My Cat Breathes Weird When He Purrs?

One thing to keep in mind if it's a dust sensitivity/allergy keep up with the house cleaning. Also you might want to lock him up when you dust or vacuum.

Omg!! I think you guys are right on the money with the dust allergy. I wonder if it could even be linked to his weird purr!! And his gulping and swallowing! I feel relieved and I'm going to buy a new duster tomorrow... and yep. Vacuum the house again too! I usually vacuum 2 times a week... I wonder if I should get a hepa filter for him?!

A feather duster might be helpful to get in between all the twiddly bits.


Vacuum under your bed extra well.  

And, maybe turn your mattress over too.  

I've found that the Swiffer dusters actually do a VERY good job...one of those things that performs as advertised.  The extending handle is a BIG plus for me, as is the tilt head.  I have some physical constraints, and I look for products like this.

Omg guys... Calvin had a coughing fit this morning it lasted about 30 second. I am freaking out. I called the vet and they said to just monitor him... he is back to normal but I'm so afraid I am panicking

It's possible he just got over excited and some spit went down the wrong way
Happens to Indy all the time.

Really?! Omg. I hope so! He made a loud cough earlier this morning but I didn't know what the sound was. Then he bunched over and started coughing. It was horrifying! So loud. But then afterwards back to normal :/

welcome, I am not here often but this is a fantastic board  for all your questions and needs. Glad your rescue is ok. I have never had a cat do that and I am sure I would have been concerned as well. All my cats have always been kittens who found me first..

If he's done it several times today he might be trying to cough up a hairball. Sometimes it takes them a few tries to get it out.

does your vet have xray? If he continues to cough he will need to get medication to deal with the allergies.

Look up fritz the brave. He has asthma and it's very treatable.

My Honeybee has asthma and she gets her asthma puffs twice a day. We order from kiwidrugs.com because it's sooooo expensive here.

I would get some albuterol and an empty toilet paper roll and put that over his nose and spray the albuterol into the paper roll with it over his nose/mouth and don't get it into eyes-warning it stinks=cats HATE it. but he only needs to inhale like 2 or 3 breathes and 10 minutes later he should stop coughing. This is a bronchodialator. He may need inhaled steroids to take down the swelling inside the lungs.

the xrays will show any donut/tramlines in his lungs. Some cats are more succeptible to asthma. my girl came from a heavy smoker so she's been on her puffs for 4 years. Now she runs and plays and is very active. she doesn't look sick. but before we started the meds she couldn't climb her trees or play for long. I could see her breathing fast and she did cough several times a night..the meds worked within a few days and since then we haven't had a coughing session.

look up fritz the brave.

you will want to count the number of breathes when he's sleeping. it should be 30 or under. Honeybee was 45 breathes a minute in her sleep. now it's 30-35. it's definitely better.

also no more perfume or fabric softner.

no scented chemicals or candles. Just like people who have allergies...you have to eliminate this..dust is a big deal. My home is forced hot air and I struggle daily to clean the dust. She is long haired and seems to collect dust all the time..I just don't have the time to deep clean like I should but I try to do some every week. Here it is March and we still got snow a few days ago...I was hoping spring/summer would get here sooner...because once the furnace shuts off she gets much better. We also have an air purifier=whirlpool whisper I think  it's called..its $300 at Sears but works the BOMB. I've got it on turbo setting lately due to the dust. I need another one but right now don't have a place to put it.

anyways check out feline asthma and see what you find.

We use the Aerokat and you can find videos on youtube..honeybee only took a few days to train=trick is leaving it on the floor and let her sniff it...and treats..and treats...everytime I put it on her face-head and she didn't pull away I gave treats...soon she figured out that mom feeds her if she lets me put this strange mask on her muzzle. So it does take time to train...but it's doable.

Thank you for the information! He hasn't coughed again today... but the weirdest part.. I had a cat with asthma! And he wouldn't be able to play.

However, Calvin is an insane player. He will do backflips and leaps for toys and play all night. He has never panted or needed to slow down.

He doesn't have x-rays because I'm on a money crunch but he was seen by a vet 2 weeks ago who checked his heart as well as his lungs and breathing and she said he was perfect and head no wheezing or anything. :/ hmm!!

I almost wonder if it is something triggered by dust. Could be allergies. Or asthma. He has also been sneezing.

maybe he has a kitty cold??

foxxycat said:

maybe he has a kitty cold??

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If you have been following this he is otherwise healthy. With cat flu you get lethargy and fever which is not the case here.

Yes I have been following. I am just putting suggestions out there. Not all cat colds are lethargic. One of my girls sneezes a lot in the winter and she isn't lethargic=she often gets colds but doesn't seem to stop her.

The vet was saying it could be an old URI still giving him symptoms$?

weezercat said:

The vet was saying it could be an old URI still giving him symptoms$?

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....take a deep breath..... I do understand that you're really concerned about his health, especially after losing your other cat.

Calvin is eating, using his litterbox and playing VERY actively.
Is that correct?

You have a handsome lovely kitty. If he's sneezing from dust, then take a little time to clean...

Many of the members here are likely to be a little behind on vacuuming up cat hair and dust bunnies and especially dusting under the bed. I KNOW I fall in that category

I think Calvin will be just fine.
Maybe you want to start a notebook or journal about how he behaves and if he sneezes, how he plays and how he eats. Then, over a few days, you just look back and see if there is a change in his behavior.

I think you and Calvin will be just fine.

Thank you SO much! I just vacuumed and... well. No sneezing! Even the weird purr is slightly better! Hmmm...

Calvin is just relaxing on my lap right now. To thank you guys I thought I would share this adorable pic

@IndyJones  is right.  Sometimes they just get a mad tickle in their throats, just as we do.  IF it continues over a period of time, or increases in duration/frequency, then check back with the vet, and go to @foxxycat  's advice.  You have the two best bit of information right there, for now!  I'm a little miffed that they beat me to the draw!  Late  again!