Cat Wheezing: What It Sounds Like and Why It Happens

When it comes to kitty noises, meows and purrs are what we expect to hear from our feline friends. And as astute pet parents, we usually have a good idea of what these sounds mean: feed me, pet me, please let me in. But would you recognize the sound of a cat wheezing? If the answer is no, don’t worry, you’re not alone. 

Wheezing is challenging to decipher and often gets confused with other types of noisy and labored breathing in cats. Snoring, gagging, coughing, sneezing, sniffling, regurgitating hairballs (more on this later), and wheezing — there’s a lot to keep straight. And when it comes to your cat’s breathing, there’s a lot at stake. If you notice your cat making weird breathing noises, it’s important to contact your veterinarian. 

Here, we’ll explain the ins and outs of wheezing, including what causes it, what it sounds like, and common treatments. 

Why Is My Cat Wheezing?

A cat’s respiratory tract includes their nasal passages, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), and trachea (windpipe) that branch into smaller airways called bronchi and bronchioles before terminating into sac-like clusters called alveoli (where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged). 

In a healthy respiratory tract, air flows unobstructed through the airways, and while not completely silent, the process is normally quiet. If the airways become partially obstructed or narrowed, this changes how the air flows and can lead to noisy, high-pitched breathing called wheezing. 

If your cat is wheezing, this is abnormal, and depending on the cause and presence of other signs, can indicate an emergency. 

What Does Cat Wheezing Sound Like?

Cat wheezing is a high-pitched, sometimes whistle-like sound that happens while breathing. The high-pitched sound is key to differentiating it from other types of noisy breathing. 

A cat wheezing sound can be so quiet it’s only audible with a stethoscope or so loud it’s heard by anyone within earshot. Wheezing can occur continuously or as intermittent episodes and may happen during inhalation, exhalation, or with a cough. 

Wheezing during exhalation or coughing is typical in cats with lower airway conditions causing bronchitis, such as asthma or lungworm. Bronchitis is a general term used to describe inflammation from any cause in the lower airways.  

Wheezing that originates from narrowed upper airways (the upper trachea or voice box) is called stridor. It still has a high-pitched quality (but may sound harsher) and occurs during either inspiration, expiration, or both. Stridor is associated with several upper airway conditions including infections, foreign bodies, and tumors. 

On the other hand, cats with stertor typically have an obstruction or narrowing in the highest part of the respiratory tract (within the nose or throat). Stertor is a lower-pitched, loud snoring sound and is not considered wheezing. Stertor has many potential causes, including a stuffy or inflamed nose, nasopharyngeal polyps, or nasal foreign bodies or tumors, or may be due to the condensed anatomy of brachycephalic (flat-faced) cat breeds such as Persians.  

Stertor doesn’t always mean something is wrong. It’s normal for some cats to snore while sleeping or resting in a certain position. If you’re unsure if your cat is snoring or wheezing, check with your veterinarian.

5 Causes of Wheezing in Cats

Feline Asthma/Chronic Bronchitis 

Several terms are used interchangeably for feline asthma, so you may also see it called feline allergic bronchitis, feline bronchial asthma, or chronic bronchitis. 

Some veterinarians refer to chronic bronchitis as a closely related but separate entity from feline asthma, while others lump them together as the same condition. They likely have different underlying causes but can be impossible to tell apart and are generally treated the same. If you feel confused by the terminology, you’re not alone. It’s an area requiring more research. For this article, we’ll use the term feline asthma. 

Feline asthma is a lifelong condition and one of the most classic causes of wheezing in cats. Asthmatic cats have an exaggerated allergic response to environmental allergens such as dust, smoke, pollen, scented products (candles, essential oils, fabric sprays), and strong cleaners (bleach). 

In response, their lower airways spasm and become irritated, narrowed, and plugged with mucus. Affected cats may cough, wheeze, and have labored breathing and shortness of breath, especially after exertion. A characteristic wheezing sound happens when air is forced through the narrowed airways.

Signs of asthma tend to come and go but worsen without treatment and can lead to asthma attacks. 

Here are the signs of an asthma attack: 

1. Your cat stops what they’re doing and crouches low to the ground, with a flat back and their head and neck extended.
2. They have several forceful, harsh exhales (coughs) that may produce a high-pitched wheezing sound, with their mouth typically closed.
3. They may swallow several times but not expel anything from their mouth (an exception may be if they cough enough to trigger the gag reflex and subsequently vomit).
4. Cats may carry on as usual after an episode like this; however, those who don’t recover quickly or develop other signs of difficulty breathing need emergency veterinary care.

An episode like this is often confused with “coughing up a hairball,” but hairballs don’t cause cats to cough and wheeze. Hairballs come from the digestive tract and are vomited up. Cats will forcefully gag (open their mouth wide and stick out their tongue) and have strong abdominal contractions, like a rhythmic wave, before ultimately vomiting up a hairball. They usually don’t crouch down like they do when coughing and wheezing.

If you’re unsure if your cat is wheezing or bringing up a hairball, it’s extremely helpful to take a video to show your veterinarian. 

Parasitic Bronchitis

Several species of parasites, known as feline lungworms, can set up shop in a cat’s lungs and cause parasitic bronchitis (inflammation in the lower airways caused by parasites), which can lead to wheezing. One of the most common lungworms, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, is carried by snails and slugs. Typically, cats become infected by eating an animal (mouse, bird, lizard, frog) that ate an infected snail or slug.  

