Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My cat is breathing rapidly and purring. Should I be concerned?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Longhair | Female | spayed | 7 years and 7 months old | 9 lbs

My cat is breathing rapidly but at the same time purring. Is this something to be concerned out?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on November 23rd, 2020

As long as she isn't in any distress and seems comfortable, that may just be her purring. However, if this is a behavior you've never seen in her before, it's worth getting her checked by your vet just to make sure she doesn't have the start of an upper respiratory infection or something similar.

Vote icon

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 7th, 2020

    It sounds like Chassi needs to be examined by the veterinarian quickly. Changes in respiratory pattern in cats can indicate an emergency and there's not way to tell without an exam. Heavy breathing could be due to pneumonia, asthma, a tumor in the lungs or fluid in the chest. She will need a physical exam and likely radiographs. I recommend to play ti safe and have her examined quickly. I hope this helps.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on January 26th, 2020

    Poor Gabriella! Labored breathing is always very concerning in a cat, and could be a life-threatening problem - so I would recommend taking her to an emergency clinic tonight to be seen. The veterinarian there can examine her and do blood work, x-rays, or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what kind of treatment is needed.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 22nd, 2017

    Hi there. Sorry Kitty is having this issue. Her symptoms should not be related to the desexing surgery at all. Not after 8 months. Any time a cat has labored breathing or coughing they should see a vet. Those are not specific signs for any one disease process or issue. That being said, it sounds like she may have asthma or bronchitis. Of course pneumonia is also possible. I would recommend you get her to a vet for an exam as soon as you can to get it figured out. I hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again. Best wishes!

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My cat is breathing faster than normal and is purring louder than usual.
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kida. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. Respiratory issues can be very serious. If she is breathing with her mouth open at all, then you need to seek emergency care right away as this indicates respiratory distress. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
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. Sudde
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Hello! My 10-year-old moggy cat breaths with quite quick, shallow breaths while she's purring. She also snores quite loudly--enough to hear from other rooms in the house. This has been happening for a year or so, but it only just occurred to me that
It is common for cats to take rapid shallow breaths while they are purring, but it is not usually normal for a cat to snore often. She could have upper respiratory congestion or a nasopharyngeal polyp causing the snoring. It also could be related to her anatomic confirmation if she has a short nose like a Persian. If she does not have any nasal discharge and breathes normally otherwise I think you can probably wait until your next appointment to mention it to your vet, but if there is any sneezing, difficulty breathing or nasal discharge you should see your vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Templeton has started making a strange "Heu Heu" sound when purring when I hold him or when he's in my lap and purring. It's very strange and he hasn't done this before. Yesterday was the first time we noticed it. He only does it when purring. Is thi
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco. As long as Templeton is always breathing comfortably and doesn't seem to have an increased effort to his breathing, this noise is likely nothing to worry about. A cat's respiratory rate should be less than 30 breaths per minute when sleeping. You can count the number of breaths that he takes in 30 seconds, and multiply this times 2. Purring is generally a sign that a cat is content, so as long as he is otherwise acting OK I would not be worried! I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Templeton!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has been breathing heavely the last couple of days, while he lays down but he is also purring
Breathing more heavily than normal is often an early sign of illness in cats, so I would definitely encourage you to take Prince to the vet for a check up as soon as you are able to. Often, we see this in cats with heart disease, fluid in the chest cavity, or even certain types of cancer. They may not show any other symptoms of a problem until their illness gets much worse, so it's always best to have this checked sooner rather than later. Your vet can listen to Prince's heart and lungs to check for any obvious abnormalities, and may also recommend chest x-rays to look for some of the problems I mentioned above.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
When my cat purrs heavily he starts to develop laboured breathing and a raspy purr. He seems uncomfortable during this episode and goes to hide to stop his purring. Otherwise he is breathing fine. Any notion of what this episode may be?
That may be due to a pharyngeal/laryngeal inflammation, potentially due to a viral or bacterial infection. A check up would be needed to have a look inside his mouth and throat and spot any sign of it. Antibiotics may be needed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Ever since I adopted my kitten almost a year and a half ago (she'll be 2 in May), I've noticed her fast-breathing at all times, even at rest or sleeping. At her year checkup, I DID ask the vet, but she didn't seem concerned. Am I just looking for tr
I would make sure she is not purring while she is breathing fast since sometimes purring can make it seem like they are breathing fast when they are in reality not. If you are concerned with how Rosebud is breathing I would start with X-rays to rule out lung disease. If the X-rays are clear and it is not lung related the next step is an ultrasound of her heart. Cats can have heart problems without having a heart murmur. If everything is clear then I wouldn't worry to much but without diagnostics it is hard to say if it is something to be concerned about or not. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat seems like she's breathing quickly when she's laying down her chest area is rapidly moving but other than that she seems fine. How do I know if that is normal? I mean, is it normal for a cat's chest to show the breathing?
Yes it is normal for you to be able to see her chest rise and fall as she breathes but she shouldn't be breathing fast. Usually when resting they will have a respiratory rate of less that 20 breaths per minute. You can count this by counting each rise in her chest over a minute. If she is breathing rapidly or open mouth breathing then there is likely something seriously wrong like a respiratory infection or heart problem. And I would advise you to seek medical attention as soon as possible. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Is a cat purring with its mouth open a cause for concern? Mostly when purring heavily.
This is a concerning sign for Bear. Cats should not normally breathe or purr with their mouths open. It is possible that Bear has asthma, heart disease, lung disease, or even mouth discomfort causing him to do this. I do recommend that Bear is examined by a vet to evaluate the severity of the situation. I hope that all goes well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Greetings, doctor I noticed that my cat has been breathing rapidly, even in her sleep. I read articles about tachypnea, and I just discovered a lot of things can cause it. I have examined my cat, she still has pink gum, unchanging appetite, no coug
Hi and thank you for your question this morning. Cats who are younger (11 months and younger) can have a higher heart rate and higher respiratory rate. 60 breaths/min can be considered normal in kittens without any signs of respiratory distress or upper respiratory signs (coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, etc). If all else is considered normal, this is OK. Sometimes when they are asleep or have a dream, their respiratory rate can increase. If they are hot, this can also increase respiratory rate. If you are still concerned though, you can always have Brianna checked out by your local veterinarian just to be certain all is okay. I hope his helps and best withes to you! Thanks for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored