Patterns of respiratory neuronal discharge in the pre-Botzinger complex, hypothesized as a brainstem site generating respiratory rhythm, are described in adult cats. Signals were recorded from neurons in the Botzinger complex, pre-Botzinger complex and rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) of anesthetized adult cats. The pre-Botzinger complex, located caudal to expiratory-modulated Botzinger neurons, contained a mix of neurons with inspiratory-modulated, expiratory-modulated, or phase-spanning patterns of impulse activity, in contrast to the more homogenous neuronal distributions characteristic of adjacent Botzinger and rVRG regions.