Cat Panting? Possible Reasons and When To Call Your Vet
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Unlike dogs, cats don’t typically pant to cool themselves. Cat panting can be normal in some cases, but panting in cats can also be a sign of a medical problem.
Read on to find the answers to the question, “Why is my cat panting?”
Key Takeaways
- When a cat pants, they’re trying to breathe in enough oxygen to meet their body’s needs.
- If your cat is panting due to an obvious cause, management involves letting them calm or cool down. A cat panting due to an underlying medical condition will likely need to be hospitalized.
- Cat panting can be a sign of a medical emergency.
Why Is My Cat Panting?
When a cat pants, their mouth is open, and they take short breaths in and out. Your cat may also have a wide-eyed or anxious expression on their face while panting.
When your cat pants, they’re trying to breathe in enough oxygen to meet their body’s needs.
Cat panting can be a sign of a medical emergency.
If your cat is panting and you notice that their gums are pale, white, blue, yellow, or another abnormal color, take them to an emergency veterinarian.
You should also go to the veterinary emergency hospital if your cat is panting and collapsing, gagging, or coughing.
Common Causes of Cat Panting
Let’s look at the most common causes of cat panting.
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Intense exercise or overexertion: Cats don’t pant as readily from exercise as dogs. However, if your cat has been zooming around back and forth after a laser pointer, you may notice them panting. In this case, it’s best to let the cat calm down rather than keep playing.
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Anxiety or stress: Some cats pant when they’re under a lot of stress, such as during a veterinary visit or a car ride.
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Overheating: If your cat is panting due to heat, they’re trying to cool down, and you should move them to a cooler location. If panting doesn’t stop or your cat develops signs of heatstroke (e.g., vomiting, lethargy, incoordination, collapse), seek emergency attention.
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Severe pain: Most cats are excellent at hiding pain, but a cat in pain may pant. Your cat is more likely to pant if they’re in severe pain, such as with a broken bone or a urinary blockage.
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Heart disease: Cats with heart defects or conditions (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) may pant if they develop congestive heart failure. This occurs due to fluid buildup in or around the lungs.
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Heartworms: Heartworm disease in cats can be quite scary. When a heartworm dies inside a cat, the cat may have an exaggerated response to the dead worm. Some cats go into sudden respiratory distress, which can cause panting, difficulty breathing, collapse, and death.
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Respiratory disease: Your cat may pant if they’re having difficulty breathing because of issues in their lungs or upper airways. Two examples of respiratory issues that can cause panting include feline asthma and pneumonia.
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Anemia: Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. If your cat’s red blood cell count is low, they may pant to compensate. There are quite a few potential causes of anemia in cats. Examples include blood loss, certain infectious diseases (e.g., cytauxzoonosis), and autoimmune conditions, such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
Should You Go to the Vet If Your Cat Is Panting?
If your cat has an obvious reason for panting, such as a recent episode of intense exercise or a stressful car trip, you don’t need to rush them to the veterinarian.
Let your cat calm down. If the panting doesn’t stop, then you should contact your veterinarian.
However, if panting comes on suddenly with no obvious explanation, seek veterinary care.
Signs of a potential emergency include:
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Pale, white, blue, gray, or yellow-colored gums
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Panting and/or yowling in the litter box
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Distended abdomen
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Coughing or gagging
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Collapse
Before assuming your cat is panting, you should rule out the Flehmen response, which occurs when your cat is sensing pheromones. During a Flehmen response, your cat slightly opens their mouth. Their tongue may appear curled. The Flehmen response, which is lovingly referred to as “stinky face,” usually lasts only a few seconds.
You may notice the Flehmen response after your cat is sniffing something, such as your shoes, a dog bed, or their litter box.
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How Veterinarians Diagnose Cat Panting
If your veterinarian is concerned that panting has a medical cause, they’ll run diagnostics to find out what’s causing your cat to pant.
Common tests include:
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Blood work: Your veterinarian will check for evidence of anemia and your cat’s overall systemic health. While blood work will include running the blood through an analyzer to get specific values, your veterinarian may also look at a sample under a microscope.
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Heartworm testing: A few drops of blood may be collected to test for heartworms. Please note that heartworm testing is more complicated in cats, so a negative test may not completely rule out the condition.
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Chest X-rays (i.e., radiographs): The veterinarian can perform chest X-rays to look for evidence of heart failure, pneumonia, injuries, and other lung conditions.
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Pulse oximetry: Much like the probe the doctor puts on your finger to check your oxygenation levels, the veterinarian may place a probe on your cat’s ear or lip to measure their oxygen levels.
Depending on what your veterinarian finds, more advanced testing may be required. An example of advanced diagnostics that may be needed is an echocardiogram (i.e., ultrasound of the heart).
If your cat is panting and you notice that their gums are pale, white, blue, yellow, or another abnormal color, take them to an emergency veterinarian.
Ensure your veterinarian knows if your cat regularly takes heartworm prevention or if your cat has missed a dose.
You should also let your veterinarian know if your cat is allowed to go outside or if they have sustained any recent traumas or injuries.
Treatment of Cat Panting
If your cat is panting due to an obvious cause, such as exercise, anxiety, or heat, management involves letting them calm or cool down.
A cat who is panting due to an underlying medical condition will likely need to be hospitalized. Your veterinarian will provide the best treatment recommendations for your cat’s condition.
Your cat may be given intravenous fluids and medications and may be placed in an oxygen chamber to help increase the amount of oxygen they’re breathing.
Otherwise, treatment for cat panting depends on the underlying cause of the symptom.
For example, cats with asthma may be managed with an inhaler attached to an asthma aerosol chamber. Pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics, such as pradofloxacin.
A cat experiencing immune-mediated destruction of red blood cells may need blood transfusions and immunosuppressive medications, such as prednisolone.
Unfortunately, some causes of cat panting, such as heartworms or cancer, may require humane euthanasia.
Prevention of Cat Panting
Not all causes of cat panting are preventable, but taking the following steps can reduce your pet’s risk of developing a condition that causes them to pant:
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Keep your cat on year-round heartworm prevention and updated on vaccinations.
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Keep your cat indoors.
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Schedule regular veterinary wellness visits.
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Keep your cat away from essential oil diffusers.
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Don’t leave your cat unattended in a car or another space where they may overheat.
Cat Panting FAQs
Why is my cat panting with their mouth open?
Your cat may be panting to breathe in more oxygen or to cool themself down. Panting can occur due to “normal” reasons, such as overexertion or getting too hot, but it can also be a sign of a medical problem, such as heart disease or anemia.
When should I worry about my cat panting?
You should worry about your cat panting if they are panting with no obvious reason or if you’re noticing other concerning signs, such as pale, white, yellow, or blue-colored gums, coughing or gagging, or collapse.
What does it mean when my cat is panting with their tongue out?
Your cat may pant with their tongue in or out, and their mouth may be slightly open or wide open. If there is no obvious reason for panting, such as intense exercise, seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.
Why is my cat suddenly panting like a dog?
Panting is certainly less common in cats than dogs. If your cat is suddenly panting but has not been exercising or playing intensely, is not anxious or stressed, and is not hot, then seek veterinary attention.