My cat is panting like a dog. Is that normal?

Question

well she doesnt pant very often but she might pant if she's outside or whatever

Answer 1

It is NOT normal for a cat to pant like a dog it is a sign of distress.  Either she is extremely overheated, over stressed, or having difficulty breathing.  If it is not from heat or exertion consult your vet.  If it is from heat get her cooled down, from stress or exertion get her settled down.  If it is neither of those get her to the vet.  

Answer 2

yea..my cat does this off n on..ive heard that its due to heat or anxiety...they usually do it in stressful situations.

Answer 3

cats pant when there hot its normal behaviour keep clean water so they always have a drink also it helps if they lye down on cold floors  

Answer 4

I have seen my cat pant three times in his seven year life.  Two of the times were on hot days when he was playing outside.  The last time my cat was panting because he couldn't breathe and almost died.  My cat was in full-blown congestive heart failure and in severe pulmonary edema.  It was different than the other times as you could hear the fluid in his lungs.  He was coughing a wet cough, very different than hairballs.  My cat lived but suffered a myocardial infarction which is extremely rare in cats.  It moat often is a sign of a more hidden condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, HCM.  If your cat appears to be in distress,  head to the vet!

Answer 5

they only have sweat glands on their Tungus, so they pant, no big deal its normal.

Answer 6

That all depends. Panting may be common in your cat, but it may represent a more severe, even life-threatening illness and should not be ignored.

Panting is uncommon in cats and is not considered normal though some cats can pant after brisk play or in times of stress, such as a car ride.

Answer 7

my cat does that when he is nervous, like when I put him in his carrier.

Answer 8

yes. Cat's, like dogs have no sweat glands so it's their way of cooling down.

Answer 9

Panting isn't always normal.  Cats will pant when they get too hot, but they do this less often than dogs.  Cats evolved as hot climate animals so it takes really hot condition before they pant to cool down.  Has she been very active chasing around the garden and gotten out of breath? Cats sometimes pant when they've had a fright.

If that doesn't seem to be the cause, there are other reasons that are more serious and need a vet's attention.  Shortness of breath could be due to a heart condition.  It could be due to fluid or a mass in the chest that's not giving the lungs enough space.  When this happens, the cat gets out of breath very easily.  

Answer 10

Yes! It's perfectly fine! My cat does that do. You know, dogs have sweat glands on there tounges only! Cats are exactly like dogs in that area so that is why they pant!!

Answer 11

He is just warm. It's his way of cooling off.

Answer 12

Call the Vet right away.

There are too many serious things to be questioning.

At our Emergency Hospital we never played with that in a cat especially -

Respiratory Distress is what you say when you call them.

Good Luck and DO NOT Wait.