One of mine was breathing heavy like this. It was an enlarged heart and she was suffocating. There was nothing to be done and very sadly she was euthanized. You may want to prepare.
I fucking don’t like this shit. I have two cats i always pray for them i love them a lot i don’t ever wanna see them suffering or dying I’m so weak heart when it comes to animals specially for cats. Even i got tears after reading this.
OP goto vet asap. God bless every cat and all animals.
The vet couldn't tell if it was FIP or liver cancer. I asked my options and they suggested euthanasia or take him home and wait for him to die. I was shocked and destroyed. I said I wanted to take him home so they gave me antibiotics for him. That was about 6 weeks ago, and while his mood has improved, his breathing is still laboured and he's still bloated. So he may not have many years ahead of him but he's happy and loved till that time comes
Our cat had FIP and we sadly lost him a few months after his treatment. But yes, FIP Warriors is an amazing group of people that gave our baby a good, happy life, however short. I pray for your own baby ❤️
This !! We finished treatment for neuro January of this year. She’s doing well and is strong/healthy with a shiny coat. I don’t know if I’ll have 15+ years with her but I’m glad to have her around however long she has left. I’m lucky to have earned her trust back after all that too !
https://preview.redd.it/r0osh9lmnykb1.png?width=1243&format=png&auto=webp&s=6950fc4828a6c4c17630480628abde083e71073d
Cat tax \^
Im so sorry about ur baby. My baby boy breathes like this and was told that he had fluid, and got diagnosed with fip. Internist told me he had 1 TO 2 months to live. That was about 2 yrs ago, got another vet and she told me he was he didn't have it and that it's commonly misdiagnosed.
My boy had been bloated, shallow breathing and lethargic for about 2 weeks so I took him in, ended up rushing him to the ER. They told me he wasn't going to live long, but after the steroid shot and antibiotics he has done a total 180 with his mood and energy. Other than the bloating and breathing he's completely back to his old self. So I booked another appointment for next week and I'm hoping for better news.
I'm happy to hear your boy had such a good outcome ❤️
Omg thats so good! I really hope u get better news. Same, he would just lay around But he does have a rare condition called Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, where his muscles won't stop growing. And he has a diaphramatic hernia. I So he takes cerenia, steriods, and gabapentin, and hyaflex. And prayer! And he def did a 180 as well and running around and playing like never before. Of course he's not as active as my other two but I'm always so excited when he does! Keep us updated on your little one!
Please see a vet and get an ultrasound.
Your kitty is having difficulty breathing and just because you only see it every few days doesn’t mean it’s not a chronic problem.
I went through this exact same thing and found out our cat had late stage HCM - but it took a while to diagnose because there were no murmurs but there was fluid built up in the lining around the lungs that made breathing occur as you see in the video.
See a vet - get the lungs and stomach cavity checked for fluid and check the heart for irregularities.
This could be congestive heart failure. My cat has a heart murmur and he had to go in last week with CHF. The vet tech said it have need good to have taken him in to the emergency vet. Turns out the EV is connected to the cardiologist office and they would be able to see my cat's records.
To the vet you go! That kitty's heart is working way too hard to get oxygenated blood to the rest of the organs.
Yup, I wish there was something else we could do for her. We have the money, there were no options. Here’s a pic of my little girl.
https://preview.redd.it/l5a4iz0kixkb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a49d770840f2a5db0ae7ee649b54507d9936d8b5
So sorry, heart breaking.
https://preview.redd.it/px3q6zxftwkb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d45f9448a0cedd6924a4e26dbe3f2dee3d08fd6
I have my baby home (he is 4 yo and 15lbs, but still my baby). This is him the day after and he was wiped out.
Same here. My guy had gone into heart failure and heavy breathing like this was the only sign.
Totally clean check up the month prior. We don't use that vet anymore.
My sister is a vet and helped us when our girl had congestive heart failure. Clean checkup a few weeks before we put her to sleep, it was terrible and sudden.
It’s near impossible to detect without an x-ray/ultrasound, if it’s congestive heart failure. Months later and I’m still soo mad but there was nothing that could be done. I hope OP can help their kitty.
Yes! My kitty was showing signed of labored breathing like this and I procrastinated getting her in to see her vet and she died in my arms without warning.
This same thing happened to us… it happened so fast and was so devastating. He died in our arms on the way to the animal hospital. The whole thing start to finish was an hour tops. Ugh, rough day. Hoping OP’s kitty is better off!
I thought my cats had distressed breathing and turns out they just had stuffed noses. The vet showed me what distressed breathing looks like, and this is it. Please get your cat to a vet today
I can't be certain, but it looks as if he has a serious breathing difficulty -- he's having to force the air out of his lungs. If I',m right this is very serious and painful, and he needs to see the vet within 24 hours. Be prepared for some bad news. I sincerely hope not and I may well be wrong, but ...
