We took well advantage of our hour of additional sleep this weekend…
ZORRO : It’s true, you even snored !
PIXIE : Zorro ! A young lady does not snore, come on !
What is snoring ?
Snoring is a noise emitted during breathing. It occurs when soft tissues of respiratory tracts begin tp vibrate during breathing, or when they are blocked.
Some cats snore, and for the majority of them, there is no reason to worry. A regular snore during the sleep, which is not bound to a respiratory difficulty, to a cough, or to a loss of appetite, and which does not modify (apneas or worsening) is generally not a problem. Breeds with a short nose, as the Persian or the exotic shorthair are more inclined to snore than other breeds : the shape of their snout involves that their respiratory tracts (and often lacrimal canals) are compressed. Our angel Hercule was a champion : we heard him snoring up to the next room !
However, in some cases, snoring is the sign of a health problem.
- Obesity : the surplus of fat around the neck of overweighted cats can lead to snoring. Obesity is more disturbing than the snore in this case, but it would be better to maintain your cat at a normal weight.
- Allergies
- Foreign matter : a simple blade of grass badly placed in the pharynx can cause a snore, and the help of the veterinarian can be necessary to remove it.
- Asthma
- Infections : a commonplace affection of the respiratory tracts which is not cured by itself can turn into infection. Tissues are congested, there is production of mucus, and respiratory tracts are shrunk. A medical treatment is necessary.
- Cyst, tumor, or polyp : these invisible thicknesses are difficult to detect and require a surgical operation ; it can be cancerous.
- Respiratory distress syndrome : a snore combined with difficult breathing, a cat who snores by inhaling with an open mouth in a jerky way, which seems to look for his air, is a medical urgency !
Cats of any age and any breed can snore, but at the slightest doubt, go to the veterinarian !
PS – PIXIE : I do not snore.
