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My cat has noisy hiccups for days & struggles to breathe. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 5 years and 11 months old | 8.5 lbs

My cat has been hiccuping for the past 3-4 days, it starts randomly, not after eating. We feed her in spaced out portions the recommended amount of food per day for her weight, to avoid overeating or eating too fast. The hiccups are very noisy and it seems like she has trouble catching her breath after the hiccup, and even trouble swallowing. The hiccups last for about two minutes but they happen multiple times a day. Is there something to be worried about?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 22nd, 2017

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! If feeding smaller portions and more frequent meals has not helped, this could potentially be a hairball problem. I would recommend a product such as Laxatone and give this 3-5 days of treatment to see if there is a difference. Sometimes, stress or anxiety can lead to hiccups, so using a product such as Feliway (which you can find online or at your local pet store) can sometimes help and put an end to the hiccups. If the hiccups are still there after trying these methods or they become more distressing for Jicky, I would recommend taking her in to be seen by a veterinarian for an examination so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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