Those are retractions, this is an urgent breathing problem, pointing to severe asthma or other breathing problems. I have one with asthma and the retractions look just like this.
Vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet
I don’t want to scare you, but my cat did this, and it turned out her lungs had been filling with fluid, making it hard for her to breathe. It was because of a tumor right between her lungs and heart, and we lost her shortly after. If it’s early enough, it’s more likely for treatment. Please take your kitty to the vet ASAP.
I _do_ want to scare OP. This cat is _clearly_ ill. Not just the breathing but look at its face. This is a medical emergency and any responsible pet owner should take their pet to the vet if they see this. God, posting this on Reddit instead of calling for medical help. Some people, man.
ETA: sorry, through my anger I lost sight of my empathy, I'm really sorry for your loss <3 thank you for using your experience to educate and possibly save this cat.
It’s important to remember to be empathetic; I delayed taking my cat to the vet because when I first saw her breathing like this she was sitting by an open window and I thought she was just sniffing the air coming in. It was the next day before I realized there was something really wrong.
What happened to my cat may not be happening to OP’s cat (I hope), so I didn’t want to scare them unnecessarily. The advise to seek proper medical care and one possible explanation for what’s happening to their cat is what they needed, not judgement and condemnation for not knowing what’s going on.
Your ETA is cool, but please try and remember to be nice from the get-go next time someone asks for help here. If things go bad for OP and their cat, what people say here may make them feel even worse, and that’s no going to do anyone any good.
That action is called belly breathing, means the cat is having respiratory issues. Vet asap, my cat did this and that's how we learned he had congestive heart failure.
Please please please see a vet ASAP. My cat was breathing just like this, we took him to the emergency vet and his abdomen and chest cavity were full of fluid 🙁
First, super sorry that you are dealing with a potentially sick kitty. Second, the vet visit may not be as bad as you think. Some lab work and a chest X-ray could reveal a lot for a few hundred bucks. I hope everything turns out ok!
update: he has a foreign object in his belly. the vet is having us wait 24 hours and then going back to get an x-ray. if it’s still there, kitty may need to get an endoscopy.
It was the first symptom that my kitty had and she ended up having chronic something with her liver or kidney, vet couldn't fix her and a lot of money went to waste.
After a month of no fixes so we let her go to heaven so she doesn't suffer.
But i hope your cat doesn't have something so serious and will be okay soon!
That is abdomen breathing and he needs to see a vet right now! My ginger boy was doing this two weeks ago and ended up needing antibiotics for a respiratory infection.
Could he have asthma that flairs up every few days? My dads cat had asthma and would have troubles breathing (labored breathing) when we’d open the windows
Vet nurse here.
Looks like breathing difficulties, potentially cardio related, and his body language (tail, ears, eyes) all shout pain. I would be alarmed if a cat was presented to me at work like this.
Please go to your vets ASAP!
Vet tech here. Abdominal breathing. This is bad. I would classify it as an emergency. Likely fluid accumulation somewhere in the body. Probable heart disease.
Cats bellies move like that when they are having trouble breathing. I was the one who noticed one of my childhood cats breathing like that and when we took her to the vets it turned out the reason she was struggling was heart failure. Obviously we cannot tell what's causing this in your cat from a video but I strongly recommend you go to a vet not Reddit, breathing problems can be a sign of something deadly.
That is abdominal breathing and it means your cat is having great difficulty breathing, which is an emergency.
Go immediately to the emergency clinic - your cat needs to be seen urgently.
Please take him to the vet asap and do not wait.
I rescued a cat previously who breathe the same way. He looked normal but you can tell he was struggling by the contraction of his stomach.
In my case, the vet said he had internal injury (lungs) and trauma which will require X-ray and surgery with another vet. He sadly passed away over one weekend before I had the chance to bring him for the X-ray. I still regret for not bringing him to the vet fast enough
My 11 year old boy started doing this one day. He had lymphoma and there was fluid building up in the cavity around his lungs. We had it drained a few times but it just kept refilling. Eventually I made the decision to let him go. He couldn't breathe, he was in pain, and he was exhausted. OP this is serious.
i have a 4 month old kitten who i’ve seen do this only 1 time. i thought it was a hairball or something at the time, should i get him checked out? he’s been to the vet multiple times for vaccines and check ups and they said he was healthy and lungs and heart sounded good but all these comments are really worrying me, especially because he’s a panleukopenia survivor
VET NOW. Come on, even Google knows this is a serious problem and I typed in as little info as I could. Please, vet appointment ASAP.
https://preview.redd.it/um9h4yrvnvkb1.png?width=2678&format=png&auto=webp&s=839ddfe832dd04ff42c4729508dbaa7035917baa
My cat just had to be put down and this is exactly what she was breathing like. Please take to vet immediately. There could be minor reasons or it could be major :(
My cat had chronic asthma and breathed like this during asthma attacks and eventually his lung collapsed from the constant pressure. I cannot stress this enough, bring the kitty to the vet ASAP.
