Weird breathing

[Bethy_boo]

Hi All

I'm not sure what I'm hoping for/expecting from this post. Possibly just some reassurance and/or advice.

Basically since I got Poif early last year I've noticed that she breathes strangely sometimes. More often her breathing is normal but every now and again she appears to have quick short/shallow breaths. It sounds a bit strained and when like this she tends to stretch herself out across the floor. She doesn't look distressed, she doesn't cough or wheeze. Within 15 minutes she seems to be breathing normally again.

I few months back I took her to the vet to check out her breathing but he said she sounded fine and her heart was fine too. Poif seems fine and healthy in all other ways, she's playful and silly, good appetite.

I could just be over sensitive as Ibby died this time last year due to kidney failure. What made me notice she was poorly in the first place was her strained breathing. :(

As an added note, not sure if it makes a difference but Poif also has an occasional nose whistle. I think this might be coz she has a stumpy little nose. Could this impact on her breathing?!

[jckkerrison]

She is not silent purring is she especially if you only notice it when she is in a relaxed stretched out position,very lightly lay your hand on her & see if you can pick up her body vibrating...!

[Bethy_boo]

Every now and then when I've done that I've felt a kind of shudder, but it doesn't feel like the regular wave of the purrr, more as if she was cold and shivering.

[jckkerrison]

Every now and then when I've done that I've felt a kind of shudder, but it doesn't feel like the regular wave of the purrr, more as if she was cold and shivering.

I would say she is more in deep dreamland then when it happens.

[MickB]

Totally agree with Jackie although it does freak you out a bit when you first see it. Most of mine have done it at some point or other.
What really freaks me out is my Jools, sometimes he sleeps with his eyes wide open. you wouldn't even know he was asleep apart from the fact he snores like a jet engine

[quass]

Martha does the silent purr thing, well almost silent apart from her tummy vibrating slightly. And the eyes open thing when she curls up with her head upside-down!

It sounds like she is ok, it's when they are coughing and laying totally flat to ease breathing that it is a problem. I know what you mean about being paranoid though, our last cat had breathing issues, but this was also with coughing causing sickness, it was mis-diagnosed as athsma! In actual fact she was nearly 18 and we found out had several issues that got to her because of old age, one being fatal :( It does make you paranoid though.

I would try not to worry, our little Martha has been through the mill and we got to the stage that we were panicking at every little oddity. I would monitor her and if she is happy and acting normal then try not to worry, you will soon know if she gets worse and then get her checked out.

[candes]

Deja vue... Not saying this is the same thing. But I was once concerned about something similar. Teddy's may have been different since he looked mildly "off". And did not want to be bothered. He would be fully awake and lie there with a tolerating look. He would lay on his side and breath very rapidly. He didn't seem to want to do anything during those spells either. It would pass in 5-10 minutes. At this point I thought maybe even it was pain. Since he had gingivitis back then. When he went to the vet obviously he wasn't doing it and checked out fine.

Teddy Bearz did this very often before I even knew he had asthma or noticable symptoms. It was the first thing I noticed. And started as a youngster. Later months he would also make choking sound that weren't fur balls. And he was my only cat to ever actually cough with a herpes virus. Not just choking sounds, but actual forcefull coughs. More extreme troubles is when he breathes really hard with head hunched forward and moving along with breaths.

As long as Teddy gets none of the culprit food items, eye antiobiotics, or rabies shots, he has zero problems. So mom is happy. I am letting you know this in case similar symptoms start to appear. My baby has had moderate anaphylaxis once already. (Rabies shot) Very scarey...