Why is my cat breathing heavily, sluggish, and sleeping a lot?

Good for you for noticing that Simba is breathing more heavily than normal! This is a fairly subtle symptom that many cat owners don't notice until the problem is severe. Increased respiratory effort like this is not normal, and definitely warrants a vet visit. Some possible causes could include heart disease, a severe respiratory infection, fluid in the chest, or even lung cancer. Your veterinarian can listen to Simba's heart and lungs, and may also take chest x-rays to help diagnose the problem. Many of these issues are treatable once a diagnosis is made, so it's definitely worth trying to determine what's wrong before things get worse.

No, I recommend to have Harlem examined immediately. This could be an emergency situation. When pets suddenly develop a change in their breathing pattern, they need to be examined immediately. This is especially true for cats who can hide signs of heart disease and not have any murmurs or other clues on physical examine. Other causes include infection, asthma or fluid in the lungs. Have him examined right away. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If he is breathing heavy then he should be examined by a vet for a work-up. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate his heart and lungs to look for abnormalities that would cause him to breathe heavy. He could have an infection, heart disease, asthma, trauma from being outside, etc.

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.

Your cat sounds critically ill and should be seen by a vet ASAP. Open-mouth breathing is always an emergency in cats - it is a sign of respiratory distress. It is difficult to say what the cause is without doing some testing, but possibilities include cancer, pneumonia, asthma, or heart failure.

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!

Poor Gizmo! It is possible that he is suffering from a respiratory infection, cardiac disease, or even cancer if he's wheezing and seems short of breath. If this continues, I would have him seen by a vet immediately, as he could go into respiratory distress. Otherwise, I would have him seen by a vet on Monday for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, urinalysis, and x-rays. With these tests, the vet can determine if there is a medical illness causing his symptoms and can discuss treatment options with you.