# my cat stops breathing while sleeping



## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

This has happened a few times... my cat seems to be sleeping very soundly but it looks as if he's not breathing at all. It freaks me out, so I start trying to wake him up. It isn't easy to wake him up when I find him like this. It happened this morning and I kept petting him and shaking him a little and then I saw him twitch. I kepped petting him and lightly trying to shake him awake and then his ear moved when I touched it. All of a sudden he started breathing again and he woke up looking very groggy.
It this actually deep sleep where cats breathe shallow enough that it looks like they're not breathing? or is he actually not breathing??? I dunno how often this happs but I've seen it happen it 3 or 4 times.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Based on my owns cats I would say sleeping this deeply that it takes time to waken him is unusual. Cats nap a lot but don't do a lot of deep sleeping. It's that natural instinct to be aware of predators. If this was my cat I would take him to the vet and discuss as better to be safe and even to give me peace of mind


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Krista,
I don't know if the following link will help...but it is interesting...
Sharon

http://healthypets.mercola.com/site...n=20150706Z1&et_cid=DM78860&et_rid=1020873517


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks for that link! I'll check it out later!
I did end up bringing him to the vet today. The only thing she could think of is that it's some kind of neurological symptom. she took blood and I will hear the results tomorrow, but she's pretty sure it's neurological. She said if it seems like it's progressing and happening more often, then a trip to a neurologist may be a good idea, but she thinks there's nothing that can really be done about it right now.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I wonder if that's similar to sleep apnea in humans. Is your cat, by any chance, overweight?

Laurie


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

yes, my cat is overweight. I control the amount of food that he eats but he keeps gaining weight anyway. I feel bad giving him smaller portions of food because he wats to eat all the time and I don't want him to feel hungry all the time. He weighed 14 lbs today, which is an increase since the last vet visit.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Krista,
What are you feeding him?
Maybe we can help you find a better food, that will satisfy him, that you can actually feed less of, but will leave him feeling full, longer!
It's sooooo hard for cats to lose weight, and it has to be done slowly!

So called 'Diet' cat foods don't work!
The cats are always hungry, and their fur starts looking bad, and they shed a lot, and it can affect their temperaments!

There's some good threads dealing with overweight kitties here, and what is recommended to feed them, and what to watch out for, health wise...
Might be worth looking at them!
Sharon


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

Because he had a blockage in his urethra once, the vet has him eating Royal Canin Urinary SO. That's when he started gaining weight.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Krista,
How long has he been on that now?
How long ago was the blockage? 
How old is he?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

In humans, sleep apnea (stopping breathing during sleep) can be fatal, and it is often associated with obesity. My housemate of many years had severe sleep apnea - the most severe case the local sleep clinic had ever evaluated. He was obese, hypertensive, and eventually developed diabetes. He died at 57, several years after he had moved out of my home. I suspect that all those years of untreated sleep apnea before I was finally able to convince him to go to the doctor probably damaged his heart.

You are doing your cat no favors by feeding him more than he should be eating just because he acts hungry. It sounds like he has you very well trained. He acts hungry, and you feed him. The more obese he becomes, the hungrier he is, and the more you feed him. You are killing him with kindness. 

That boy needs to be on a diet, and you need to learn to apply tough love in spite of his hunger. If he goes on the way he is now, you may very well not be able to wake him up one of these days, and he'll be gone.

Sharon is correct. Weight loss in cats needs to be done carefully and gradually in order to be done safely. Rapid weight loss can cause very serious illness in cats. So, the first thing you should do is buy a digital baby scale so that you can monitor his weight. That is the most critical tool to make sure that he is losing weight at a safe, slow, and steady pace. Then, depending on what you're feeding him now, you should gradually switch him to an all-canned diet (NO kibble), UNLESS kibble is the ONLY type of food that he will eat.

In any event, you must reduce his daily caloric intake so that he starts to slowly lose weight. Deafen your ears and blind your eyes to his "I'm STARVING" pleas. If you gradually reduce his meal portions so that he loses between 0.2-0.4 lb every TWO weeks, he WILL adjust to the smaller meals. It may take a week or two before he realizes that his food pleas are no longer being answered, but he will learn and accept the new food rules. 

The bigger question is, can YOU learn his new food rules?

Laurie


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

He blocked once? That, too, is often related to obesity in male cats. His weight has already caused him two life-threatening medical conditions. Diabetes may not be far off in his future. 

You REALLY need to get over your aversion to seeing him act hungry.

Laurie


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Krista2882 said:


> Because he had a blockage in his urethra once, the vet has him eating Royal Canin Urinary SO. That's when he started gaining weight.


Laurie, I don't know if you saw this...
it was right before I asked her some questions...
S.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Oops! Never mind, you did catch it! Sorry Laurie! 
S.


