A normal cat respiratory rate is 16-40 breaths per minute when your cat is awake and resting, and usually under about 30 breaths per minute when it is asleep. The sleeping number is the one vets ask you to track at home. One thing never waits for a count: a cat breathing with its mouth open at rest needs a vet now.
Want temperature and heart rate too? We keep all normal vital signs in one chart.
Go to a vet now if your cat has any of these
Head to your vet or the nearest emergency clinic if your cat:
- Breathes with its mouth open or pants while resting. Cats are nose breathers, so panting is a sign of respiratory distress (VCA).
- Has a bluish tinge to the gums or skin. Together with open-mouth breathing, that means severe oxygen loss (Merck Veterinary Manual).
- Crouches or sits upright to breathe, or lowers the head and stretches the body forward (Merck, Cornell).
- Works hard to breathe, with the chest and belly heaving, or coughs and seems to gag (Cornell).
- Has a fast sleeping count plus other signs of heart trouble, such as weak or paralyzed back legs. Texas A&M's cardiology team lists back leg weakness and paralysis among heart-related signs in cats, and notes that a raised breathing rate with other signs may be an emergency, especially after hours.
If you are ever unsure whether your cat can breathe comfortably, get it to a veterinarian right away, as Cornell's Feline Health Center advises.
Normal breathing rate: awake vs asleep
Most pages give one number, but a cat's breathing rate depends on what the cat is doing. The right range depends on when you count.
Situation | Normal rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
Awake, resting quietly | 16-40 breaths per minute | Merck Veterinary Manual |
Resting or sleeping at home | 15-30 breaths per minute; lower is fine if your cat is otherwise well | Texas A&M Cardiology |
Sleeping: when it counts as raised | consistently above about 30 breaths per minute | Texas A&M Cardiology |
Healthy cats asleep (study data) | median about 19-21 breaths per minute, average under 30 | Ljungvall et al., 2014 |
Why the gap between 40 and 30? An awake cat is listening, watching and reacting, so it breathes faster. Texas A&M notes that the sleeping rate is usually a little lower than the resting rate, and that cats breathe much faster when hot, stressed or active, which is normal. Asleep, those extras drop away. That makes the sleeping count the cleaner number, and the one your vet will usually ask for.
In a study of healthy adult cats, the median sleeping rate was about 19 to 21 breaths a minute, the average stayed under 30, and the researchers said rates above 30 likely warrant additional evaluation.
Dogs follow the same 30 rule asleep, with a different awake range. See our normal dog respiratory rate guide if you share the couch with both.
How to count your cat's sleeping breaths
You need a phone timer and a cat that is properly asleep. These steps follow the Texas A&M cardiology client handout.
- Wait until your cat is sleeping quietly. Resting calmly is the second choice. Skip counts after play or in a hot room.
- Make sure your cat is not purring. Texas A&M stresses this point. Wait for the purring to stop.
- Watch the chest or belly. One rise and fall, in and out, is one breath.
- Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. Or count a full 60 seconds and skip the math.
- Write it down with the date and time. A calendar or notes app works fine.
- Learn your cat's normal. If your vet asks you to start counting, Texas A&M suggests doing it once a day for a week so you get comfortable and both of you learn your cat's baseline.
The step people get wrong most is the first one: counting a cat that is only dozing, or one purring on a lap. Wait for real sleep.
What your number means
- Under 30 asleep, cat comfortable: normal for most cats. Lower numbers are fine too if your cat is otherwise healthy.
- Above about 30 asleep, cat otherwise comfortable: count again a few times over the next couple of hours. If it stays up, call your vet. Your vet may give you a different number for your own cat, especially if it has heart disease, so use theirs.
- Above 30 plus any go-now sign (open mouth, heaving, bluish gums, crouching or sitting up to breathe): go to a vet now. Don't wait to recount.
My cat is breathing 60 times a minute
Sixty breaths a minute is far outside both normal ranges. It is above the 16-40 range for a resting awake cat and double the 30 line for a sleeping one. If your cat is resting or asleep and you count 60, call your vet now, and go straight in if you see an open mouth, effort, a color change in the gums or a cat that won't lie down.
Cats do breathe faster right after play or when hot. If your cat has just been active, its mouth is closed and it isn't working to breathe, let it settle and count again once it is resting. Open-mouth breathing never belongs in this wait-and-see group.
Awake count above 40
An awake cat at rest breathing faster than 40 a minute is above Merck's range. If it doesn't settle once your cat is calm, or you see any of the go-now signs, treat it as a reason to call your vet.
Cats are not small dogs: panting and open-mouth breathing
Dogs use panting as a way to help keep cool (Merck). Cats are different. They breathe through the nose, and VCA describes panting in a cat as a sign of respiratory distress. VCA's emergency guidance says a cat with difficulty breathing, especially open-mouth breathing or panting, should go to the veterinarian immediately.
Cornell adds that cats with breathing difficulty may pant noisily with the mouth open, cough often, lower the head and stretch the body forward. Merck notes that cats in breathing trouble may crouch or sit upright. If your cat is doing any of this, skip the counting and go.
Why vets ask you to count
Heart disease. When a cat develops congestive heart failure, fluid builds up in or around the lungs, and breathing speeds up. Texas A&M calls a rising resting or sleeping rate a very important early clue that heart failure may be developing, which is why cardiologists ask owners to count at home. More in our guide to congestive heart failure in cats.
Asthma. Feline asthma is a disease of the lower airways that affects about 1 to 5% of cats, according to Cornell, and it can cause rapid breathing, wheezing and coughing or hacking. Read more about cat asthma.
Your veterinarian decides whether your cat needs home counting, what number should trigger a call, and what treatment fits.
Quick answers
Is fast breathing while purring normal?
Cardiology handouts, including Texas A&M's, say not to count while your cat purrs. There is no published normal rate for a purring cat. Wait until the purring stops and your cat is asleep, then count.
What is a normal respiratory rate for a kitten?
The ranges on this page are for adult cats. We have not found a vet-sourced normal range for kittens, so ask your veterinarian what is normal for your kitten's age.
What is a normal cat respiratory rate under anesthesia?
The anesthesia guidelines we use don't give a single normal number for breathing under anesthesia. The anesthesia team watches breathing alongside oxygen levels, carbon dioxide and other values. See our normal vitals under anesthesia reference, and ask your cat's anesthesia team what they look for.
Why is my cat breathing fast while sleeping but acting normal?
A sleeping count that stays above about 30 is worth a call even in a cat that seems fine, because Texas A&M calls faster resting or sleeping breaths an early clue of heart failure. Recount a few times over a couple of hours first, then call your vet if it stays up.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Table, Resting Respiratory Rates
- Texas A&M University Cardiology Service: Measuring Your Pet's Breathing Rate (client handout)
- Ljungvall I, et al. Sleeping and resting respiratory rates in healthy adult cats and cats with subclinical heart disease. J Feline Med Surg. 2014;16(4):281-290
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Special Pet Topics): Evaluation and Initial Treatment of Dog and Cat Emergencies
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Dyspnea (Difficulty Breathing)
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline Asthma, What You Need to Know
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Dog Owners): Introduction to Lung and Airway Disorders of Dogs
- VCA Animal Hospitals: Emergencies in Cats
- VCA Animal Hospitals: First Aid for Falls in Cats
- 2020 AAHA Anesthesia and Monitoring Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.
