Why is my senior cat breathing fast and purring? Is it serious?

Question

15-year-old male neutered cat, history of constipation, having breathing issues but no other symptoms. Clear eyes/nose, alert, pink gums, normal reclining position, no fever, just shallow closed-mouth constant purring resp at roughly 60/minute. Sudden onset since last night. 32 resps/min 12 hours ago. Recent weather, hot, humid (Ohio). Indoor only. Had a whistle on exhale earlier, now it's just purring. Takes Miralax and Cisapride 1/x each per day. Appetite normal. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Male | neutered | 15 years and 3 months old | 15 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Increased respiratory rate is always very concerning in cats. They are really good at hiding respiratory illness, so if we are seeing something abnormal then it likely means they are really very sick. Heart disease, lung disease, anemia, infection, pain, etc can all cause this to happen. I would recommend that you have Tyler examined by a vet today to see what could be going on.

Why is my senior cat breathing fast and purring? Is it serious?

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