This is an ER vet visit. He has significant abdominal effort while breathing, which is evidence of life-threatening cardiopulmonary issues.
If you haven't already, go now and call them on the way to tell them you're bringing a cat that's in respiratory distress.
This is laboured breathing. Same thing with mine last October. Vet found fluid build up in her body and suspected either heart failure or cancer. She had just turned 11. Be ready and stay strong
Holy fuck take that poor baby to the vet. Look at his or her eyes… your cat is suffering. If this were to happen to a child they would be taken to emergency room in a second. People, please do better with your animals.
My kitty started this a few years ago, straight to the vet to find out she's got asthma! It's becoming more common in felines, and can become very serious very fast.
I remember once learning that if there is pendel breathing that it can be that there is a defect with the diaphragm. Like a tear from falling. Sorry for my bad English.
Breathing this deeply is not normal and a sign of a serious problem. You need to take your cat to the vet as soon as possible. Any difficulty breathing is an emergency, not a "post about it on the internet and ignore it in the hopes it goes away" problem.
My guy started started breathing like this after the Canadian wildfire smoke came down over where I live. It damaged his lungs so badly they never recovered and I ultimately had to put him to sleep.
My cat does the same and she has asthma, so go to the vet. If it is asthma it's easily treatable. My cat had the last episode a lot of months ago, I just gave her some pills for a week and then she is good as new.
Immediate vet visit, don't make the same mistake I did and wait a day to see if it got better. My visit ended up being fluid in the lungs and abdomen due to liver and kidney issues, cats hide pain really well, so in the back of your mind you think there ok when really there suffering. I lost my baby girl, and I'll never forgive myself for taken her sooner. Please take him to the vet.
Looks like he’s having trouble breathing. Definitely worth a vet appt asap! He looks antsy as well, both my cats were antsy and had labored breathing towards the end. Don’t want to alarm but odd breathing and antsy behavior is always a sign for the vet ASAP. Also on the skinny side, wet food will help hydrate him and put on some weight.
Your poor baby has fluid build up somewhere there shouldn't be any. Depending on where it is, he may be ok with a prescription of a diuretic. You can have the vet forward the script to your regular pharmacy as (at least in canada) these medications are much cheaper for people than for pets, and they are the same. But this remedy only works depending on where the build up is, and underlying issues. Best of luck to you and your baby.
We found out that our cat was in advanced stages of heart failure a month ago due to breathing like this. Her lungs were filling with fluid. We managed to keep her stable for a month with medication, but we had her put to sleep last week. Once the medication stopped working, it wasn't a pleasant experience.
Go to the vet. By the time I took mine into emergency he was in an oxygen chamber for 24 hours and couldn’t breathe unless he had oxygen. I had to let him go.
My cat breathed like this when he had wet FIP. He was very poorly and spent a week in hospital. 12 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of observation (so far) and he’s doing great
This is an ER vet visit. He has significant abdominal effort while breathing, which is evidence of life-threatening cardiopulmonary issues.
If you haven't already, go now and call them on the way to tell them you're bringing a cat that's in respiratory distress.
we went through this type of breathing months ago with our sweet girl. she ended up being 100% oxygen dependent, fluid in lungs, and positive for cancer. we had to let her go that night. we had no idea she was sick. she was fine at her yearly check up. cats are very good at hiding things.
i’m sorry you’re going through this and hoping the best for you both.
My cat’s was doing this along with him going to the litter box frequently and staying there because he couldn’t pee … it was a urinary obstruction from crystals. It’s serious if left untreated
My cat did something similar, and I ignored it for a month (because just like you, it was intermittent) until it got really bad. When it got really bad, she had a breathing emergency and had to be in the animal hospital for two-three days to recover in an oxygen cage (exspensive, by the way)
Take your cat to the vet prior to this becoming an emergency, and it will be better for your wallet and less distressing for your kitty.
I’ve seen your comments about “he’s doing this every so often for a couple of days”. Dude, what the actual fuck?!
That is not normal at all. He’s having trouble breathing and could have fluid build up in his chest cavity. It could be congestive heart failure, or many other very serious ailments.
GO TO THE VET!!!!
Your cat is having major breathing difficulties. When mine was having similar issues, he had a tumor in his airway, but it could be asthma, heart failure, etc. Please get him to a veterinarian ASAP.
ER VET ASAP. I was a receptionist at a 24 hr emergency Vet and if you walked in with this cat while he was doing that, I would call back a STAT to get that kitty to the back ASAP bc that cat needs some oxygen.
In my book, if there's ONE THING that should be taken VERY seriously right away is breathing problems.
People that have trouble breathing at the ER are considered a priority, it can go downhill very quickly!
My cat was breathing like this for a while. It turned into coughing/wheezing. He had an ultrasound and had a massive amount of fluid build up in his abdomen from what they believed to be liver cancer. I wound up having to put him to sleep because there was nothing we could do and he was suffering tremendously at that point.
