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

Question

I have spotted Meemi do this weird thing twice now. She just crunches into a ball like position, pulling her tail towards her and crouches down, and she’ll do this breathing thing, where she’ll take these ragged deep breaths for a few seconds. And it’s totally out of the blue too, like the second time I spotted her she was just laying down looking totally normal. I just wanted to know why this is happening. Thanks. Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Female | unspayed

Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH · Accepted Answer

Hi there and thanks for posting! Sounds like Meemi may be experiencing some breathing trouble. Any changes in breathing patterns or breathing effort are concerning and may indicate a lung or heart problem. Respiratory infections, feline asthma, lung tumors, or heart failure could be potential causes that will need to be explored with her veterinarian very soon, especially if it continues to occur. Her veterinarian may recommend taking x-rays of the chest in order to help determine a diagnosis. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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

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