My flat-faced cat snores, tears, and begs. Is her weight a factor?

Question

Hello, I have a few questions regarding my 4-year-old adopted cat. 1) She has a flat face and i've noticed she will snore followed by loud deep breaths every 5 minutes when asleep. Should I worry? 2) She tears a lot, which leads to black discharge which I clean out, again should I be worried? 3) She was overweight when I adopted her (13 pounds) and begs non stop whenever I go into the kitchen. Any tips on limiting the begging and also if being overweight is causing her snoring/raspy breathing? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 13 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Hi and thank you for posting your questions in Pet Coach! I'd be glad to help you. Whiskey is simply beautiful :-) 1. Flat faced cats can snore due to the confirmation of their face. They have a shorter nasal passage than other cats. This shortness of their muzzle and palate causes the necessary obstruction that makes the sound. I have a Persian with an extremely flat face, and he snores when he sleeps. This can be normal, but at the same time, could be caused by a partial obstruction in the upper nasal passageway. If you notice this loud breathing when she is awake, have her checked out by a vet. 2. Again, the flatter face commonly leads to excess tear discharge. My Persian also has these problems, and I clean his face daily. I recommend doing the same with Whiskey. If you notice the discharge increases, it becomes green or yellow, and/or her eyes become red and watery, these can be signs of an eye infection and I would have her checked out by a vet. 3. Being overweight can contribute to her snoring and make it worse, but due to her face structure, she likely will still snore even when she has lost weight. It just may not be as bad with the weight off. Begging can be very annoying, so I recommend feeding her a couple of times a day. Divide her daily food allotment into two to three equal meals, and space the feedings out throughout the day. You can also put her on a weight control diet which is higher in fiber and would help her feel full longer. There are weight control diets that can be prescribed by the vet, so make an appointment to discuss using one with her. I'd also recommend having a blood test and urinalysis done as well just to rule out a medical cause for her being so hungry. Diseases like diabetes and hyperthyroidism can lead to an increased appetite, so it's good to rule those out. I hope this helps! Enjoy your gorgeous girl!

My flat-faced cat snores, tears, and begs. Is her weight a factor?

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