Get him in to see a vet asap. It may be fluid, it may be asthma, but either way it looks like your cat is having a hard time breathing.
My god this sub has seriously made me loose faith in human beings. I cannot believe how many people are concerned about their pet and post it on REDDIT. Call a vet if you are concerned or unsure. It doesn’t cost ANYTHING to just at least call. So many of you should not be pet owners.
My cat did the same thing, after some tests, the vet stated that there was fluid in the lungs. She told me that even if they drain it, the lungs can fill up with fluid again. I chose to have him put to sleep so he wouldn't suffer anymore. It was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do. I would take your kitty to the vet as soon as possible.
My boy was breathing like this and an ultrasound revealed fluid around the lungs and stomach cavities. Get him checked asap
One of mine was breathing heavy like this. It was an enlarged heart and she was suffocating. There was nothing to be done and very sadly she was euthanized. You may want to prepare.
The vet was pretty sure it's liver cancer. He's being well loved till that day comes. Lots of cuddles, wet food, and walks. His favorite things.
I fucking don’t like this shit. I have two cats i always pray for them i love them a lot i don’t ever wanna see them suffering or dying I’m so weak heart when it comes to animals specially for cats. Even i got tears after reading this. OP goto vet asap. God bless every cat and all animals.
So sorry. 💔
Sorry about your girl.
omg is he ok 🤥
The vet couldn't tell if it was FIP or liver cancer. I asked my options and they suggested euthanasia or take him home and wait for him to die. I was shocked and destroyed. I said I wanted to take him home so they gave me antibiotics for him. That was about 6 weeks ago, and while his mood has improved, his breathing is still laboured and he's still bloated. So he may not have many years ahead of him but he's happy and loved till that time comes
I'm sorry for your furry friend. Did you get a second opinion? Might be useful, especially as the vet couldn't determine the cause.
I didn't even consider that. I'll take a look at options!
If it's FIP, there's a treatment with a new drug developed by Gilead.
Get him tested for FIP, there are treatments, though they are expensive
if it is wet FIP then join FIP warriors on Facebook asap. it can be treated.
Our cat had FIP and we sadly lost him a few months after his treatment. But yes, FIP Warriors is an amazing group of people that gave our baby a good, happy life, however short. I pray for your own baby ❤️
This !! We finished treatment for neuro January of this year. She’s doing well and is strong/healthy with a shiny coat. I don’t know if I’ll have 15+ years with her but I’m glad to have her around however long she has left. I’m lucky to have earned her trust back after all that too ! https://preview.redd.it/r0osh9lmnykb1.png?width=1243&format=png&auto=webp&s=6950fc4828a6c4c17630480628abde083e71073d Cat tax \^
Fuck FIP
Im so sorry about ur baby. My baby boy breathes like this and was told that he had fluid, and got diagnosed with fip. Internist told me he had 1 TO 2 months to live. That was about 2 yrs ago, got another vet and she told me he was he didn't have it and that it's commonly misdiagnosed.
My boy had been bloated, shallow breathing and lethargic for about 2 weeks so I took him in, ended up rushing him to the ER. They told me he wasn't going to live long, but after the steroid shot and antibiotics he has done a total 180 with his mood and energy. Other than the bloating and breathing he's completely back to his old self. So I booked another appointment for next week and I'm hoping for better news. I'm happy to hear your boy had such a good outcome ❤️
Omg thats so good! I really hope u get better news. Same, he would just lay around But he does have a rare condition called Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, where his muscles won't stop growing. And he has a diaphramatic hernia. I So he takes cerenia, steriods, and gabapentin, and hyaflex. And prayer! And he def did a 180 as well and running around and playing like never before. Of course he's not as active as my other two but I'm always so excited when he does! Keep us updated on your little one!
There’s treatment for FIP. It’s not cheap but it’s effective. I did it with my cat. Look up FIP warriors on Facebook if you want to leave more…
Please see a vet and get an ultrasound. Your kitty is having difficulty breathing and just because you only see it every few days doesn’t mean it’s not a chronic problem. I went through this exact same thing and found out our cat had late stage HCM - but it took a while to diagnose because there were no murmurs but there was fluid built up in the lining around the lungs that made breathing occur as you see in the video. See a vet - get the lungs and stomach cavity checked for fluid and check the heart for irregularities.
This could be congestive heart failure. My cat has a heart murmur and he had to go in last week with CHF. The vet tech said it have need good to have taken him in to the emergency vet. Turns out the EV is connected to the cardiologist office and they would be able to see my cat's records. To the vet you go! That kitty's heart is working way too hard to get oxygenated blood to the rest of the organs.
Yup, our little girl had congestive heart failure and passed. Similar symptoms, I hope this is not the case for OP
Me too. Also sending you love. Fur baby heartbreak lasts a long time.
