Check your cat’s normal breathing rate
The normal breathing rate for cats at rest or asleep is about 15–30 breaths per minute. Tap along with your sleeping cat’s chest for 30 seconds and this counter works out the rate and tells you if it needs a vet.
Free health check · Based on vet sources
Breathing rate counter
Wait until your cat is asleep or lying still. Your first tap starts a 30-second timer.
30 seconds
Your breathing log
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Normal breathing rate for cats, by result
| Breaths per minute at rest | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | Normal Typical range is 15–30 | Nothing, unless your cat seems unwell in other ways |
| 30–40, and it stays there | Higher than normal | Recount later, and call your vet today if it’s still high |
| Over 40, or any struggle to breathe | Emergency | Go to a vet now |
How to count your cat’s sleeping respiratory rate
- Wait until your cat is deeply asleep or resting quietly, at least 15 minutes after play, eating or a car ride.
- Watch the chest or flank. One rise and fall is one breath.
- Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2, or tap along above.
- Skip counting while your cat is purring, dreaming with twitching paws, or in a hot room. These can raise the rate for a moment.
Tracking breaths per minute with heart disease in cats
For cats with heart disease, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the sleeping respiratory rate is one of the most useful things you can check at home. A rate that creeps up over a few days can be the first sign of fluid building in or around the lungs, often before your cat looks ill. Many veterinary cardiologists ask owners to call if the sleeping rate is consistently over 30. Count once a day at a similar time, save the reading here, and bring your log to checkups. Your own vet may give you a different target for your cat, and their number is the one to follow.
Fast breathing has other causes too, including asthma, pain, fever and anemia. Read more about why a cat is breathing fast.
What is a normal breathing rate for a cat?
A relaxed or sleeping cat usually takes about 15 to 30 breaths per minute. Count when your cat is deeply asleep or resting quietly, not after play or while purring.
How do I count my cat’s sleeping respiratory rate?
Wait until your cat is asleep, then count each time the chest rises for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. One rise and fall of the chest counts as one breath.
When should I worry about my cat’s breathing?
Call your vet the same day if the resting rate stays between 30 and 40. Go to an emergency vet now if it is over 40, or your cat breathes with an open mouth, uses its belly to breathe, or has blue or grey gums.
Why do vets ask owners of cats with heart disease to count breaths?
A rising sleeping respiratory rate is often the first sign of fluid building up in or around the lungs from heart failure. Many cardiologists ask owners to call if the sleeping rate is consistently over 30.
General information for adult cats at rest. It doesn’t replace an exam by your vet. Kittens breathe a little faster. Source: Cornell Feline Health Center; Merck Veterinary Manual.
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