Outdoor cats have the highest risk of lungworm. Once a cat ingests the parasite, it makes its way to the lungs, where adult female lungworms lay their eggs. From here, the eggs hatch into larvae, travel up the airways, are coughed up, swallowed into the digestive system, and finally, passed in the cat’s feces. 

If only a small number of worms are present, a cat may have very mild or no symptoms at all, but high numbers of worms can wreak havoc on a cat’s airways and lead to life-threatening complications. 

 Signs of lungworm include:

• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Labored breathing
• Sneezing
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fever

Respiratory Infections

Any viral, bacterial, or fungal respiratory infection can potentially cause wheezing in cats.

Common viral upper respiratory infections, such as calicivirus and feline herpes, are notorious for causing cat wheezing and sneezing, especially among kittens and in shelter environments.

Affected cats may have stertor (that loud, snoring-like sound) from a stuffy nose, while an inflamed voice box or upper trachea may result in your cat wheezing and coughing. 

Common signs include:

• Sneezing
• A runny and congested nose 
• Eye discharge
• Coughing 
• Wheezing
• Fever
• Lethargy

Bacterial upper respiratory infections, such as Mycoplasma felis and Bordetella bronchiseptica, may occur secondary to a viral infection. Typically, they cause similar but potentially more severe symptoms and can progress to pneumonia. 

Compared to viral and bacterial respiratory infections, fungal respiratory infections are relatively rare in cats (although more common in some geographical areas) and tend to affect either the nasal passages or deeper lung tissues.

Upper Airway Tumors

Some upper airway tumors cause wheezing in cats. This may happen if a tumor growing outside of the airway (such as in the front of the neck) puts pressure on the voice box, or if tumors inside the airway, such as laryngeal inflammatory polyps or lymphoma, obstruct it from within.

In these circumstances, wheezing typically occurs more predictably, such as every time a cat breathes or is in a certain position, and it tends to worsen over time. Other signs may or may not be present.  

A Foreign Body  

Occasionally, your cat may chow down on something that travels the wrong way and lodges itself in the respiratory tract. With complete upper airway obstructions, air can’t move around the obstruction, and no breathing noises can be heard. This is obviously a dire situation that is quickly fatal. Fortunately, this is rare in cats.  

However, partial airway obstructions happen on occasion. I recall a cat who was rushed in to see me as an emergency — she was wheezing loudly and gagging as if desperately trying to rid something from her throat. This all happened shortly after getting a delicious salmon treat. Can you guess what was stuck in her airway? Amazingly, she coughed out the offending fishbone and had a full recovery. Nine lives indeed!

How to Treat a Wheezing Cat

When it comes to how to help a wheezing cat, a consultation with your veterinarian is an essential first step. Wheezing is a sign of an underlying respiratory issue stemming from several different causes, so treatment and prognosis vary considerably. Once your veterinarian makes a diagnosis, they will start a treatment plan that may include medications, procedures, and addressing factors in the home environment. 

Feline asthma is a chronic condition managed with medications, including oral and inhaled (using an asthma inhaler) anti-inflammatories (steroids) and bronchodilators. At home, triggers such as smoke, dust, and strong cleaning and scented products must be avoided, and some veterinarians advocate using air purifiers with a HEPA filter. 

Most respiratory infections are treated with medication that fights the specific type of infection.

In cats, a typical viral upper respiratory infection generally doesn’t require treatment beyond supportive care (keeping their face and eyes clear of discharge, using a humidifier, warming up food to encourage appetite, etc.) — kind of like when we have the common cold. Occasionally, in more severe or challenging cases, veterinarians prescribe antiviral medications. 

If your veterinarian suspects a bacterial or fungal infection, they will treat using antibiotics or antifungal medications. 

Fortunately, lungworm is treatable with antiparasitic medication, such as fenbendazole. Mildly affected cats usually don’t need any other treatment, whereas more severely affected cats may require anti-inflammatories and additional supportive care. 

Some tumors affecting the airway can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the three. The treatment will depend on the tumor type and location, the extent of its growth, and the general health of your cat.

Foreign bodies in the nose can sometimes be flushed out with saline or removed with a small grabbing tool. If visible, a foreign body in the throat may also be retrieved with a grabbing tool.  

However, foreign bodies in the windpipe or deeper airways require removal with a bronchoscopy procedure. This is where a tiny camera and special instruments are passed into the airway to retrieve the object. If this fails, surgery to remove the affected part of the lung may be performed. 

Medicine for Cat Wheezing

• Glucocorticoids (steroids) to decrease airway inflammation
• Bronchodilators to reduce airway spasms 

• Antibiotics for bacterial infections
• Antivirals for viral infections
• Antiparasitics for parasitic infections
• Antifungals for fungal infections
• Chemotherapy drugs for some types of cancers

When to Worry About Wheezing in Cats

If wheezing is accompanied by other signs of respiratory distress (i.e., your cat struggling to breathe) see a veterinarian immediately. These signs include:

• Open-mouth breathing

• Rapid breathing (>40 breaths per minute at rest)
• Labored breathing (shallow and/or exaggerated abdominal and chest movements)
• Pale or blue gums
• Changes in normal behaviors (not eating or drinking, lethargic)

If your cat is wheezing but otherwise seems okay (they have no other signs of distress, are exhibiting normal behaviors, eating and drinking, etc.) they may not need immediate emergency treatment. They should, however, be seen by a veterinarian soon.