my cat is panting like a dog. what does that mean?

Question

Is she sick or what?

Answer 1

The cat's hot and/or needs a drink of water.

Answer 2

Is she hot or thirsty? Give her some water and see.

Cats don't have sweat glands and loose heat through radiation. When they get too hot they pant. Cool water might help her.

But if her temperature is fine and she doesn't stop panting for a long time and seems to be having difficulty breathing, she might be sick. Take her to a vet.

Answer 3

Yes, Cats can pant just like dogs due to environmental changes, like heat, or from anxiety, excitement, stress, or fear.
But "excessive panting" can be cause for concern. I hope youll get your kitty kat checked out for Respiratory or other diseases if that is the case.
I had a female cat that panted while she was in heat and a male that did it when he watched birds from a tree. No cause for concern unless your cat does more than normal.
Happy Tails

Answer 4

neither cats nor dogs sweat. when they overheat they cool themselves down by panting - they vent heat out through their mouths and tongues. this may just be your cats way of dealing with the summertime.
panting is not as efficient a way of cooling down the body as sweating is, so they will sometimes do it for much longer than we will sweat for. it can be dangerous, too, because they can't cool themselves fast enough sometimes. is your cat getting enough water and shade throughout the day? it could still be cooling down from the afternoon. I imagine being overheated like that must not be very pleasant.
I am not a vet and this is not a diagnosis. keep your eye on your cat, try to make it comfortable. lots of water. I hope your pet is ok.

Answer 5

Cats (and dogs) don't have sweat glands, so panting is the only way for them to cool off their heat.

If your cat or dog pants excessively, this means that they are too fatigued, weak, and possibly sick.

Do not leave your cat or dog outside on extremely hot or cold days. Always carry cool water for your pet wherever you go.

Panting can also mean cat heatstroke if:
1. the cat wobbles or walks unsteadily
2. the cat coughs and wheezes
3. the cat expresses distress and continually gasps for air
4. the cat's gums are darker red than usual

Answer 6

No, he's not sick. Cats can't sweat, just like dogs. Panting is the main way they relieve some of their excess heat in the summer.

Answer 7

When cats pant they are extremely hot. The best thing to do would be to provide her with cool water and my cats used to like a fan. If she keeps it up and you get worried, you might want to take her to a vet.

Answer 8

For the most part, when a cat pants, it's hot, if she/he, just got done running around or playing, otherwise, she could be picking up a sent from another animal, and she's taking it all in. It just depends on what she/he was doing

Answer 9

the cat is hot! dogs and cats to sweat cause the dont have pores. turn on the a/c or fan and give it some slightly chilled water like by adding a couple of ice cubes

Answer 10

Probably not. Cats (like dogs) don't sweat. So if she's been running around or it is hot out, chances are she's just trying to cool down. If you are really concerned it never hurts to take her to the vet.