r/cats • u/graybetches • 16h ago
Medical Questions Is my cat's purr normal? (also sometimes coughing)
My male cat kinda makes this breathing sound when purring that I don't hear my female cat do. Also not often, but twice he has got a coughing fit as if he choked while purring. It lasted for a few seconds of him coughing and then was ok. Is this normal?
Ignore the goofy angle, I waned to get him in the video but not my face lol
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u/Chemical_Ad_8117 16h ago
That is a beautiful purr. Sounds like a content kitty. But if he coughs badly, you should go to a vet with him.
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u/graybetches 16h ago
its has only happened twice in the 7 months I've had him so idk if maybe he just choked on his own saliva?
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u/_Litheen_ 14h ago
My cat will also do an occasional mid-pur cough like he forgot to swallow saliva away. If it only happened twice in 7 months I wouldn't worry about it
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u/Beautiful_Cellist563 14h ago
As others have said, take him to the vet. Worst case scenario you waste some time and they are just coughing up a hairball
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u/Cmd_Poopdeck 8h ago
Same with my cat. When he's really purring up a storm he sometimes does a big swallow and then (sometimes) a cough. He does has FIV though (already had it when I adopted him).
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u/graybetches 7h ago
mine tested negative so idk
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u/Cmd_Poopdeck 7h ago
Yeah dont think its related to the FIV, just thought I'd mention it as a disclaimer
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u/Loud_Count_8711 15h ago
Completely broken, you should give it to me.
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u/Ill-Hamster6762 15h ago
Normal purr. If the coughing episodes persist or become consistent he needs a vet to assess for asthma
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u/Zebragirly76 15h ago
Yeah, that's okay. One of my Cats does that too, sometimes they forget to swallow when they're really relaxed and content and then my cat had to swallow real hard. Maybe it makes yours cough a little. If it happens so rarely i wouldn't worry about it. The purring sounds perfectly normal. It can be very loud, like a little engine!
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u/Prestigious_Annual17 14h ago
I love this video lol
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u/ChrispyLoco 14h ago
Yes my cat purrs like this from time to time, sounds "wet" almost, it's normal, she might be a little drooly because she's so relaxed :)
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u/CerealBoxJunkie 14h ago
I honestly do not hear anything abnormal with the purring. That being said, if you feel uncomfortable about something, call the vet. Your gut feeling is usually correct.
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u/MissDisplaced 14h ago
Occasionally my cats will cough a bit when they’re purring all loud. By that I mean once every few weeks. But consistent coughing should be looked at.
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u/graybetches 14h ago
not consistent at all, only happened twice in 7 months so hopefully its normal
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u/Elver_Gudo_6969 13h ago
Just keep an eye for when the check engine light turns on, always a pain in the ass to fix.
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u/Witch-for-hire 11h ago
I have a very drooly cat who can make really weird sounds purring because of their saliva. Choking, coughing, wet motor sounds and so on. The more content she is, she drools even more, usually on my face of course.
She has been like this from kittenhood and she is 16 and a half now :-)
It even got worse as she aged because the soft tissues of one's mouth (the palate) can get looser in the elderly (be it cats or people). This information comes from the vet after I have mentioned that she snores like a champion.
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u/Severe-Basket-6243 11h ago
Mine purrs like this and drools a lot when he's happy. Sometimes, the drool backfires and he sneezes or coughs.
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u/New_Copy1286 9h ago
I'm just crying over him smiling. Lol. I hope you can get him the help he deserves. Poor guy.
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u/TinyFeetTiina 15h ago
Hey OP. My cat has asthma and he breathes the same way. Does your cat cough often? If he does, then there is a possibility he has an asthma too. I would ask a vet to listen to his lungs.
Mine is rather mild case. Keeping your house extreme tidy is the key to not needing any medicines, however it's best to ask your doctor what they recommend.
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u/graybetches 15h ago
That I've seen, it has only happened twice in 7 months, both times while purring
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u/TinyFeetTiina 12h ago
Then I wouldn't really be that worried about it! But next time you take him to a vet for any reason, ask the vet to listen to your kittys lungs just in case. Also good idea to start keeping an diary when you hear him cough. Mine does it about every 2-3 weeks but he starts coughing more often (about once a week) during late spring.
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u/Rex-Leonum 14h ago edited 14h ago
There are 4 different cat purrs typically ranging from 25 to 150 Hertz they promote healing and reduce stress. it’s a rich tapestry of emotion and communication! It's soaking up the love 💕 it's called Solicitation purring.
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u/Imaginary_Draw8009 14h ago
The purr alone seems fine, but when you mention coughing as well I wonder about asthma. I had a cat that had asthma that purred exactly like that. Could be unconnected though. If he weezes at all definitely ask a vet about it
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u/jorizzz 14h ago
Lost a cat this year. He was coughing a lot for years. Vet always said it was asthma. And he always couched after sleeping under blankets for hours so asthma seemed very plausible. Then the couching became worse and the vet did a full scan. Tumor on this airways, cancer was spread throughout his entire body. That was his last day. His purring sometimes had an extra sound, similar to this, please let a vet check.
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u/graybetches 14h ago
he has only coughed twice in 7 months but if it happens again will def fet him checked. so sorry about your cat
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u/creativity-loading 14h ago
My cat does that when they're extra relaxed and happy. That's completely normal
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u/nateinks 14h ago
So when cats purr, the vibrations resonate into the lungs. Those vibrations can mobilize secretions and cause the cat to cough, in extreme cases they might spit up or vomit some sputum.