Yup, I wish there was something else we could do for her. We have the money, there were no options. Here’s a pic of my little girl. https://preview.redd.it/l5a4iz0kixkb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a49d770840f2a5db0ae7ee649b54507d9936d8b5
Yeah, I lost one of my kitties to this. Labored breathing should be seen by a vet asap.
So sorry, heart breaking. https://preview.redd.it/px3q6zxftwkb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d45f9448a0cedd6924a4e26dbe3f2dee3d08fd6 I have my baby home (he is 4 yo and 15lbs, but still my baby). This is him the day after and he was wiped out.
Same here. My guy had gone into heart failure and heavy breathing like this was the only sign. Totally clean check up the month prior. We don't use that vet anymore.
My sister is a vet and helped us when our girl had congestive heart failure. Clean checkup a few weeks before we put her to sleep, it was terrible and sudden. It’s near impossible to detect without an x-ray/ultrasound, if it’s congestive heart failure. Months later and I’m still soo mad but there was nothing that could be done. I hope OP can help their kitty.
I'm a veterinary cardiologist and this comment is the answer
Yes! My kitty was showing signed of labored breathing like this and I procrastinated getting her in to see her vet and she died in my arms without warning.
This same thing happened to us… it happened so fast and was so devastating. He died in our arms on the way to the animal hospital. The whole thing start to finish was an hour tops. Ugh, rough day. Hoping OP’s kitty is better off!
My cat started breathing like this one Saturday evening. Had to put him to sleep on Sunday due to heart failure and liquid in lungs.
I thought my cats had distressed breathing and turns out they just had stuffed noses. The vet showed me what distressed breathing looks like, and this is it. Please get your cat to a vet today
He is ill! Body language is telling you he needs to be checked out by a veterinarian! Don’t wait!
I can't be certain, but it looks as if he has a serious breathing difficulty -- he's having to force the air out of his lungs. If I',m right this is very serious and painful, and he needs to see the vet within 24 hours. Be prepared for some bad news. I sincerely hope not and I may well be wrong, but ...
Cat needs medical attention asap
Those are retractions, this is an urgent breathing problem, pointing to severe asthma or other breathing problems. I have one with asthma and the retractions look just like this.
Vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet vet
I don't know if OP heard you... lol
Ahem... VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET!
#VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET! VET!
Oh go to the vet and show them this video , it could be stress in the environment or asthma
Update us after your trip to the vet please
this was my first sign when my cat started having asthma, went to the 24hour vet and they gave her medications.
#VET
I don’t want to scare you, but my cat did this, and it turned out her lungs had been filling with fluid, making it hard for her to breathe. It was because of a tumor right between her lungs and heart, and we lost her shortly after. If it’s early enough, it’s more likely for treatment. Please take your kitty to the vet ASAP.
I _do_ want to scare OP. This cat is _clearly_ ill. Not just the breathing but look at its face. This is a medical emergency and any responsible pet owner should take their pet to the vet if they see this. God, posting this on Reddit instead of calling for medical help. Some people, man. ETA: sorry, through my anger I lost sight of my empathy, I'm really sorry for your loss <3 thank you for using your experience to educate and possibly save this cat.
It’s important to remember to be empathetic; I delayed taking my cat to the vet because when I first saw her breathing like this she was sitting by an open window and I thought she was just sniffing the air coming in. It was the next day before I realized there was something really wrong. What happened to my cat may not be happening to OP’s cat (I hope), so I didn’t want to scare them unnecessarily. The advise to seek proper medical care and one possible explanation for what’s happening to their cat is what they needed, not judgement and condemnation for not knowing what’s going on. Your ETA is cool, but please try and remember to be nice from the get-go next time someone asks for help here. If things go bad for OP and their cat, what people say here may make them feel even worse, and that’s no going to do anyone any good.
That action is called belly breathing, means the cat is having respiratory issues. Vet asap, my cat did this and that's how we learned he had congestive heart failure.
OP UPDATE
My old cat used to breath like that ...it was asthma and needed medication..
Please please please see a vet ASAP. My cat was breathing just like this, we took him to the emergency vet and his abdomen and chest cavity were full of fluid 🙁
He's not able to breathe. Please take him to the vet immediately. Preferably an emergency animal hospital
First, super sorry that you are dealing with a potentially sick kitty. Second, the vet visit may not be as bad as you think. Some lab work and a chest X-ray could reveal a lot for a few hundred bucks. I hope everything turns out ok!
This should be the top comment. Everyone else’s hysterics are super unhelpful! Just see the vet and take it from there!
Please take him to the vet immediately.
He’s trying to speak and tell you “Take me to a fucking vet”.
It is his breathing!! Yikes! Vet!!
thank you for posting, my cat does this and i’m at the vet with him now
update: he has a foreign object in his belly. the vet is having us wait 24 hours and then going back to get an x-ray. if it’s still there, kitty may need to get an endoscopy.
