Why is my cat panting, running, hiding, and scratching a lot?

The skin twitching and running can be a sign of fleas or skin irritation, and occasionally cats will display an extreme version of this with feline hyperesthesia syndrome. The open mouth breathing is a little concerning - this is usually a sign of cardiac or respiratory disease although occasionally some cats will breathe with their mouths open when they are very excited. If you see any labored breathing or the open mouth breathing continues I’d recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian.

Hello. Panting is not normal for cats, although they will pant for short periods if it is extremely hot, or they are very stressed out. If he is panting when he is indoors, or during the cooler parts of the days, this is an indication to have him examined by your veterinarian as quickly as possible. Panting could be an indication of a lack of oxygen if your cat is anemic from fleas, mites or intestinal parasites, or he could have a lung infection like pneumonia, or even heartworm disease. The sooner you can have him seen, the sooner you can find out what is causing Sailor to pant & any appropriate treatment can be started. Best to you & Sailor.

This could be a sign of several things including environmental allergies, mites, ringworm, and food allergies. Without doing a physical examination on Shyannne it's difficult to say what it causing her to itch. Even if you are not seeing fleas, if she is not currently on a good quality flea preventative like Revolution you may want to start. You may want to try bathing with a soothing shampoo. Once a veterinarian checks her out they may prescribe a medicated shampoo. The Douxo line makes medicated shampoos and also mousses for animals that are more difficult to bathe. Omega-3s are naturally anti -inflammatory so these may help as well. If Shyanne's symptoms persist then she should be taken to your veterinarian. Her skin can be tested for mites and other types of infections. There are many treatments for allergies available as prescription medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Shyanne's skin issues resolve quickly!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds that Millie has allergic reaction that is causing the itching. Please, take Millie to your local vets for appointment as soon as possible as she will make things worse by continuous biting and scratching. Your vet will likely prescribe a course of anti-allergic medications that should stop the itching and let the skin heal.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. She does have a very large open wound that does require therapy and warrants veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. The treatment would depend on the underlying cause. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Do flea control, if you have not done so yet. Even indoor cats can catch a flea brought in from the ourside. If there is no flea problem then your kitty may be suffering fom Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome, which is a type of seizure disorder. I suggest you take her to your vet ASAP for an exam. There are mesications available to reduce these attacks, such as anti-anxiety medications. However, your vet needs to rule out other diseases that could cause sudden pain.