Cat dry heaving, breathing much more rapidly, however acting normal

So I am tight on money and need to plan out the potential cost to help my cat. For context I am a college student so I don’t have much time to get a job and my parents are unwilling to help. Anyways my cat recently and suddenly started dry heaving which for the first few days I didn’t think much of it I just thought she had hairballs, however I noticed other symptoms that came up. Despite her acting as she usually does she not only started dry heaving but as well as her breathing has become more rapid within this two days. Please give me advice so I can prepare financially and mentally to help my cat. Thank you

Hello  -and I'm afraid that there is a fair chance of this being an emergency, especially if it is still going on / escalating.  In an ideal world this would be particularly stubborn example of a hairball, but foreign bodies, pancreatitis, some severe systemic disease (e.g. kidney liver disease, ketoacidosis) and cancer can all present like this, amongst others.  The trouble with dry retching is, that it's traumatic.  Cats can damage their throats.  It makes it hard to take and process enough food and water, ultimately causing weakness.  It can also disrupt the acidity of the body, which impacts on the acidity of the blood and the kidneys and so on.  Therefore, we would recommend taking this seriously and getting your cat assessed.  At best, it will add a consultation fee on to any financial worries and that will be that; at worst, this could be serious enough that the consultation could lead to treatment that saves your pets' life.  I hear your worries about finances and would suggest being straight with vets about the financial aspect from the onset; they then know to spend any funds as wisely as they can to get the best outcome.  They also have the option to refer you to local charity resources if any such options are available.