Come in immediately if you see
- Open-mouth breathing, neck stretched out, elbows held wide (to draw in more air)
- Big belly movements with every breath
- More than 40 breaths a minute while asleep
- Purple or grey gums or tongue
- Sudden dragging or paralysed back legs, cold paws, loud crying (possibly a blood clot from heart disease)
- Hiding, not moving, not eating, with fast breathing
Cats in respiratory distress are fragile: struggling and fear alone can make them crash. Call 2126 7440 now and we will have oxygen ready.
Common causes
| Cause | Features |
|---|---|
| Heart disease (most often hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) | Heart failure causes fluid in the lungs or around them; may give no warning |
| Fluid around the lungs (other causes) | Pyothorax, tumours, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) |
| Feline asthma | A cough that looks like hairball retching, wheezing, open-mouth breathing in attacks |
| Trauma | Falls or road accidents causing collapsed or bruised lungs |
| Severe cat flu | Blocked nose forcing mouth breathing, usually with eye and nose discharge |
Maine Coons, Ragdolls, British Shorthairs, Persians and Sphynx are more prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but mixed-breed cats get it too.
Counting breaths at home
While your cat is asleep or very relaxed, count each rise and fall of the chest as one breath for 30 seconds and double it:
- Normal: under about 30 a minute
- 30 to 40: watch closely and contact your vet the same day
- Over 40: come in now
For cats with known heart disease, record this once a day; a slow upward trend often appears before obvious signs.
Getting your cat here
- Place your cat gently in a carrier; do not scruff, squeeze or rock it.
- Half-cover the carrier and keep it quiet and cool, with the car air-conditioning on.
- Do not give water or medicines.
- If the back legs are paralysed, support the lower body with a towel.
At the hospital
- Oxygen first, minimal handling: cats in distress go straight into an oxygen cage to stabilise before any tests.
- Bedside ultrasound: a quick, low-stress check for fluid around the lungs and heart size.
- Draining chest fluid: if fluid is present it is removed with a needle, usually easing breathing at once, and sent to the lab to find the cause.
- Medicines: diuretics for fluid in the lungs; bronchodilators and steroids for asthma; pain relief and sedation as needed.
- Once stable: X-rays, blood tests and a heart ultrasound to plan long-term treatment.
Long-term care
Heart disease cannot be cured, but medication often controls it for years. Keep up check-ups, count breaths daily and give medicines on time. For high-risk breeds, ask your vet to listen to the heart at every check-up and screen with a heart ultrasound if needed.