Should I be concerned with my cat's respiratory rate??

[Jdugs]

I'm counting around a resting rate of 60 bests per minute for the last couple of days.. all my research is telling me this is high. How concerned should I be??
I should mention we just experienced a record breaking heat wave here and I don't have A/C and he definitely was struggling.
I didn't notice this rapid breathing before hand but maybe I am just being hyper aware of it now because I was so worried about him in the heat.
Everything else is normal - he is eating, playing, drinking, using his box, etc.

Thank you!

 

[Meowmee]

I have to correct myself here, for some reason I looked at the heart rate, which is a lot faster than in people, when you said respiratory rate. It seems it is fast so again I would ask dvm about it. It could be from the heat etc. maybe give him some cool water and an ice pack if he still seems over heated and yourself as well.

Fast respiratory rate can be a sign of a lot of things obviously including a heart condition, chf, so a trip to dvm may be a good idea. Years ago I noticed odd breathing in my precious girl on and off, and took her to dvm at the time, they made fun of me, but days later she went into congestive heart failure. She did live for three years with it though which is apparently unusual when they get to that stage.her condition did come out in the summer heat when it was diagnosed and they do tend to be more stressed in heat.

My cat is breathing fast. Should I be worried? | Somerset County Emergency Vet
What's a Normal Cat Temperature? Tips for Checking Your Cat's Vitals | Hill's Pet

 

[StanAndAlf]

Just counted my own cat's respiratory rate while he's having a nap - it's at 36 bpm. Safe to say it would reach 60 bpm after a play session.

Is he panting? It definitely could be the heat. If he has any particular beds or blankets he likes to lay on, try putting some icepacks underneath. Its good that he is drinking, it might pay off to add some more water to his food too, to make sure he isn't dehydrated.

Is there a fan or anything you can turn on? Other than that, wiping him down with a damp cloth can help, but I wouldn't recommend having a fan on if you do this as it can alter his temp too quickly.

A vet check to rule out other issues besides the heat may be an option you want to explore as well.

I've monitored respiratory rates that have reached the 80s, usually from stress or pain, most times both. I would be worried in your instance, but not panicking as he is still acting normal otherwise. Like I said though, don't rule out a vet visit just in case.

And what bad luck the AC broke, for him and you!

 

[Jdugs]

Just counted my own cat's respiratory rate while he's having a nap - it's at 36 bpm. Safe to say it would reach 60 bpm after a play session.

Is he panting? It definitely could be the heat. If he has any particular beds or blankets he likes to lay on, try putting some icepacks underneath. Its good that he is drinking, it might pay off to add some more water to his food too, to make sure he isn't dehydrated.

Is there a fan or anything you can turn on? Other than that, wiping him down with a damp cloth can help, but I wouldn't recommend having a fan on if you do this as it can alter his temp too quickly.

A vet check to rule out other issues besides the heat may be an option you want to explore as well.

I've monitored respiratory rates that have reached the 80s, usually from stress or pain, most times both. I would be worried in your instance, but not panicking as he is still acting normal otherwise. Like I said though, don't rule out a vet visit just in case.

And what bad luck the AC broke, for him and you!

Thanks for the reply!!
Unfortunately I have never had A/C. Where I live we usually only have a few days over 30. We are just coming off of 6 days in the high 30s. The inside of my house was 33 degrees and my one cat is has a lot of hair!
I tried all the things you said- I had ice packs wrapped in towels, ice cubes in his water, extra water in his wet food, I wet him down with water but he was still struggling. Definitely had a few moments of panting here and there over the week.
He just had a good play session with his sister.
I'll keep an eye on it and definitely make a vet visit for the near future.

 

[Jdugs]

Just counted my own cat's respiratory rate while he's having a nap - it's at 36 bpm. Safe to say it would reach 60 bpm after a play session.

Is he panting? It definitely could be the heat. If he has any particular beds or blankets he likes to lay on, try putting some icepacks underneath. Its good that he is drinking, it might pay off to add some more water to his food too, to make sure he isn't dehydrated.

Is there a fan or anything you can turn on? Other than that, wiping him down with a damp cloth can help, but I wouldn't recommend having a fan on if you do this as it can alter his temp too quickly.

A vet check to rule out other issues besides the heat may be an option you want to explore as well.

I've monitored respiratory rates that have reached the 80s, usually from stress or pain, most times both. I would be worried in your instance, but not panicking as he is still acting normal otherwise. Like I said though, don't rule out a vet visit just in case.

And what bad luck the AC broke, for him and you!

Thanks for the reply!!
Unfortunately I have never had A/C. Where I live we usually only have a few days over 30. We are just coming off of 6 days in the high 30s. The inside of my house was 33 degrees and my one cat is has a lot of hair!
I tried all the things you said- I had ice packs wrapped in towels, ice cubes in his water, extra water in his wet food, I wet him down with water but he was still struggling. Definitely had a few moments of panting here and there over the week.
He seems to be doing okay - he just had a good play session with his sister.
I'll keep an eye on it and definitely make a vet visit for the near future.

 

[Jdugs]

I think it is too low according to what this site says: normal heart rate is 160-180. I didn't realize it was that fast. Either way I would consult your dvm and ask about the heat reaction as well.

What's a Normal Cat Temperature? Tips for Checking Your Cat's Vitals | Hill's Pet

I'm talking about breathing rate, not heart rate!

 

[Meowmee]

I'm talking about breathing rate, not heart rate!

Yes I just realized that and corrected my answer. Sorry about that.

 

[Jdugs]

I have to correct myself here, for some reason I looked at the heart rate, which is a lot faster than in people, when you said respiratory rate. It seems it is fast so again I would ask dvm about it. It could be from the heat etc. maybe give him some cool water and an ice pack if he still seems over heated and yourself as well.

Fast respiratory rate can be a sign of a lot of things obviously including a heart condition, chf, so a trip to dvm may be a good idea. Years ago I noticed odd breathing in my precious girl on and off, and took her to dvm at the time, they made fun of me, but days later she went into congestive heart failure. She did live for three years with it though which is apparently unusual when they get to that stage.her condition idd come oit in heat when it was diagnosed and they do tend to be more stressed in heat.

My cat is breathing fast. Should I be worried? | Somerset County Emergency Vet
What's a Normal Cat Temperature? Tips for Checking Your Cat's Vitals | Hill's Pet

Yeah I think you're right. I'll keep an eye on it and definitely schedule a vet visit.
I tried to cool him in a lot of ways in the last week (ice packs in towels, fans, ice cubes in his water, wetting him down, extra water in his food, etc) but he was still struggling. Poor guy.

 

[BlackCatOp]

as alluded to above, it is important to be checking the respiratory rate at rest. A resting respiratory rate normally shouldn’t be more than 40 breaths per min.