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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Cat panting with open mouth after playing

24 replies

Featheredfoe4 · 20/03/2022 07:54

My cat is approx 8 months old & loves to play chasing balls & with feather wand toys etc. She also does bonkers zoomies around the house. I’m a bit worried as she is panting with her mouth open afterwards and I’ve read it could be a sign of a heart condition. Anyone else with a cat that does this? Im going to make a vet appointment - her last appointment was for vaccinations a few months ago & the vet did a health check & said her heart sounded good so hopefully I am worrying unnecessarily.

OP posts:
Want2beme · 20/03/2022 11:31

I don't think it's unusual for a cat to pant after play, but I've never seen it. If the panting stops quickly then it's probably nothing to worry about, but if it continues for a long time after, there's a problem. I've seen my cats pant a bit when they got hot when we lived in a hot country, and it's worrying to see that.

Fritilleries · 20/03/2022 14:09

Make sure it's got access to water. It's only panting after playing fgs. Probably tired out.

Pixiedust1234 · 20/03/2022 15:08

Imagine yourself chasing balls and doing zooming....wouldn't you be panting?? Dont overdo the ball/wand play as little and often is better for cats than long play sessions.

Pixiedust1234 · 20/03/2022 15:09

zooming?? I meant zoomies - which is the exact opposite in terms of exercise

ThatPosterIsSoRight · 20/03/2022 15:13

One of mine did this regularly at a similar age. I think his desire to play outdid his fitness. He’s fine and now 3 years old. I haven’t seen him pant for ages actually, though he’s still pretty playful.

Susu49 · 20/03/2022 15:22

Is she panting or tasting the air? Cats will often sit with their mouths open and sort of pant/mouth breathe when they're intent on picking up scents in the air - they have glands which do so. I tend to see to it when cats are feeling stressed but it's also possible she's just overestimulated.

thecatneuterer · 20/03/2022 15:22

I have only ever seen panting when a cat is extremely stressed, or where there is a heart/lung problem. I have never seen it after normal exertion. I would at least speak to a vet for advice, even if you don't book him in for a consult just yet.

moonbedazzled · 20/03/2022 15:24

Cats cool down by sweating through their paws, but it's not very efficient, or by grooming themselves, the evaporating saliva cools them off. And they can pant. Panting after running around is much more common in kittens than in cats. Maybe cats are better at regulating how much they do and recognise the signs of exertion more? Most likely this is all it is.

TeaStory · 20/03/2022 15:25

Check with a vet, but Jackson Galaxy advises playing with high-energy cats to the point they are panting.

GuppytheCat · 20/03/2022 15:26

Ours did this when young. I was concerned as she was one of a stray litter that hadn’t all survived, so a rough start. But I talked to the vet who said it wasn’t a concern in a mad kitten (under 1). She’s grown out of it.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 20/03/2022 15:28

Betsy did this when she was younger, especially on warm days. She is long haired and overheats quickly.

I got her checked out at the vets and she got a perfectly clean bill of health and a comment from the vet of "she's obviously just a bit odd" 😂😂

Definitely take her for a health check to put your mind at rest though.

Original poster
Featheredfoe4 · 20/03/2022 16:42

Thanks for the responses everyone

@Fritilleries - FGS, what’s the FGS for?

OP posts:
Fritilleries · 20/03/2022 17:52

It was my reaction to your reaction. It's a bit precious! Smile

Happymiraclemorning · 20/03/2022 17:55

Get her checked with a vet.
I work at at vets and this happened to one of our clients- the cat actually had a heart murmur. I’m sure it’s not that but worth double checking

ClariceQuiff · 20/03/2022 17:58

I was going to suggest having her checked for a heart murmur too. One of mine has a low-grade heart murmur and occasionally pants. It's stable and not at a level where medication is needed but the vet keeps an eye on it when she has her annual check-up.

Supersimkin2 · 20/03/2022 18:15

Vet.

TheSpottedZebra · 20/03/2022 18:22

I've had both. A young cat who panted and it WAS a heart issue, and another who panted and the vet said it was fine and he was just knackered.

So I'd get it checked out for sure.

AllTheOtherCats · 20/03/2022 19:17

Hello Featheredfoe4

I'd say you can just never be sure and, as the previous posters have said, take kitty to the vet and get her checked out. Open-mouth breathing can definitely be a sign of something more serious (I know, I recently lost my beautiful girl a couple weeks after she started this although she was much older than your cat and hopefully your kitty will be fine!)

Please ignore Fritilleries 'it's a bit precious' comment. This is The Litter Tray not AIBU. You're not being 'precious' at all. Just caring and responsible. Shame more pet owners aren't like you x

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 20/03/2022 19:59

@Fritilleries

It was my reaction to your reaction. It's a bit precious! Smile
It really isn't.

Generally cats don't pant. And it's quite worrying when they do.

Not precious. Just aware of DCats health.

bellac11 · 20/03/2022 20:01

@Fritilleries

It was my reaction to your reaction. It's a bit precious! Smile
Cats dont pant, they're not like dogs so its not precious to see abnormal behaviours and wonder what to do about it
pastaandpesto · 22/03/2022 16:41

Our 7 month old kitten has had a few episodes of panting after playing hard. It was/is a bit alarming and it has taken him a good few minutes to recover each time.

Prompted by this thread I have booked him for a check-up tomorrow - I will report back!

Roseau18 · 22/03/2022 16:47

My kitten used to pant like a dog after playing. The vet said he would grow out of it and he has.

pastaandpesto · 23/03/2022 15:05

Update from me - I took our panting kitten to the vet this morning. She had a good listen to his heart and chest and couldn't detect a murmur or any other problem. She said if it keeps happening or gets worse then the next step would be an xray (which would need a GA) or echocardiogram (which would need a referral elsewhere). She didn't seem to think that there was any need to rush into further investigations.

So not 100% conclusive (which is to be expected I guess) but I'm glad we've ruled out any obvious problem and we will keep an eye on him to see if he grows out of it.

Fuzzy303 · 23/03/2022 15:32

my cat did this & unfortunately she had a heart condition. Please check with your vet

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