Fast Breathing In Cats: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

If your cat is breathing fast, it’s easy to worry about what could be causing it and whether it is an emergency. Our Mechanicsburg veterinarians describe what’s considered rapid breathing, explain symptoms and potential causes, and provide insight on when to call a vet.

Fast Breathing In Cats

Rapid breathing in cats is also known as tachypnea. First, let’s establish what a healthy respiratory (breathing) rate for a cat is. Usually, your cat will take between 20 to 30 breaths per minute.

To find your cat’s resting respiration rate, count the number of breaths they take while at rest. One breath includes inhaling (when the chest rises) and exhaling (when the chest falls). It’s important that your cat not be purring when you count their breathing rate, as this often alters their breathing rate. The sleeping rate is usually a little lower than their resting breathing rate.

Time them on your phone or a watch to count how many breaths happen in that 30-second period. Then you’ll multiply the number of breaths you counted by two to arrive at the number of breaths your cat takes in one minute.

Causes Of Fast Breathing In Cats

Fast breathing in cats may indicate a number of injuries or illnesses and should be evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Some potential causes include:

Signs of Fast Breathing in Cats

If your cat is breathing rapidly, you may notice several signs, including:

If your cat seems to be breathing faster than normal, look for things that may be contributing to the condition and get rid of them. For example, if your cat has been outside in the hot sun, or if emotional distress or anxiety are factors, move him to a cooler, quieter spot immediately. Ensure he has lots of water to drink.

Breathing rate is an indicator of overall health - if your cat is suddenly breathing fast while sleeping (consistently more than 30 breaths per minute), this could be an early clinical sign of heart failure. Lower rates may be no cause for concern providing your pet is otherwise behaving normally.

Also note that for some cats, your vet may consider rates lower than 30 breaths per minute as increased and abnormal - the right breathing rate for your cat should be assessed on an individual basis.

Your vigilant observations can help limit how ill your pet gets, reduce his or her chance of needing overnight hospital stays and help reduce costs related to the treatment of heart failure.

If Your Cat Is Breathing Fast...

If you find that your cat’s breathing is consistently fast after monitoring them for a couple of hours, contact our vet as soon as possible so they can recommend the next steps. Your cat may simply need an adjustment in medications.

If you see other symptoms along with faster sleeping breathing rate or symptoms have become worse, this may be a medical emergency. In this case, your vet may assess your cat’s medical situation during your call and will likely tell you to bring the cat to AnimERge or another hospital.

Diagnosis of Fast Breathing in Cats

Your vet will assess the stage and severity of your cat’s rapid breathing, listen to their chest for evidence of a heart murmur, fluid in the lungs or other cause, and check the color of your cat’s gums to identify whether the organs are receiving oxygen as they should.

Your kitty will also be stabilized and provided with a steady supply of oxygen before blood tests are carried out to check for underlying illnesses or diseases, after which X-rays and/or ultrasounds will be done to examine the heart and lungs. 

Treating Rapid Breathing In Cats

Alongside a steady supply of oxygen, an IV catheter may be placed so emergency drugs and fluids can be administered intravenously.

Of course, treatment will depend on the issues your cat is experiencing. For pleural effusion, fluid will be removed from the chest and analyzed. An echocardiogram and x-rays may be taken of the heart if heart disease is a concern. These can reveal the size of the heart and how it’s functioning.

If your cat is in respiratory distress, remain as calm as possible. If your cat finds traveling stressful, your vet can give some tips on transportation.

If you think your cat is breathing rapidly, this can be an emergency. Always have your cat evaluated by a trained veterinarian at the first sign of rapid breathing.

If the rapid breathing resolves after a few minutes, start to record details of the duration of the episode, what was happening before and after, and date these occurred to share with your veterinarian. These keen observations can help narrow down potential causes and define triggers.

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

If your cat is breathing fast or is displaying other concerning respiratory symptoms, contact our Mechanicsburg veterinary hospital right away.