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

He was't overweight before the blockage, though. I only feed him twice a day at the same times no matter how much he bugs me. The thing that bothers me is that the amount I feed him now is already less than the suggested serving size on the bag.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

But now that he has blocked once, and especially now that he is overweight, he is at significantly higher risk of blocking again.

Just FYI, I have NEVER seen realistic feeding guidelines on ANY commercial cat food. If I fed any of my cats as much as any cat food package says to feed them, they'd be overweight in no time flat. It's a marketing gimmick that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the best interest of the animal being fed. 

I used to free feed kibble. As a result, I ended up with a houseful of overweight cats ranging from mildly plump to morbidly obese. When one of them had a diabetes scare, I FINALLY got serious about taking off their extra pounds. First, I switched to a much higher quality, lower carb kibble, along with canned food. I also eliminated the all-day kitty buffet and switched to portioned, scheduled meals. Most of the cats initially rejected the canned food or barely picked at it, so they were still getting the vast majority of their daily caloric intake from kibble. I started with 2/3 of the amount of kibble recommended on the bag ... and they all GAINED weight. I then reduced each cat's kibble portion by 1/8 c. At the next 2 week weigh-in, most were holding steady. I reduced kibble portions by another 1/8 c. At the next weigh-in, they were finally starting to lose weight slowly. They were also starting to eat more canned. I continued to reduce the kibble meal after every weigh-in by 1/8 c until I finally got the kibble meal down to just 1/8 c a day per cat for breakfast. By then, they were all eating more canned food for their evening meal. At that point, if they needed their food portion adjusted after a weigh-in, I would adjust only the amount of the canned meal. Later, I swapped out the canned meal for a raw prey model meal. Most of my cats still receive 1/8 c kibble in the morning and anywhere from 2-3.4 oz of raw at night, depending on the individual cat. And these aren't small cats. The average lean weight of my cats is between 11-12 lbs.

Cats really do NOT need at eat anywhere near as much food as the food manufacturers would like us to believe.

Laurie


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

ok, thanks. I will reduce the amount of food I give him at each meal.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Krista,
How long since he blocked? 
Sharon


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## burt (Jun 2, 2014)

Smokey used to do this too, when I first noticed it I freaked out a bit, it lasts like 4-5 seconds or so..


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

Krista, switching your cat to wet food will possibly save his life. The vet recommended foods are filled with low-quality ingredients, carbs, and other unnecessary things for a cat's diet. These foods lack real protein, which leaves cats unsatisfied and feeling hungrier. Additionally, dry food is dehydrating and leads to urinary problems, kidney problems, etc so it has NO place in a cat's diet, especially not as the only food. If fed, it should be fed in conjunction with a wet diet (but strictly wet is significantly better).

Wet food is species appropriate since it contains the right amount of moisture. Cats don't have a strong thirst drive by nature so they NEED hydration in their diets. Even the lower quality wet foods like Friskies and Fancy Feast are leaps and bounds better than ANY dry food.

I would recommend reading catinfo.org thoroughly. In it, the incredible veterinarian Lisa Pierson goes into detail why feeding a wet diet is so important, how to safely help a cat lose weight, among other things. It would be a good read for you. It's been proven that it's easier for cats to lose weight on a wet diet than a dry one! Since your boy has already blocked in the past AND is overweight, getting him on a wet diet and getting him on a weight-loss plan is so important for his health!


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## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks, everyone.
And someone asked how long it's been since he blocked. I think it was about a year ago.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Krista,
If it's been around a year since he blocked...
There is a good possibility, you 'could' get him off the Vet food now!
You need to do some thorough research into the various wet foods, and find the proper balance of Protein, fat, and, LOW carbs!
Check for Ash levels, and Phosphorus levels! The lower, the better!
Lisa Pierson' s site has food tables, that could help you get started!

The proper food for him, will help him feel fuller longer, so he'll need less, but he'll still be getting the proper nutrition! 
This can go a long way, as far as helping him lose some weight! 
Good Luck!
Sharon

This link will get you into her site!
There is a ton of info, so spend some time reading the various headings!

http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Read_a_Pet_Food_Ingredient_Label


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Can you just imagine kitty on a C-Pap machine?!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Krista,
You need to know which type of Crystals he had, it makes a Huge difference in how you'll pick out a healthy wet food for him!
Sharon
★★If I've missed something, please anyone, correct or add to this!!

Do your Research carefully! 

One other thing you want to look for...low Magnesium levels!


http://www.felinecrf.org/diet_and_nutrition.htm

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/cat-urinary-tract-problems

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_information/brochure_urinary.cfm

http://www.harpsie.com/flutd.htm


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