Rapid breathing in cat

[SallyWD]

I do have a vets appointment booked but just wondered if anyone's cat has had similar symptoms. My cat's been quite subdued lately. He's still eating but small amounts. He's always had a very small appetite but I think he's lost a bit of weight.
He's not as lively as usual and is less vocal. He doesn't appear to be very ill but is definitely quieter than usual.
He's breathing quite rapidly. I read that cat's should take 15-30 breaths per minute whereas he's taking about 60 breaths per minute, even when resting or asleep.
If your cat went through this, what was the cause and how were they treated?

This sounds like it could be a heart condition - I would be taking him to the emergency vets if he were my cat.

Yes I'm sorry to say when my cat was rapid breathing it was a heart condition ☹️

Thanks both for replying. We're going to the vets this morning. Is there any treatment for these sorts of heart conditions?

Rapid breathing can be a sign of pain in a cat.

It depends on the severity - some will just require monitoring, others may need medication. I expect one showing such significant symptoms will require treatment though.

This was the only symptom when my cat had FIP (the wet version that casues pleural fluid). It's very treatable nowadays with antivirals, but if you google it you won't necessarily get that impression as it was 100% fatal until about 3 years ago. Because the treatment is so new some vets are a bit behind in their knowledge, but there is an excellent Facebook group FIP Global cats (UK and Ireland).

The other diagnosis they were considering when he represented with these symptoms was cardiomyopathy, like others have said.

Thank you, I hadn't heard of FIP. I do hope your cat recovered. These comments are naming me worried but then I was worried anyway. Anxious for our appointment.

Yes I wondered if it could be pain related.

Hope it all goes well for you at the vets 🩷

My cat did this when he had pulmonary embolism. He was put into an oxygen tent and then we let him go. I hope the outcome is better for your kitty.

Thank you. I'll update.

Do hope you managed to get him seen and all is okay. Our cat had rapid breathing and initially the vet thought it was a sign of discomfort/ nausea, but then they suspected heart issues - perhaps fluid around his heart. He was very elderly and had kidney disease which had worsened too so sadly it was kindest to put him to sleep. Had he been younger and in better general condition they would have done a heart scan and potentially drained the fluid.

My cat was eating a lot less. Took her in, her heart was going much too fast. She was always stressed going in the car and to the vet so thought it was just that. She was on oxygen all day but every time she as taken out of the oxygen tent or take bloods etc she collapsed. I hope is not the same scenario for yours but I had to let her go and it was discovered she had a massive tumour that had come on really fast. She'd only had five days of eating less and hardly any sign of breathing issues. I tell you this to be prepared. Not to scare you. All the best.

Two of my male cats had this. Turned out he had heart failure. I took him in to have it drained but he only lasted a few weeks more sadly.
There was no smoking in our house, it was just one of those things.

This was how my cat was just before he died, he had a heart condition from birth was fine for years, in the last couple he was on meds but fine and then suddenly the breathing started, took him to the vets the next day and we didn't bring him home. Fingers crossed for you OP

Rapid breathing could be a few things, eg heart problems, masking pain, , stress, pneumonia.

hope you got positive news at the vet x

Many thanks for sharing all your stories. I'm sorry to hear that many of you have been through this.
My cat was hospitalised yesterday and is still undergoing tests. They initially thought it was heart problems but that seems less likely following a scan. They're now thinking it could be an infection but I'm yet to have this confirmed. He has a lot of fluid in his lungs. Waiting to hear the results of the blood tests.

Having been through this exact thing in October, I know how stressful and upsetting it is, but he is in the right place. Please mention FIP in case you're with a vet who is not so familiar with it and how treatable it is. There is no definitive test to diagnose it (it is a mutation of coronavirus, which 80% of cats carry and show no symptoms), but straw coloured liquid in the chest and abdomen is an indicator. The recommendation is to start the antiviral medication right away rather than waste time dismissing other potential causes, as it is harmless if it isn't FIP. Is he a pedigree by the way? FIP seems to be more common in pedigree cats. My kitten was in the hospital for 4 days, but better within 48 hours of the antivirals, the fluid had reabsorbed and his temp returned to normal. He has just finished his medication (a 12 week course!), and you would have no idea he was ever sick.

I'm so glad your cat has made a full recovery. That's wonderful. I'll mention FIP today in case they havebt thought of it. My cat's not a pedigree.

My old cat did that when she had pneumonia, once that cleared up she was back to normal.

Thank you, pneumonia was mentioned but not confirmed. I do hope it's something temporary like that.