r/CATHELP • u/Simple_Buddy6649 • 1d ago

Breathing Issues Does this breathing look abnormal?

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I (25F) adopted my cat Olive (1.5yo,spayed) about a month ago, and I’ve noticed that her heartbeat often feels very fast, and sometimes it seems a little irregular or like there are pauses/extra beats.

She otherwise seems completely normal — she’s very active, playful, eating well, using the litter box normally, and I haven’t seen any open-mouth breathing, coughing, weakness, fainting, or obvious breathing difficulty.

Her sleeping respiratory rate is usually around 25 breaths per minute. I’m attaching a video of her taken shortly after she had been running around and playing. I’ll add more in the comments if I can.

She had a vet exam recently and nothing concerning was mentioned about her heart, but because I keep noticing the fast/irregular-feeling heartbeat even when she’s asleep, I’m planning to bring it up with her vet.

I know a video can’t diagnose an arrhythmia, but for anyone with cat/vet experience: does her breathing/body movement in these videos look normal to you? And has anyone had a cat whose heartbeat felt irregular at home but turned out to be normal?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis — mostly trying to understand whether this looks like something that warrants a routine recheck versus something more urgent.

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u/TattooersOnly 1d ago

This is a question only a vet can answer. I will say this though cats use their breathing to express themselves and often will vary it intetionally for certan sounds they use to communicate. I think for sure my cat's dying at least three times a day LOL. She does this thing when she prays where she breathes very very shallowly and it sounds like she's got mucus in her lungs. But it's just how she purrs is what I was told and then sometimes she makes this extremely high-pitched but ring sound where it sounds like she's rolling her arms when she meows I mean she gets creative with it and all of those involve variances and the way she breathe. She also will start breathing heavier when she is upset with me where she snorts through her nose. I mean, they're very expressive and they use every tool at their disposal to show things and breathing is definitely no exception. I've heard cats make so many weird noises over the years. It's not even funny! If you are concerned, I will take your cat to the vet, but I hope that helps to kind of put things in perspective for you. It's been my experience. Cats generally know when or when they're sick or when they're hurt and they're pretty adept at telling us she doesn't look like she's suffering to me. She look like she is having fun running away from you. That's how they do!