My cat suddenly crouches, pulls tail, and has ragged breathing. Why?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Heavy breathing is certainly abnormal in cats. It can be seen with conditions like asthma, heart disease, bronchitis, pneumonia, among other possibilities. This is usually concerning in cats and warrants a visit to a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and possible treatment. They will likely going to perform thoracic radiographs, among other diagnostics dependent on the results obtained. Treatment would be dependent on the findings. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jute Paw! If Jute Paw is breathing rapidly she needs to see a Vet today on Emergency. Causes of trouble breathing are: feline asthma, congestive heart failure, cancer, fever. She may be producing excessive tears secondary to a viral infection. The head twitching could be from dehydration, low blood pressure, a seizure or low blood sugar. Based on your description of Jute Paw, I recommend immediate veterinary care today. I hope this helps and I wish you and Jute Paw the very best!

I am sorry to hear that Mochi isn’t feeling well. Abnormal or difficulty in breathing can be a life threatening situation. Cats especially do not tolerate respiratory difficulties well and they will tend to become critical quickly. Pneumonia, feline asthma, heart disease, heartworm, and cancer are all common causes of respiratory problems in cats. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by a veterinarian immediately. A chest x-ray will likely be recommended to help determine the diagnosis and best treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Mimi's increased breathing rate is a concern to me as this can indicate more serious respiratory disease like pneumonia or heart disease. I'd recommend bringing Mimi back to your veterinarian so she can have X-rays taken to ensure she does not have a serious issue with her lungs or heart. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Mimi recovers quickly!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is considered very abnormal in a cat. Abnormal breathing in a cat can occur from conditions such as pneumonia, heart failure, asthma, bronchitis, among other possibilities. If her pulse (not respiratory rate) really is 70 bpm as you pointed out that is very abnormal for a cat and at the same time even if it was her respiratory rate it would also be abnormal. For that reason, I highly recommend that you have Marciella evaluated by your local emergency clinic or your veterinarian if open as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics include chest radiographs. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck!

It's possible Mineva has something ongoing such as a respiratory infection, kitty asthma, a heart or lung issue, etc so it is good you are bringing her to your vet as soon as you can. In the meantime, keeping her nose and eyes clear of any debris can help make breathing easier, as well as limiting her activity if moving and playing causes an episode. Making sure she is still eating and drinking is also a good idea. If she becomes very painful, has trouble breathing and is in distress, or her gums become very pale or blue, this is a sign the issue is more serious and should be seen by an ER vet or your vet sooner.

This presentation may be due to a respiratory or cardiac problem. Sudden onset is usually compatible either with feline asthma or a cardiac issue. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!