Cats breathing is erratic?

Question

This is my roommates cat and I don't want to say anything to her that would freak her out b/c she loves her kitty so much. But Ive noticed that the cat every once and a while will breath extremly fast. I counted 50 breaths in 30 seconds just a few minutes ago. and then poof, like nothing happened, his breathing slows down back to normal. all though i don't even know if its normal it seems to slow down to a rate a little less than normal. but he seems fine. he's playing and eating fine. he seems to be pooping okay but its hard to tell w/ the clumping litter they use. he is an indoor cat and about 3 weeks ago he escaped. when he came back home he did have fleas, and i worry if he caught something else. any ideas? am i just overly concerned? any advice would be greatly appreciated. he really seems fine except for the occasional extreme breathing. i've only lived with this kitty for 3 weeks so i don't know if this is something he always does. He's only 5 years old. im just so unsure. i had a cat pass away from a terrible heart condition and she had great difficulty breathing, so i don't know if im just being hypersensitive or not.

thank for you help

Answer 1

i would guess normal, and anyone who is counting the breaths of a cat she has only known for 3 weeks, needs to find a hobby.

point out the breathing to your roommate, tell her you dont know much about cats and ask if he is ok.

if she has not noticed it before, suggest at least calling the vet and ask.

when a cat hears a noise, they listen, sniff, look. they try to determine if it is a mouse. breathing will increase to get ready for the hunt.

if breathing increases while the cat is relaxing, i would be concerned.

Answer 2

Hard to say if it is just this cat normal breathing or something else. I would rule out asthma as it normalizes to quickly, but a heart issue would be something to rule out by a vet. I would just say to your roommate that you noticed that her cats respiratory rate seems a little erratic to you and ask her if it is normal for her cat. She should know if it is normal behavior or not, either way you will feel better and your roommate will know you care about her pet.  

Answer 3

if the cat is asleep when this happens its dreaming so stop worrying

Answer 4

Honestly, I wouldnt even wait for the thinking music to decide if you should take him to the vet or not.

Just go, could be respitory. It would be better to find out asap. What's worse, worring about your friend stressing about it or a (possibly) ill cat?

Answer 5

Furrball i think.. its causing congestion in the respiratory track...

or what ever it is.. he should be brought to the vet... just to make sure

Answer 6

My cats have done this before.  Though sometimes its a normal activity after exercise, lying in the sun or sleeping.  You should take your friends cat to the vet just in case there may be a respiratory problem, but this is not very likely from the sounds of it.  I used to wake up to my cat doing this same breathing style, and it worried me too.  I took him to the vet and it all checked out ok, but you should really alert your roomy to this behavior and ask if it is normal or a new action.

One thing, if it is a normal thing for your roomy to see in their cat, a vet check is still a must, since it may even be a long term condition if it is extremely erratic and sounds bad.