My cat is breathing heavy but seems fine. Does he need a vet?

Question

My cat is 10 years old and stays indoor 99% of time, he only strays to the garden if he goes out. He seems ok, eating and going to the toilet as normal but you can see him breathing heavy. Not at the mouth but his lungs seem to be making exaggerated movements for about a week. He doesn't seem in any distress or anything, still playing etc as normal. What could this be and do I need to take him to a vet? He is almost impossible to get into a cat carrier so don't want to distress him uneccesa. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

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.

My cat is breathing heavy but seems fine. Does he need a vet?

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