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My senior cat is breathing heavy, weak, and not eating. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Bombay | Female | spayed | 15 years and 7 months old | 8.1 lbs

15 year old cat: Breathing fast and heavy all the time, episodic breathing with mouth open and making a coughing noise, become quite skinny, not active and is lethargic, seems to have a bit of weakness in hind legs, is restless and not sleeping much, cannot lie down properly and is 'crouching' instead, not grooming herself, not eating or drinking as much.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on July 15th, 2021

I'm sorry to hear that Midnight is doing so poorly. As Dr. Darvishian mentioned, breathing changes are a medical emergency and should be addressed by an emergency vet right away. It's possible that Midnight's breathing changes, coughing, weight loss, weakness, appetite and drinking changes, and lethargy could be due to congestive heart failure, asthma, cancer, or many other issues. She's likely experiencing restlessness and a loss of appetite because she can't breathe well enough to comfortably lay down or swallow. I strongly recommend taking Midnight to an emergency vet right away. This is not a situation that can be managed at home. I hope that everything goes well.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Really sorry to hear that Midnight is having problems. This is an emergency and I would advise you get her seen immediately for evaluation. Many problems can develop in senior cats so prompt evaluation by your veterinarian is needed here. Hoping for a good outcome and a speedy recovery for Midnight.

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