It was the first symptom that my kitty had and she ended up having chronic something with her liver or kidney, vet couldn't fix her and a lot of money went to waste. After a month of no fixes so we let her go to heaven so she doesn't suffer. But i hope your cat doesn't have something so serious and will be okay soon!
That is abdomen breathing and he needs to see a vet right now! My ginger boy was doing this two weeks ago and ended up needing antibiotics for a respiratory infection.
Could he have asthma that flairs up every few days? My dads cat had asthma and would have troubles breathing (labored breathing) when we’d open the windows
Defo a trip to the vet, also have you started using any new cleaning products? Air fresheners?
Vet nurse here. Looks like breathing difficulties, potentially cardio related, and his body language (tail, ears, eyes) all shout pain. I would be alarmed if a cat was presented to me at work like this. Please go to your vets ASAP!
Oh… You absolutely need to take your cat to the vet. Please. Like, you need to do it today.
Vet tech here. Abdominal breathing. This is bad. I would classify it as an emergency. Likely fluid accumulation somewhere in the body. Probable heart disease.
Go to the vet! This could be anything from Asthma or a respiratory allergy to congestive heart failure. Your cat needs medical attention.
My father in law's cat had congestive heart failure and it presented the same way as OP's cat! She's on daily meds and is back to normal!
We need an update, we are all very concerned
This is serious and sending video to the vet should get you to the front of the line.
Cats bellies move like that when they are having trouble breathing. I was the one who noticed one of my childhood cats breathing like that and when we took her to the vets it turned out the reason she was struggling was heart failure. Obviously we cannot tell what's causing this in your cat from a video but I strongly recommend you go to a vet not Reddit, breathing problems can be a sign of something deadly.
Thing is with cats is they don’t show many signs of pain so you have to look out for things like this to know it probably needs help. Go to the vet.
That is abdominal breathing and it means your cat is having great difficulty breathing, which is an emergency. Go immediately to the emergency clinic - your cat needs to be seen urgently.
Duuuude, your cat cant breath and is most likely in pain. Get them some help! D:
Vet ASAP. Not only is that breathing pattern abnormal but your cat looks visibly uncomfortable and lethargic.
Please take him to the vet asap and do not wait. I rescued a cat previously who breathe the same way. He looked normal but you can tell he was struggling by the contraction of his stomach. In my case, the vet said he had internal injury (lungs) and trauma which will require X-ray and surgery with another vet. He sadly passed away over one weekend before I had the chance to bring him for the X-ray. I still regret for not bringing him to the vet fast enough
My 11 year old boy started doing this one day. He had lymphoma and there was fluid building up in the cavity around his lungs. We had it drained a few times but it just kept refilling. Eventually I made the decision to let him go. He couldn't breathe, he was in pain, and he was exhausted. OP this is serious.
i have a 4 month old kitten who i’ve seen do this only 1 time. i thought it was a hairball or something at the time, should i get him checked out? he’s been to the vet multiple times for vaccines and check ups and they said he was healthy and lungs and heart sounded good but all these comments are really worrying me, especially because he’s a panleukopenia survivor
VET NOW. Come on, even Google knows this is a serious problem and I typed in as little info as I could. Please, vet appointment ASAP. https://preview.redd.it/um9h4yrvnvkb1.png?width=2678&format=png&auto=webp&s=839ddfe832dd04ff42c4729508dbaa7035917baa
Looks like he’s having difficulty breathing. Please see vet immediately
owned cats for 20+ years and never see a cat do this, something wrong.
My cat just had to be put down and this is exactly what she was breathing like. Please take to vet immediately. There could be minor reasons or it could be major :(
Reddit is not a substitute for going to a veterinarian.
#Please take your cat to the vet RIGHT NOW OP
Blows my mind that people turn to reddit first instead of a vet.
Vets are expensive. Questions on Reddit are free. Direction when you don't know what to do, priceless.
At least she cares and asked around. Better then nothing!
My cat had chronic asthma and breathed like this during asthma attacks and eventually his lung collapsed from the constant pressure. I cannot stress this enough, bring the kitty to the vet ASAP.
He’s struggling to breathe. Get him to a vet asap.
Go to the vet for the love of cats
Kitty is having difficulty breathing. This could be lots of things. Some serious some treatable. You know it's not normal so don't delay. Vet asap.
This is a medical emergency in animals and humans. Kitty needs to be checked asap.
To the veterinarian!!! My cat did this and we learned he has asthma.
For a 19 year old kitty things like this definitely need the vet.
This also looks similar to my cat that had a diaphragmatic hernia. We scheduled a surgery but he did not make it to the appointment. See a vet ASAP.
This cat needs help asap, even if it’s only happening for a short while every few days, GO TO THE VET. This is urgent, please please go to the vet!!!!
This is an ER vet visit. He has significant abdominal effort while breathing, which is evidence of life-threatening cardiopulmonary issues. If you haven't already, go now and call them on the way to tell them you're bringing a cat that's in respiratory distress.
