Is this a panic attack?

[onlygirl]

I have always had a fear of cat's no idea why! The other day whilst sitting in a cafe with friends, a cat caught my eye about 5 feet away.
As soon as I had seen it my heart started pounding, heavy breathing, tears then full on crying and red faced. I had to get away so ran outside .
It has happened once before at sil's.
Is this a panic attack? and how does it change from just a fear/dislike to a full on attack??
TIA

It could be. Did the sensation develop fast and have a peak? As I understand panic attacks they are the body's fight-or-flight response gone haywire, happening in the wrong contexts. Sometimes they are in response to a particular situation, sometimes they are spontaneous and don't appear to have an immediate cause - some people can wake up in the night having one, for example.

Triggers for panic attacks can include going through a period of unusual stress. Some people also think they can be caused by a temporary chemical imbalance in the brain, e.g. of serotonin. That is why panic is sometimes treated with antidepressants. There is probably an element of hereditary disposition for some people too, as with depression and anxiety, and if you have a history of depression or anxiety you are more likely to develop panic attacks. But I don't think anyone fully knows why any one person starts having them all of a sudden.