "snotty", and she had not eaten in 3 days. She was running a fever and was provided with Convenia also provided with appetite stimulant. Blood work looked did not change significantly from 10 months ago. I was told not to expect immediate improvement due to her diagnosis and it takes time for these cats to "recover". 2 days later, I took her back in as her condition only worsened- blood work still looked "stable", they changed the appetite stimulant as she was still not eating. They gave her subQ fluids, an injection for nausea and also appetite stimulant and I took her home. She went into respiratory distress a few hours later and died. I feel like something was overlooked. I believe some vets will not try or even misdiagnose once a cat is diagnoses with FIV or FeLV.

Great video! We just got back from the vet after our 2 y/o mostly outdoor cat displayed labored breathing, no appetite, and sluggishness. After an IV, x-ray, and bloodwork, turns out it was asthma though his white cell count was up also due to an ear infection. The vet prescribed him prednisone to be taken orally for a few weeks.

Thank you for this video. My girl is breathing heavily, 41 breaths a minute, I’m just calling the vets now.

Thanks for going out of your way to make these videos and being so thorough. I know im not the first to seek advice and i know you can't possibly respond to all comments but its worth a try. My cat has been having difficulty breathing and rapid breathing, open mouth after any amount of exertion. Weeks now. There has not been any coughing. But have heard some funny mouth sounds i cant describe the passed cpl days. Been to the vet several times. Had xrays done, nothing definitive there. Also blood work, fine. They thought maybe asthma, tried steroid injection, and single dose antibiotic just in case, stayed same rapid breathing for a cpl weeks and then started getting worse, then tried 14days oral respiratory antibiotic, getting worse seemingly more rapidly now. Just today went back to vet to try another steroid injection but the vet ddnt seem hopeful and now thinks its most likely lung cancer. Are there any other tests i should have done that they might not have considered? So greatly appreciate your time if you happen to see this and are able to respond💛

3 weeks ago, my then indoor /outdoor cat stayed out the night which was very strange for him, and didn't want to eat. Next morning he was hiding in bushes and I knew something wasn't right so I carefully picked him up and put him on my bed and he curled up to rest but upon inspection I noticed his breathing was quite abnormal and began to count his breaths and it was up to 40 ish. That afternoon being my vet was closed for th day I rushed him to the 24 hour animal ER. He was dx with UTD, and stayed three days. So yeah paying attention to their breathing is very necessary even if it is not a respiratory problem because it gives you a clue that something is not right. Thankyou for this great video by the way! Learned a lot.😊😊

Dr. Sarah Wooten, Mallory, and Other All About Cats Folk: Please know that your videos and articles have helped me and my cats, greatly. Thank you for the great work you all do to help cats and their people, everywhere. May you all be blessed. Warm regards 💗🧡❤️

Timely video for me… my sweet 8 yo baby was diagnosed with heart disease in January and given 6 mos to live; he’s on three meds but hoping he can stay with me for more years!

watching from hawaii. aloha! this helps as i have a new pet cat and he is beginning to be heavy. but he’s a huge cat.

Dr. Wooten...I recently took in a rescued 12 yr old female who was abandoned by her original family. I am a senior on limited income, so I ask your advice. This cat seems to PUSH out her breath at times. She doesn't 'cough', hack or otherwise seem to have breathing trouble, eats well, drinks water. However, she also has an intermittent whistling when she purrs that I've never heard before in a cat that ONLY occurs when she purrs. I can report that both issues have subsided since she's come to live with me (about 6 months) but she is now ONLY indoor whereas was indoor/outdoor previously. Her original family never took her to a vet so I have no medical history or diagnosis. Her rescuer treated her for URI once and I also had her on antibiotics 1x. She seems happy, well attached despite her early years. I know you cannot diagnose sight unseen, just give me an overall opinion if possible. Thank you.

I live in the same town as you do, Dr. Wooten.

