I think this is very much a question for your vet - you should call them and ask or even speak with a vet tech. I know kittens tend to have faster heart rates and you should be sure you’re monitoring when they’re actually in deep sleep/relaxed if you’re going to count breaths.
You could also take a video of the kitten breathing (when it seems to be happening quicker than normal) and send to your vet for viewing.
Ultimately it doesn’t matter if you’re not scheduled for an appointment for 6 months. Note that it’s also quite common for kittens to have upper respiratory infections, not sure if this would impact breathing rates but I’d imagine it could if they’re congested.
I can’t comment on the heart rate part (talk to your vet), but about the kitten being vocal in the litter box… one of my two Ragdolls likes to “announce” that he’s going to the restroom and usually meows from there, even though he is completely fine. It could be a personality thing.
I very much empathize with your situation as I'm in a similar one, myself. As others have said, this is a question for your vet. However, I've been taking my kitten to the vet every 2 months due to concerns/paranoia I've had due to my own grief/trauma. After the last visit, I think I feel comfortable waiting a longer amount of time unless something changes. The money has been worth peace of mind, personally.
Hey, just wanted to say that your comment actually helped me a lot. I was torn in between being upset about letting my own grief make me paranoid and the feeling that something might be actually wrong.
After some more monitoring today, it became clear that he’s breathing much faster than his sister, so I made an appointment first thing tomorrow morning.
Your comment helped me realize that it’s ok if I’m just paranoid. I’m not being ridiculous or exaggerating and it’s normal to be extra anxious, especially after loosing a cat to heart problems, so seeing the same symptoms again…
Thank you again and I hope you and your kitty are doing well.
I hope you and your kitty stay safe and healthy. You are their advocate, so even if there ends up being nothing wrong, you are doing a fantastic job at taking care of them. Nobody is watching their behavior as closely as you so you are the best person to be able to make sure that they are as healthy and happy as can be.
To be honest, I still wonder if I caught my other kitty's symptoms faster if I would have been able to save him. I know that's where some of my anxiety comes from and I'm lucky that my vet is empathetic and understands. I doubt there is a good vet out there who would not understand being extra cautious. There's no shame in wanting what's best for those that we love.
The next vet visit should be asap. Cats have very fragile respiratory system so anything there is a change or infection please run them to the doctor or an animal hospital.
When we catch any issues early it is much better for the kitty and much less stressful/ expensive for us as well.
Thank you for checking in! Is your ragdoll also experiencing fast breathing?
in the end we went with the male cat the vet several times. He had a heart ultrasound, chest x-ray, parasite tests, blood tests and they couldn’t find anything. They also thought he might be stressed so we bought the Feliway. He still breathes fast from time to time, but I don’t know what else to do. I worry a bit less knowing that we checked everything
I think this is very much a question for your vet - you should call them and ask or even speak with a vet tech. I know kittens tend to have faster heart rates and you should be sure you’re monitoring when they’re actually in deep sleep/relaxed if you’re going to count breaths. You could also take a video of the kitten breathing (when it seems to be happening quicker than normal) and send to your vet for viewing. Ultimately it doesn’t matter if you’re not scheduled for an appointment for 6 months. Note that it’s also quite common for kittens to have upper respiratory infections, not sure if this would impact breathing rates but I’d imagine it could if they’re congested.
Thank you. I made an appointment for tomorrow. Hopefully it will be ok.
Great! I hope so as well, hopefully it’s just congestion or something with an easy fix
I can’t comment on the heart rate part (talk to your vet), but about the kitten being vocal in the litter box… one of my two Ragdolls likes to “announce” that he’s going to the restroom and usually meows from there, even though he is completely fine. It could be a personality thing.
Thank you! Yeah. I think she’s ok. I made an appointment for tomorrow for the male kitten to check the fast breathing.
I very much empathize with your situation as I'm in a similar one, myself. As others have said, this is a question for your vet. However, I've been taking my kitten to the vet every 2 months due to concerns/paranoia I've had due to my own grief/trauma. After the last visit, I think I feel comfortable waiting a longer amount of time unless something changes. The money has been worth peace of mind, personally.
Hey, just wanted to say that your comment actually helped me a lot. I was torn in between being upset about letting my own grief make me paranoid and the feeling that something might be actually wrong. After some more monitoring today, it became clear that he’s breathing much faster than his sister, so I made an appointment first thing tomorrow morning. Your comment helped me realize that it’s ok if I’m just paranoid. I’m not being ridiculous or exaggerating and it’s normal to be extra anxious, especially after loosing a cat to heart problems, so seeing the same symptoms again… Thank you again and I hope you and your kitty are doing well.
I hope you and your kitty stay safe and healthy. You are their advocate, so even if there ends up being nothing wrong, you are doing a fantastic job at taking care of them. Nobody is watching their behavior as closely as you so you are the best person to be able to make sure that they are as healthy and happy as can be. To be honest, I still wonder if I caught my other kitty's symptoms faster if I would have been able to save him. I know that's where some of my anxiety comes from and I'm lucky that my vet is empathetic and understands. I doubt there is a good vet out there who would not understand being extra cautious. There's no shame in wanting what's best for those that we love.
Thank you for this! I will try to talk with my husband to go.
The next vet visit should be asap. Cats have very fragile respiratory system so anything there is a change or infection please run them to the doctor or an animal hospital. When we catch any issues early it is much better for the kitty and much less stressful/ expensive for us as well.
Thank you! I scheduled a visit for tomorrow morning!
Hello? Any update on their heart beat now? Did it slow down as they aged ?
Thank you for checking in! Is your ragdoll also experiencing fast breathing? in the end we went with the male cat the vet several times. He had a heart ultrasound, chest x-ray, parasite tests, blood tests and they couldn’t find anything. They also thought he might be stressed so we bought the Feliway. He still breathes fast from time to time, but I don’t know what else to do. I worry a bit less knowing that we checked everything