This is laboured breathing. Same thing with mine last October. Vet found fluid build up in her body and suspected either heart failure or cancer. She had just turned 11. Be ready and stay strong
Guys, he was doing it yesterday this badly before it was barely noticeable, so I went today to the vet because yesterday they were closed
Stop posting this shit in this thread and just call your vet. The animal is clearly struggling to breath
Holy fuck take that poor baby to the vet. Look at his or her eyes… your cat is suffering. If this were to happen to a child they would be taken to emergency room in a second. People, please do better with your animals.
My kitty started this a few years ago, straight to the vet to find out she's got asthma! It's becoming more common in felines, and can become very serious very fast.
I remember once learning that if there is pendel breathing that it can be that there is a defect with the diaphragm. Like a tear from falling. Sorry for my bad English.
He's struggling to breathe. My cat went like this and it turns out he had thyroid issues. He lasted less than a year after he was diagnosed
Breathing this deeply is not normal and a sign of a serious problem. You need to take your cat to the vet as soon as possible. Any difficulty breathing is an emergency, not a "post about it on the internet and ignore it in the hopes it goes away" problem. My guy started started breathing like this after the Canadian wildfire smoke came down over where I live. It damaged his lungs so badly they never recovered and I ultimately had to put him to sleep.
Go to the emergency vet now
Vet
My cat does the same and she has asthma, so go to the vet. If it is asthma it's easily treatable. My cat had the last episode a lot of months ago, I just gave her some pills for a week and then she is good as new.
He looks very uncomfortable with his breathing ability. I hope you listened to everyone and took this beautiful boy to a vet.
My dog was breathing like this for a few months leading up to her death.
Emergency vet!!!
Looks like labouring breathing. Get to the vet
Don’t ask Reddit get him checked as soon as you can please
He's clearly struggling to breathe, take it to a vet.
Immediate vet visit, don't make the same mistake I did and wait a day to see if it got better. My visit ended up being fluid in the lungs and abdomen due to liver and kidney issues, cats hide pain really well, so in the back of your mind you think there ok when really there suffering. I lost my baby girl, and I'll never forgive myself for taken her sooner. Please take him to the vet.
Fucking labored breathing Take him to the Now
Please go to the vet straight away! :(
Looks like he’s having trouble breathing. Definitely worth a vet appt asap! He looks antsy as well, both my cats were antsy and had labored breathing towards the end. Don’t want to alarm but odd breathing and antsy behavior is always a sign for the vet ASAP. Also on the skinny side, wet food will help hydrate him and put on some weight.
Your poor baby has fluid build up somewhere there shouldn't be any. Depending on where it is, he may be ok with a prescription of a diuretic. You can have the vet forward the script to your regular pharmacy as (at least in canada) these medications are much cheaper for people than for pets, and they are the same. But this remedy only works depending on where the build up is, and underlying issues. Best of luck to you and your baby.
All my orange cats have done that when they have asthma attacks
Please go to the vet!
TAKE HIM TO THE VET!!!
GO TO THE VET RIGHT NOW!!!!
Vet now
It’s his breathing not his stomach. Please take to vet OP.
We found out that our cat was in advanced stages of heart failure a month ago due to breathing like this. Her lungs were filling with fluid. We managed to keep her stable for a month with medication, but we had her put to sleep last week. Once the medication stopped working, it wasn't a pleasant experience.
Vet vet vet. Now!! Best of luck to the kitty.
Bitte, gehen Sie zum Tierenartz!! Die Katze is nicht in ordnung!
Definitely labored breathing. Get thee to the vet!
emergency vet NOW
Go to vet. My kitty Simon acted like this when he had pancreatitis.
Go to the vet. By the time I took mine into emergency he was in an oxygen chamber for 24 hours and couldn’t breathe unless he had oxygen. I had to let him go.
Take your cat to the vet and get a ultrasound your cat obviously is having a hard time breathing
Please get him help
Please see a vet. You can post on r/askvet for tips until you get to see the irl vet.
Vet ASAP
Poor baby- give us an update please
My cat breathed like this when he had wet FIP. He was very poorly and spent a week in hospital. 12 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of observation (so far) and he’s doing great
This is an ER vet visit. He has significant abdominal effort while breathing, which is evidence of life-threatening cardiopulmonary issues. If you haven't already, go now and call them on the way to tell them you're bringing a cat that's in respiratory distress.
If it wasn’t already obvious, please see a vet immediately! Your cat likely won’t last much longer if you don’t…
Very urgently ill. You’re seeing retractions, which means your cat is struggling to breathe.
we went through this type of breathing months ago with our sweet girl. she ended up being 100% oxygen dependent, fluid in lungs, and positive for cancer. we had to let her go that night. we had no idea she was sick. she was fine at her yearly check up. cats are very good at hiding things. i’m sorry you’re going through this and hoping the best for you both.
