[marwood71]

how normal is it for a healthy 6-mo-old kitty to pant all the time? she's quite big, weighing in at 7 lbs, but the vet says her weight is fine for her frame. but when we are playing, after about five minutes, she opens her mouth and pants. (just as a note, it is a very, very cool night tonight... about 60°, and she's doing it right now!)

 

[Aonir]

She may be having a cold. It can prevent her from breathing through her nose. My kittens RARELY panted, so that is a concern for me. I'm really stumped on this one, Sorry..

Take her to your vet and have her examined. If s/he doesn't know what's wrong.. get a new vet.

 

[marwood71]

hmmm, i will call the vet on tuesday... i don't think it's a cold, because she has done this for awhile now. BUT i was actually thinking she may have allergies, because she sounded a little stuffy the other day with her breathing. a little 'wheezy.' :?

 

[tanyuh]

could be, but i know that psi and samhain will pant if they've been meowing a lot or if they are stressed out. i.e. they pant in the car while they are meowing their heads off. maybe your kitty is just over excited! it doesn't sound illness related because you said she only does it when you play.

 

[Bengalsownme]

Have the vet pay special attention to her heart. She could have an enlarged heart or something to that manner. It's normal if you were playing with her pretty hard like making her jump after a feather on a string or something like where she is running and jumping for several minutes straight but it's not normal for her to be doing that for no reason.Is she drinking enough fluids? ans toileting okay?

 

[marwood71]

mmm, yeah. she does only do it after she's been jumping for the 'bird,' but my other cat never did that. she just seems to get winded real quick. i am a little over-protective of her because i almost lost her once. i haven't talked to the vet, but i'll call her tomorrow. thanks for the info!! i really appreciate it.

 

[marwood71]

i was just was doing some research on vetinfo4cats.com (a great resource, by the way) and i am terrified. i think lola may have a heart condition... she was tested for pretty much everything else when she was in kidney failure, so i know she doesn't have hyperthyroidism or anything else that would cause her labored breathing.

she's been doing two things: panting and chewing like she's got a mouthful of peanut butter (but with no food, just as if she's licking her chops). has anyone seen this before?

 

[Jeanie]

I'm crossing my fingers and saying a prayer that all is well!

 

[catnapt]

hi- this kitty is 6 mos or 6 years old? sorry i forgot already!!
if young,
has she been spayed yet?

i had a cat (that my daughter adopted from me) who pants when she has been playing or if she is excited and she did it the most before she was spayed, as she got OVER excited
it is not too common for cats to pant, but it does happen and it does not always mean that something is wrong

at least, according to my vets!!


if this is an older (6yr) cat, then i would be more concerned if she never has panted before

the chewing like the cat has a mouthful of peanut butter happens a lot with real sticky canned food and is also common in cats who need dental work
and, unfortunately, it can also be a sign of ulcers in the mouth caused by kidney disease

i should go back to your first post- i cant believe my swiss cheese brain cannot remember how old this cat is!!
BRB

 

[catnapt]

ok, it is a 6 mos old kitty and you say she is healthy but she had kidney trouble before???


what was the cause of the kidney problem??

well definately a visit to the vet is in order, but try not to worry based on the panting alone, it is not common but it is also not unheard of for cats to pant and there is no problem with them

you say she does that thing with her mouth when she is not eating? there are several possibilities that come to mind- mouth ulcers or sores, or a needle or pin stuck in her mouth somewhere, and i have seen cats do this when their stomach is upset and they are on the verge of vomiting, yet never actually vomit
(my BJ does it sometimes)

please let us know what the vet says and best wishes to you and your cat!

 

[marwood71]

unfortunately, it cost me a bundle, but the vet ran an echocardiagram and chest xrays and told me lola's heart looks great, lungs clear as a bell. guess she's just fat. she is only 7 months old and weighs in at 8 lbs. she is on a diet.

lola was in acute renal failure one week after getting spayed, at about 12 weeks old. from the moment the vet diagnosed her, the prognosis was dim. the emergency vet basically told me she wouldn't make it. well, thank god she did! she made a very rapid and surprising recovery, and the vet(s) still do not know what caused her renal failure. she saw an internist, goes to a great cats-only vet, and i've consulted "dr mike" from vetinfo4cats.com. nobody can really tell me why she had this reaction... they just chalk it up to some sort of genetic problem, and that she was compromised by the anesthsia. the big mystery is that she went from bad to worse to normal in exactly three days. none of the vets had ever seen a cat recover so quickly from renal failure.

anyway, i digress! as usual. :roll: so the vet says she is all right, but i still wonder is it hyperthyroidism? i think kidney problems and panting/cardio problems are a symptom... i would think they would have ruled that out already, though.

thanks (again) for all your response and prayers!