This can happen to any cat but mostly happens to cats with asthma, uri, or older cats who are not as active as they used to be and might have some latent atelectasis.
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u/Slightlypleasentdish 14h ago
Sounds like a normal purr
If it was an issue the cat would be coughing and wheezing way way more
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u/Sohiacci 13h ago
Car engine sounds right to me. No oil leaks either, whisker shields are proper. You're good until next visit.
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u/Roaminkath 13h ago
Sounds like my Monica. I freaked a little when I first got her and she sounded like that. But she is my first cat and I didn't know what to expect. Vet said she was fine and it was a strong & healthy "I'm totally content" purr. Coughing is another issue; vet time.
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u/OkYogurtcloset8817 13h ago
Sounds like intense pleasure purr. That sniff at the end is somewhat unusual? But it wouldn’t send me to the vet unless it was frequent.
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u/Regalkitten 13h ago
Sounds like a perfect purr, and I don't know about the coughing, but my cat sometimes makes a choking sound or as if she is about to throw up when she purrs. It only lasts a second and I don't know if it's related to a fur ball or just a glitch but she doesn't have breathing problems and is a happy, healthy senior baby.
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u/2021isevenworse 13h ago
Cat meows are completely artificial - they invent that language to communicate with humans and is often adapted to match their behavior.
There's cats that live in households with deaf people that pantomime meowing but make no actual noise because it's irrelevant to getting their human's attention.
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u/Megacannon88 13h ago
Both of my cats have asthma and their purring has that wet, bubbling sound sometimes. If your cat sometimes has wheezing fits, it might be asthma.
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u/MafiaRat23 13h ago
The engine seems to be running fine from the video, but if misfiring (coughing), then would suggest visiting the mechanic (vet).
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u/Lingering-NB1220 13h ago
It sounds fine, but none of us are vets. A quick pit stop to your local vet should have any potential issues sorted out.
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u/OFO1018 13h ago
My cat purrs exactly like this (crackling/mucus buildup as he purrs), he has asthma so definitely get it checked out at a vet. Pro tip, get your cat’s asthma meds shipped from Canada for a fraction of the cost of the same meds here is the US
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u/graybetches 13h ago
i live in spain! that would probably be more expensive hahah. will get him checked out if it continues tho
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u/WitchQueenOfAngry 13h ago
Could also be he's a happy drooler and it probably goes down the wrong pipe once in a while. Asthma is incredibly common and worth checking up but as far ad the purr I wouldn't worry about it.
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u/pmactheoneandonly 13h ago
This is how my boy sounds. He breathepurrs, and sometimes sounds congested af lol.
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u/Impossible-Speech117 12h ago
My cat also sounds like a tiger chuffing when she purrs. Handsome man with a sweet purr to match.
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u/Bright-Pangolin7261 12h ago
I don’t know about the coughing, but as far as the purr. Yes, it’s totally normal — when they’re very relaxed it can have a clicking sound.
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u/Mission-Obligation73 11h ago
Mine was also like this until I switched her dry food because of allergies.
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u/Significant-Can-3587 9h ago
Ours purr the same way…. Especially if they’re very relaxed. We also have one who snores like a truck driver, and she also purrs just because we walked into the room.
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u/Perfect_Yam985 Tuxedo 9h ago
yes the purring is totally fine but if hes choking or seems to cough u shoud prob get that checked but he could also have asthma so dont worry too much abt it😊
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u/101Blurryface101 7h ago
Purring sounds normal. I have cats that do this, even one who is louder and weirder cause his vocal cords are a bit messed up. As for coughing could be because of the cold weather. If it gets worse take him to the vet.
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u/dillpwn 6h ago
Our vet diagnosed our ~2 yr old tuxedo with allergies. She gets the poop zoomies or while she's playing and has a coughing fit. We give her half a pill of chlorpheniramine, an antihistamine, which clears it up, as needed. Basically prevents her body from producing as much of a reaction to allergens. It blocks the receptors that trigger her to produce mucus. And it's cheap.
I'm no expert, but my wife was a zookeeper for a decade, and she believes the vet. These are basically the words of a wife that has properly cared for all types of animals.
Could be asthma, but I would think if your cat has infrequent fits, it's mostly likely an allergy. Still wouldn't hurt to take your fur baby to the vet, at least to get a medical opinion and a prescription.
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u/IntrepidEase5164 6h ago
Yeah it’s normal, it probably just needs some weed, Nip is better than mint, but they both do okay
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u/One_Health1151 3h ago
Our one who was a feral and now has herpes and a constant upper respiratory infection sounds like this .. she sneezes and coughs constantly and there not much we can do because her immune system is shit but call your vet and ask for a convenia shot they worked wonders for her in the beginning for her upper respiratory infections and coughs
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u/Ilovemycat1221 American Shorthair 24m ago
yes that's normal as proll 162 people said but the coughing could be asthma my passed cat had it along with 20 other health issues
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u/SmolLittleCretin 21m ago
Asthma! Our girl has this occurring.
She'll be fine as long as the baby doesn't stop, and start coughing for long. I mean like, purring and coughing but moving is fine. A full blown scrunched to the floor coughing and not moving means it's a asthma attack and the baby can't breathe.
I have asthma, specifically cough variant- where I don't struggle to breathe like others but I do experience a lot of difficulty and coughing violently if I so much as stay in the heat too long lol.
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u/MysteriousDinner387 16h ago
yes it sounds fine