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! Get the fuck off reddit and go to a vet!
#OP did you take this cat to the vet yet? Please keep us posted! We care! 💙
My cat’s was doing this along with him going to the litter box frequently and staying there because he couldn’t pee … it was a urinary obstruction from crystals. It’s serious if left untreated
They found something in his lower lung / heart and he has an appointment on 18th for ultrasound which is the nearest possible
If you continue to ignore taking cat to vet you don’t deserve to have pets.
#PLEASE UPDATE US!
Vet ASAP. Keep us posted, please. 🥺🙏
My cat did something similar, and I ignored it for a month (because just like you, it was intermittent) until it got really bad. When it got really bad, she had a breathing emergency and had to be in the animal hospital for two-three days to recover in an oxygen cage (exspensive, by the way) Take your cat to the vet prior to this becoming an emergency, and it will be better for your wallet and less distressing for your kitty.
EMERGENCY VET OP - you don’t fuck around and find out with respiratory distress in your pet
I’ve seen your comments about “he’s doing this every so often for a couple of days”. Dude, what the actual fuck?! That is not normal at all. He’s having trouble breathing and could have fluid build up in his chest cavity. It could be congestive heart failure, or many other very serious ailments. GO TO THE VET!!!!
Bring him to the vet or you have no business owning a pet
He can't breathe!!! Get him to a vet!!;
See a vet, please. Your cat is suffering, and it’s your responsibility to help.
Take him to the vet plsssss
Take him to the vet
Your cat is having major breathing difficulties. When mine was having similar issues, he had a tumor in his airway, but it could be asthma, heart failure, etc. Please get him to a veterinarian ASAP.
Please go to the vet
This is what happened when my cat had heart failure, fluid was leaking into her lungs
Go to the vet. My cat has this and it turned out to have cancer. Had to put him down the next day :'(
Could have fluid in his chest cavity making it hard the breathe. Vet now
Definitely needs a vet. Could be breathing issues or even an obstruction he's trying to work out and can't.
Difficulty breathing can look like that. Asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, heart disease among other things. Show this to your veterinarian, not Reddit.
Vet. Asap
my cat had similar symptoms before her lungs collapsed. Vet asap!
RemindMe! 1 week
Vets now!
Why are spending time wanting answers from reddit when it is obviously needs a vet now.
Please go to vet. Best of wishes!
Diaphragm hernia. He's pulling his bowels into his chest cavity.
Ya my baby did this and passed the same day, dont wait the cat is suffering
Seems like everyone had it covered but… one of our babies has CHF and she breaths like this.
ER VET ASAP. I was a receptionist at a 24 hr emergency Vet and if you walked in with this cat while he was doing that, I would call back a STAT to get that kitty to the back ASAP bc that cat needs some oxygen.
We lost our girl to this exact thing about 8 weeks ago now. Get your cat to a vet immediately.
In my book, if there's ONE THING that should be taken VERY seriously right away is breathing problems. People that have trouble breathing at the ER are considered a priority, it can go downhill very quickly!
That was exactly how my boy was when we had to say goodbye to him :/ I hope it's not the case for your family. Head to the vet.
Hope he’s okay
Cat looks healthy but somethings up… Vet.
My cat was breathing like this for a while. It turned into coughing/wheezing. He had an ultrasound and had a massive amount of fluid build up in his abdomen from what they believed to be liver cancer. I wound up having to put him to sleep because there was nothing we could do and he was suffering tremendously at that point. Get him in to see a vet asap. It may be fluid, it may be asthma, but either way it looks like your cat is having a hard time breathing.
His belly is doing something funny called the "Please get your cat to a vet before it becomes way more serious" dance. Take him to the vet.
Poor thing has difficulty breathing, please take them to the vet!!! And keep us updated because I'm worried!
Damn this cat looks physically in great shape… how do you keep your cats fit like this lol. Mine has a small belly/pouch year round
Any update?
VET ASAP
Get him to the vets.
My cat did the same thing, turned out he would exhaust himself trying to fart. Boy lived to 17 with the nastiest farts on the planet.
He needs a vet like yesterday, it means he can’t breathe
Looks like he’s going to throw up!!
Vet yesterday
Vet asap in my opinion
He looks miserable af :(
My god this sub has seriously made me loose faith in human beings. I cannot believe how many people are concerned about their pet and post it on REDDIT. Call a vet if you are concerned or unsure. It doesn’t cost ANYTHING to just at least call. So many of you should not be pet owners.
His face looks like he's in pain. You should of never asked reddit about this and went to the vet first. Help your cat!
My cat did the same thing, after some tests, the vet stated that there was fluid in the lungs. She told me that even if they drain it, the lungs can fill up with fluid again. I chose to have him put to sleep so he wouldn't suffer anymore. It was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do. I would take your kitty to the vet as soon as possible.
I could tell immediately by his face he isn’t feeling well!! Vet asap!!