Do cats pant???? I'm very nervous!!!!?

Question

I was playing with my healthy 5 month old kitten with a thing on a string type of toy and she was getting very excited and playful and then I noticed her panting, I got very nervous and quickly checked if she had possibly swallowed anything and she hasnt. I live in a tropical climate and had only one airconditioner on in the house... it's a comfortable temperature but not too cool. I called my emergency vet number and the tech told me that like dogs... cats will pant when they are too hot. I turned all the AC's on now and she seems fine but I have never heard of this before.... do cats pant??

Answer 1

YES! And I know quite a few people who have never seen a cat pant, so don't feel silly.
Cats, like dogs, don't sweat. They lose some heat and water through their paw pads, but the majority of their heat regulation is through their lungs. Like dogs, when they get too hot, they pant to rapidly get rid of that excess heat.
Just let her take a break when you see her pant. Some kitties never get that excited, but some do--I have one who just get frantic when she plays, and I have to stop frequently and let her cool off when she starts to pant.
Good luck with your kitty!

Answer 2

Cats can pant when they get overheated, but this usually resolves quickly once the cat settles down and cools off. However, cats (even young cats) can also pant if they have heart trouble.

I have a 17-month-old Tonkinese who is a real ball of energy. He runs from one end of the house to the other, and has even been known to run straight up the wall or the door jamb almost to ceiling height! That would probably work most cats into a lather, but I had a funny feeling about this. I took him in to have a chest X-ray, EKG and sonogram just to be safe-- as a vet tech, I've seen many kitties with heart trouble that seemed perfectly healthy otherwise. Sure enough, his heart was enlarged on the X-ray. Fortunately, the EKG was pretty normal. However, the sonogram did show a thick heart muscle and small left ventricle (the "filling chamber"). That confirmed a diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). The good news is that many cats with HCM can live for a very long time if treatment begins early. At rest, my kitty is just fine and now that he's on medicine once a day (atenolol-- a beta blocker) and a mild blood thinner twice a week, he can sprint the whole house from top to bottom without getting winded. Of course, we do encourage him to rest, but he's a TONKINESE... that word isn't in their vocabulary! FWIW, my cat was diagnosed at 9 months of age though we suspected it when he was about 6 months old. Many cats don't receive a diagnosis until they are much older and much sicker-- he is very lucky to have a "mommy" who's a vet tech at a feline practice!

Longhaired breeds are most susceptible to HCM, but HCM is the most common heart issue in cats. It is rather common, so it might be woth checking on just to be safe. As I said, finding HCM early on and beginning treatment to keep it under control can really do wonders to keep your kitty healthy despite it all. HCM can't be cured, but it can be managed like many other chronic illnesses (diabetes, thyroid disease, epilepsy, etc.). I've seen cats that have lived 10 or more years after diagnosis, and they were already 3 or 4 years old when the HCM was found.

I'm not saying that your cat has HCM-- she could have just gotten all worked up in play-- but it might be worth looking into if the panting continues. Everything may check out fine, but as the saying goes-- better safe than sorry!

Answer 3

Yes they do. My cat/kitten (7 months old) does the same thing after we've been playing together. I have her run around after a string to get her tired in the evenings. I would suggest that when you see your cat panting that you should stop the games and give her time to rest and catch her breath. Don't worry about it, just take a break.

Answer 4

To all these people writing and saying it is normal, NO, IT IS NOT!!!!
Cats do pant, but it is not common like when dogs pant all the time. It is a sign of severe heat stress, though that is odd because your home isn't -that- hot... But it is not a sign of something normal, something is wrong when the pant, even if a bunch of other people who have cats that pant.

Answer 5

I live in FL and have 2 outside cats. Yes, they do pant. It is their body's way of cooling them down because they can't sweat. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just try not to overheat her/him too much. Sometimes they have more trouble coping with the excitement when they are younger, and they will grow out of it. But also, a little fyi, sometimes when they get older, panting can be a sign of asthma, so it gets worse, I would bring it to the vet to get checked!

Answer 6

Yep, they do, and who ever said they dint is wrong. Cats, along with almost any other living mammal in the world, pant to cool off. It just means that she got a tad bit too excited and needed a breather, and maybe some water also.

Don't worry, be happy!

Answer 7

I truly wouldn't worry too much. Cats/kittens pant at times because of the weather/temperature similar to dogs. Your pet is very young and gettng acclimated. Cats and kittens can be very fickle so try to get used to it,

Answer 8

DONT WORRY!!! its completely natural & most all cats pant when they play very hard or hget hot.....I had a cat that panted all the time I used to joke he was part doggie!! LOL...but like I was saying not to worry your kitty is just fine

Answer 9

Cats pant whilst they are warm, as nicely as canines. Its fantastically well-known. Its variety of unhappy that she has to stay interior the basement.. thats the style of ingredient human beings get in difficulty with for animal cruelty. notwithstanding it least your looking after her! (mothers and fathers harm each thing haha!) save an eye fixed on her and in case your nevertheless worried take her to a vet/call a vet. you ought to talk your mom into letting the cat stay out of the basement, it is going to stay a fit,extra effective&astounding,and specific longer existence on your place.

Answer 10

cats do pant occasionally but like the vet tech said usually only when overheated.
I had a cat who panted when they were nervous or scared.
If your cat keeps doing that, you may be wise to take it in for a check up.
May be a nervous disorder.