...until we go to the vet on Tuesday.
Belle and Delilah are 10 1/2 weeks old. They've been here for exactly a week. They are eating, drinking, playing, sleeping, peeing, pooping, purring, and causing trouble very well. Mucous membranes seem nice and pink. I think they have grown in the last week. Both of them have been sneezing (not a ton, maybe a few times a night), but there is no other discharge from eyes/nose. I think Belle might be a tiny bit congested (she can definitely smell but she gives a little sniff here or there), and I suspect that they have a bit of a URI. I would have liked to get them into the vet sooner, but it is heart worm season and they are all booked up. Since they look and act very healthy otherwise, I'm not overly concerned about the wait (nor did the folks at the vet's office seem to be).
However, having just gone through a fatal illness with Zoey, and later realizing that she was likely sick the entire time we had her without us knowing, I can't help but look at these kittens a little differently. I know I'm paranoid, but I can't help it.
In any regard, one of the things I've noticed is their breathing. Both of them, when they lying beside me, purring, their breaths seem to kind of "thump" in their diaphragm area. It kind of seems like the air is being forced out - just a little - but it's not a nice, smooth inhale-exhale. Their breathing also seems a tiny bit fast (I counted 40 breaths/min with Delilah, but I've never been particularly great at counting beats of any sort). Again, this is when they are laying beside me...and when they are laying beside me, they are almost always purring. I caught Delilah not purring and her breathing seemed more normal and smooth (although, still a little fast). Belle, I can't go anywhere near without her starting to purr!
Should I be concerned about their breathing, or am I just overanalyzing things? I will definitely mention it to my vet on Tuesday, but I just need a little reassurance before that! I've never looked closely at the breathing of cats before (except Zoey...and she was anything but normal), so I have no idea what it should "look" like, but I imagine it is normally smooth.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Belle and Delilah are 10 1/2 weeks old. They've been here for exactly a week. They are eating, drinking, playing, sleeping, peeing, pooping, purring, and causing trouble very well. Mucous membranes seem nice and pink. I think they have grown in the last week. Both of them have been sneezing (not a ton, maybe a few times a night), but there is no other discharge from eyes/nose. I think Belle might be a tiny bit congested (she can definitely smell but she gives a little sniff here or there), and I suspect that they have a bit of a URI. I would have liked to get them into the vet sooner, but it is heart worm season and they are all booked up. Since they look and act very healthy otherwise, I'm not overly concerned about the wait (nor did the folks at the vet's office seem to be).
However, having just gone through a fatal illness with Zoey, and later realizing that she was likely sick the entire time we had her without us knowing, I can't help but look at these kittens a little differently. I know I'm paranoid, but I can't help it.
In any regard, one of the things I've noticed is their breathing. Both of them, when they lying beside me, purring, their breaths seem to kind of "thump" in their diaphragm area. It kind of seems like the air is being forced out - just a little - but it's not a nice, smooth inhale-exhale. Their breathing also seems a tiny bit fast (I counted 40 breaths/min with Delilah, but I've never been particularly great at counting beats of any sort). Again, this is when they are laying beside me...and when they are laying beside me, they are almost always purring. I caught Delilah not purring and her breathing seemed more normal and smooth (although, still a little fast). Belle, I can't go anywhere near without her starting to purr!
Should I be concerned about their breathing, or am I just overanalyzing things? I will definitely mention it to my vet on Tuesday, but I just need a little reassurance before that! I've never looked closely at the breathing of cats before (except Zoey...and she was anything but normal), so I have no idea what it should "look" like, but I imagine it is normally smooth.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
