Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My mother cat is sick, panting, and missing. Is she in danger?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 8 lbs

Not sure if my first question went through. Mommy cat is sick. Panting, ears back, eyes squinted, nose up. She staggered out the door an hour ago and she hasn't been back. Not normal for her. Kittens are well but they all have had sore eyes. One has been seen by our vet who dewormed him and gave antibiotic eye ointment. They all have fleas. Mom was treated 2 weeks ago. She's a ferrell cat but so sweet. Help

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 24th, 2016

Panting is always concerning and is usually a sign of respiratory distress in cats. She could be having respiratory problems, a heart issue, or have anemia from fleas. I'd recommend trying to find her outdoors if possible and taking her to a vet as soon as you can.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 28th, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. What you are seeing can be caused by discomfort / pain or fear. I would consider having her examined by a vet and potentially have bloodwork run on her to be safe. If it is just pain from an injury, pain medications can be prescribed. If she is having an asthma attack, medication can be given to help alleviate the asthma symptoms. If you are unable to get her to the vet right away, I would see if she is interested in coming out to an area where there is little noise and it is nice and cool to monitor her. If she worsens or seems as though she is having breathing difficulties, it is best to have her seen as soon as possible. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My 1-year-old cat is panting and cold. Is this an emergency?

I would be very concerned for cardiac disease or infectious disease (pneumonia) based on those radiographs. With a temperature of 35 C (95 F) that is absolutely an emergency situation. You can see panting with cardiac disease when pulmonary edema begins to develop, which is when fluid is present within the lung tissue and does not allow for adequate gas exchange to occur. I recognize that this was posted 3 days ago, but if Sasi has not been re-evaluated by her veterinarian she needs to be ASAP to determine a treatment plan and if further diagnostics are indicated (echocardiogram, airway wash, etc.).

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat is breathing fast and sticking out its tongue. Is it serious?

No, panting in cats is never normal. I see that Tammy is quite young, but issues like asthma, heart failure, or toxin exposure could all cause signs of respiratory distress. On occasion, significant stress can trigger panting in some cats, but oftentimes there's also an underlying disease process. I strongly recommend taking Tammy to your vet or an emergency vet right away for evaluation. They'll need to perform a physical exam and will most likely recommend chest x-rays to try to get to the bottom of this situation. I hope that everything goes well for Tammy!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat is panting, drooling, lethargic, and won't eat. What's wrong?

Poor Precious! It sounds like she's quite sick. Open-mouth breathing or "panting" in cats is not normal, and usually indicates a serious breathing problem or some type of severe stress. Acting lethargic and not eating are very vague symptoms that could be caused by almost any kind of illness, so it's hard to say what might be going on without being able to examine her and run some tests. It does sound like this may be a life-threatening problem, so I would recommend taking her to the vet today to be seen. If your regular veterinarian doesn't have Saturday hours, I would take her to your nearest emergency clinic. The vet there can do blood work, x-rays, or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what kind of treatment is needed.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat is panting a lot and itching his ears. What could it be?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my cat panting and breathing heavily through her nose?

This presentation may be due to a respiratory or cardiac problem. Sudden onset is usually compatible either with feline asthma or a cardiac issue. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. 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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat is panting. Is it an emergency or just normal behavior?

Oh no, poor Midnight! You are correct that her panting can be due to the heat, but she could also be in respiratory distress, or in a lot of pain. It's not normal for a cat to pant, and if it continues for more than five minutes, then yes I would take her into an emergency cat clinic right away.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My new foster cat is panting and scared. Is this a health issue?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While panting and open mouth breathing can be due to nervousness to some extent, this most likely signals a respiratory condition such as asthma, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I highly recommend you consider taking Fluffy to your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They will likely recommend starting with an exam and chest radiographs. Hoping for the best! Good luck and have a great day!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share