Breathing - Difficulty
Breathing is a vital function, so any problem that affects the breathing can be serious and should be checked with your vet.
Problems with the upper airways with cause a noise when breathing. The commonest cause of this in a cat is Cat Flu. This causes snuffling, a snotty nose and runny eyes. See Flu.
Another surprisingly common problem in cats is breathing trouble caused by a foreign body. Many cats chew grass, and they can cough a blade of grass up the back of the nose. This causes discomfort, coughing and sneezing, and many cats will stop eating due to a sore throat. If your vet suspects this, your cat will need a general anaesthetic to discover if this is the problem. Tonsillitis can cause similar signs, so your vet might opt to treat with antibiotics first.
Persian cats can suffer from restricted airways, but this usually does not require any treatment.
Breathing problems that affect the lungs will cause the cat to breathe heavily, the chest moving with effort. The lungs may be affected by pneumonia, fluid on the lung, tumours, fluid around the lung, air outside the lungs or a ruptured diaphragm. As cats are not active much of the time and have a large reserve lung capacity, the problem is usually severe by the time it is noticed. Your vet will need to x-ray the chest to determine what is preventing air getting into the lungs.
Disclaimer
This pet health article is for reference only.
If your pet is showing any symptoms or distress, and you suspect your pet is ill CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY.