Audible breathing

My 2 year old kitty Khaleesi sometimes has loud breathing. It is not constant, and doesn't seem to be a problem as she doesn't seem distressed when it is happening, and it seems unrelated to anything exertion based. Just sometimes I can hear her breathing in and out, but I wonder if it is due to her short nose? I enclose a picture of her face, to me she seems like she has a short muzzle and her vet has mentioned before that due to her short muzzle he felt she may have had a snub nose breed in her past (we do know 100% for sure her mother was an "old fashioned" apple head Siamese but no idea on dad). I have never owned a Persian or Himalayan so I don't know if this is normal for them? I just worry, I don't think it is necessary to bring her to the vet as it doesn't seem like she is having a hard time breathing but just that on occasion you can hear her. She does also softly snore sometimes if she is deeply asleep. 

Also, it IS possible with Khaleesi that she does the heavy breathing as a way to get attention. She seems to do it mainly when looking at me, usually if she wants pets or play. Don't know if cats can do this, make their breathing louder purposefully, but if they can....I wouldn't put it past my little diva! 

What a stunning profile Khaleesi has.

If you have already had some discussion with your vet about this and they were not concerned I doubt there is cause to worry, but if not it never does any harm to check things out.  My previous female tabbies sometimes used to breathe quite heavily when they were relaxing on the sofa, especially as they got older, and they also had a tendancy to snore but again not when they were young cats.  Cats do learn to do things that get our attention - like meowing and 'talking' with us which they rarely do with other cats but I would not assume Khaleesi is doing this just for attention unless you always fuss her when you hear it.   Do you have any videos of her doing this?   

so pretty

I do not have any videos of her doing it sadly, as it doesn't usually persist so I would have to catch her doing it and be right there. If I walked towards her she would get up and stop it. I wonder if it is a statement,  she seems to do it a lot when staring at me, so maybe to get me to look at her? I don't fuss over her but it does get me to look over and usually talk to her, or acknowledge she is around. I just have never heard a cat do that before, and so was curious.

Thanks for the compliments, she is my little smooshy monster and I love her to bits. I think she is gorgeous, I don't understand people who dislike black cats as her fur is so shiny and soft it is like velvet. So gorgeous.

Would you guys say though that she has a short nose? Obviously not Persian degree of smushed in, but shorter than the average cat? Seems so to me but I am no expert

I'm no expert either I'm afraid, but wonder what @GemsGem  thinks of your pretty girl.

What a beautiful cat. As a human RT-Airways are my expertise- maybe I can be of assistance.

From what you have written the noisy breathing in your cat is :

1. not linked to exertion.  

2. is not accompanied by an increase in respiratory rate

3. happens intermittently and when kitty sleeps.

4. not caused by congestion (guessing)

Noisy breathing is due to one thing- the air has difficulty getting in or out due to something effecting the flow.

If you have a different anatomy for example giant tonsils, a deviated septum or a smooshy cute kitty face you will snore i.e.-have noisy breathing

If you are congested and have phlegm lining your upper or lower airways=noisy breathing

If you have an allergic reaction and your trachea swells-scary noisy breathing

If you have asthma-wheezy lower airway breathing...... and I could go on.

In Respiratory we have to differentiate where the noise is coming from. It can come from the upper airway "nose and mouth to trachea" or the lower airway-lungs.

If your vet already listened to kittys lungs s/he has probably already guessed the noisy breathing is due to kittys upper airway anatomy. But that was only a guess as you do need to see kitty do the breathing to know  for sure.

Many of my patients have only  "positional" noisy breathing, meaning they only sound loud when their head and neck is in a certain position. From what you describe with the sound being intermittent maybe it is this. 

Or does she just have a crazy loud purr?