This is very helpful information,thank you so much. My cat just diagnosed with maybe one of them...her lung filled with fluid that make her difficult to breath

Thank you for making this video. My cat caught a cold and we wound up at the vet. It's nice to know things in advance so you're not caught off guard. Fiy if a cat can't smell it won't eat... and that's a big problem.

Our cat come in from outside with the 3rd type of breathing. The cat ran circles around the house as I called our vet, who told us that it seemed to have been something that scared it outside. We checked for some of the signs you mentioned.

This video was super helpful so I took LOTS of notes! My cat started having breathing issues in January. She's had blood work done, a heartworm test, radiographs, and has been on prednisolone for almost two months now with very minimal progress. The ONLY symptom she has is difficulty breathing. She's a super active 4 year old tortie and often skips naps because she's so busy running our household lol. Since she's been on the steroids, she has gained quite a bit of weight which is a huge concern I have because she wasn't over weight at all when she started (she weighed 8lbs the beginning of April and is now up to 10-11lbs). Her blood work came back normal, heartworm test was negative, and her radiographs show possible signs of Asthma but her vet swears up and down that she does not have Asthma. He said he does not see any clinical signs of any kind of illness. We also had her taking CatLax daily for 7 days and that did absolutely nothing. We were referred to a specialist and have that appointment scheduled for June 2nd. She has already seen two vets from January to now so I'm PRAYING this doctor will help figure out what's wrong with her. I've purchased 3 air purifiers with Hepa filters, dust and vacuum regularly, I've even switched her food thinking maybe she had a food allergy but I didn't see any difference in her breathing, her coat looks nice though (AvoDerm). I have always used an unscented litter for her and even placed an air purifier right next to her box. So far everything we've tried or done has not had any type of positive affect on her. Thank you for sharing this video.

Last year one of my cats died of undiagnosed HCM, he was struggling to breathe in the last few weeks and his tongue and gum were blue. Unfortunately we missed all the signs since he was hiding all the time and he didn’t even live long enough for his one year check up. He died of 9 months and he was only with us for three but it made me more and more aware of what is going on with my cats.

Ohhhh god..i cry over and over watching this cause my cat also diagnosed HCM yesterday…she is starting to be like that😭😭😭

I discovered your video because my cat has kidney disease and is dehydrated. Her previous vet said to give her sub q fluids once every three days. I felt it should be more. Yesterday I took her back to the same vet clinic but was seen by a different vet and she said my cat is dehydrated and to give her sub q fluids everyday. Her levels were very elevated and we're trying to flush them out this way because I'm pretty much broke right now. Spent $3,000 in January for my cat to be in the hospital for 48 hours when we first found out about her condition. The night before her vet appointment (yesterday), she started making small sounds while breathing. When she was seen by the vet, she was having bouts of hyperventilating - which the vet is saying its from her being so dehydrated. I've been searching the net for validation from what the vet said, but I do know I've experienced panic attacks when I'm dehydrated. Today was day 2 for sub fluids and I'm hoping in a day or two, we'll see her not hyperventilating from just changing sleeping positions. :/ Thanks for this video, was good info. Would be nice to see some videos regarding the situation I'm seeing right now. I mostly get results for panting, which isn't what she's doing. She has a resting respirator rate of 18. When she's hyperventilating, I just brush/lightly pet her and talk to her, try to get her to relax/calm down.

Very informative 👍😊 My cat has a cough with some rapid breathing.. off and on for the last maybe 3 weeks. Mostly in the morning. So I'm going to take it to the vet and find out what, when and why 😊... She's eating okay and acting halfway normal when she's not coughing. Wish me luck🤞

One of my cats was breathing heavily. But it was a very hot day. I took her outside until she started to breath better and took her back inside and took some towels. Wet them, put them in the freezer, took them out and laid them on the table put my cat on top and put one on top of the cat. That did take care of the problem.

Thank you, didn't know that about purring. New subscriber 👌