My cat gained weight and is wheezing. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years and 8 months old | 9 lbs
She has gained weight noticeably this past winter. Wheezing like shes trying to cough something up
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 24th, 2019
The weight gain is somewhat of a vague sign, but I am worried when I hear of a cat "wheezing", as it suggests feline asthma, which is a fairly common malady and often presents itself as you are describing. I would consider this to be a fairly urgent matter and would get her into the vet for a thorough physical exam and chest x-rays as soon as possible; asthma can cause serious breathing compromise if not diagnosed and treated.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on April 8th, 2017
Wheezing and gasping for breath are certainly not "normal" findings, even if they only occur during times of stress or excitement. Definitely mention this to Felix's vet again because this could indicate the presence of feline asthma. Chest x-rays are not a definitive test for asthma, but are likely to raise or lower the suspicion of this condition. Always trust your gut when it comes to your pets' health!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on May 16th, 2017
I am sorry to hear about Lucy! If she is wheezing and taking very shallow breaths, this is not normal. It could be allergy related and we can see asthma in cats. We also worry about heart disease in cats who have breathing issues. We also can see breathing issues with heartworm infection or lungworm infection. I would recommend a visit to your vet along with x-rays of the chest to check the heart and lungs for signs of these diseases. Depending on what they find, appropriate medication can then be started to try to help her be more comfortable!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
10 year old cat, active, indoor, healthy. 2-3 pounds overweight, has had 2 wheezing events after drinking water. Worse event this morning after drinking water. Head down, neck extended. Part siamese black cat
My cat is wheezing Does he have an asthma?? What should I do to him? Thank you
My cat often makes a coughing and wheezing noise. She seems to be doing it more lately.In the past one vet said it was a heart condition and another one said post nasal drip. She is a 5 year old spayed kitty.
my cat has a wheeze that is getting worse within the past hour
hi there I'm worried about my cat she's been coughing for a while and wheezing I thought she was snoring but she makes the same noise while she's awake too! should I be worried?
My cat is 5yrs old and recently started sneezing this turned a wheezing cough at night she is still eating and drinking but she has a very strong metal/fishy smelling breath
My cat has maybe once a day where she gets up from where she is calmly laying and starts wheezing/coughing. This has been going on for about a week with no vomit or discharge, and never happens during or following playtime. Weve lived in a new state
My cat is a Siamese Ragdoll mix and is often cleaning himself but he ends up swallowing the fur he pulls up. We take the fur out of his mouth when we see but can't always be there. We think this could be causing him breathing problems as he started n
Hi. My cat is 9 years old and shes wheezing for the past 1-2 weeks. It seems she has asthma attack and struggles to breathe making a whistling sound. Shes had no history of asthma. Could you please advise us what to do? We live in Bangladesh and have
My cat seems like he coughs sometimes. He has a breathing problem but not all the time. He weases a bit while he sleeps. When he does start coughing, he sits and starts hacking. Kind of like he needs to puke but it sounds like a person trying to coug
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
