Ok so at first i thought it was particular to one of my two cats, We brought her back down with us from Va, to Texas (almost a week long drive with all the stops and breaks) and for the first two or three days she had me worried sick because she would start panting, much like a dog does and i had never seen a cat do that before. I kept trying to give her food and water and comfort her so she could go to sleep but it didnt help too much. by the third day or so she stopped and i brushed it off because she did just fine even way after we got to texas. Well i got a second cat and we travel alot from San Antonio to Laredo, Tx (2hr drive). We decided to take them both down to see my mom, and thats when i realized that my second cat started doing the same panting thing my first cat did. Freaky i thought and again i was worried. but just as cat#1 she got over it and has been doing fine since. Is this normal?? Because i think its weird and i m wondering if perhaps i shouldve told the vet..?
2007-05-26 03:35:37 · 13 answers · asked by Switchblades 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
It is normal. Cat's get really stressed out in a car ride. The only time I've ever seen my cat panting is in the car on the way to the vet.
2007-05-26 03:43:52 · answer #1 · answered by Colin K 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Panting Cat
2016-10-05 05:30:51 · answer #2 · answered by lurleen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats don't pant for the same reasons dogs do. Dogs sweat and regulate heat through panting. Cats, on the other hand, pant when they are overheating. There may be other reasons, but this happened to my cats when I lived in Florida in an RV. 94 degrees seemed to be about the maximum they could stand, and then they would start panting. It means the cats internal temperature is at a dangerous level, and you should immediately move the cat to a cooler location. Each cat has their own tolerance, I had one cat that loved 120 degrees, my others would have died at this temp.
There could be other reasons for panting, inhaling something harmful, stress, etc., but my experience has been with excessive heat.
2007-05-26 03:45:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Panting in a cat is a sign of extreme stress - either through illness or pain, or environmental stress. It's not unusual for cats to hate travelling and start panting a lot.
As with humans, frequent stress is not good for a cat. Is there anyway you could leave the cats behind when you travel? Maybe get a neighbour to look after them?
Chalice
2007-05-26 05:06:01 · answer #4 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats do pant like dogs, just not as often. Cats sometimes pant from anxiety (which may be your problem) or from overheating or from certain illnesses. You should always ask your vet if your animals exhibit unusual behavior, even if just to put you at ease. You can call your vet's office and let them know about this and they might tell you, on the phone, that it is nothing to worry about. Good luck!
2007-05-26 03:47:38 · answer #5 · answered by spaz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Totally stressed to the point of panic and anxiety attack. On long road trips it is sometimes it is best to cover the cat carrier's sides--don't put anything close to the carrier because you don't want to block air flow which is very important-- but just surround the carrier so they cannot see, but leave the front of the carrier unblocked and facing a person they love....this way you can talk to them, they can see you, etc.; but they don't see cars and the background whizzing by. I found that this helped me keep my cat calm during an inter-state move. After about 1/2 hour of meowing...when he realized he was not going to the vet....he fell asleep and when he woke up, I'd talk to him and put my fingers into the cage through the grate and pet him and he felt everything was okay.
2007-05-26 04:26:52 · answer #6 · answered by Gipper 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well i've looked it up on the net several times like you my cats pant also 1 particualr the answer thanks to the web is it is frightened or in pain cats pant. But, with my cat it only pants when outside i am thinking it is asthma but not sure. hope this helps.
2007-05-27 15:29:30 · answer #7 · answered by Dan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Incredibly stressed cats pant...it's like a panic attack.
If she's stopped it means she's settled down a bit. The journey may well have scared the living daylights out of her.
Next time you take her on any long trips get your vet to prescribe tranquillisers so she can relax.
2007-05-26 03:47:57 · answer #8 · answered by Spazzcat 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes tell the vet, they will have a better answer for you. It may have been the change in altitude or very scared. Most cats dont enjoy a trip.
2007-05-26 03:44:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All cats are weird like that. Heh heh!
2016-03-13 00:03:18 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