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Why is my overweight cat breathing fast? Is it serious or just weight?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 5 years and 10 months old

Could you please explain in what ways/way a fast breathing rate of a cat could be related to overweight? Does it mean some sort of serious heart/lung problem or could it just be simple and simply resolved by losing weight?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 14th, 2019

The excess fat can make breathing harder, and due to that, the cat may breath faster to get sufficient oxygen around the body. The cat's lungs are struggling to inflate with fresh oxygen due to the excess weight, and if the cat doesn't have enough oxygen, they can breath faster to get it. Certainly weight loss can help with breathing problems, but the breathing problems can be caused by heart or lung problems. Only your vet who sees Sofia in person can make this determination. I hope this helps.

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  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    The excess fat can make breathing harder, and due to that, the cat may breath faster to get sufficient oxygen around the body. The cat's lungs are struggling to inflate with fresh oxygen due to the excess weight, and if the cat doesn't have enough oxygen, they can breath faster to get it. Certainly weight loss can help with breathing problems, but the breathing problems can be caused by heart or lung problems. Only your vet who sees Sofia in person can make this determination. I hope this helps.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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