Cat Is Panting

[Erisha]

My cat is panting heavily. I live in India where the temperatures around this time rise up to 102.2 °F and it's also very humid. My cat is 6 and a half months and she runs around a lot and is very active. So is heat and her activity the primary cause? She is also aggresive and will try to bite when I pet her.

 

[tabbytom]

Hello Erisha , welcome to TCS

Your kitty is still very much a kitten and is very active by running about. When she runs a lot, she'll definitely pant, just like us if we run a lot, we pant too.

Just let her rest to catch her breath and do not pet her while she's resting trying to catch her breath. Some cats may not like it when they are resting and out of breath. Maybe you can pet her later.

After she is well rested and breathing normally, give her fresh water to drink to quench her thirst. If she dosen't drink and if you are feeding her wet food (canned food), add a little water to it each time to keep her hydrated. If you are feeding dry food, make sure she gets to drink more water.
I'm not sure if your cat drinks water out of a bowl and cats have very low thirst drive which is not good for their system and may cause UTI.

Feel free to ask questions and we'll try to answer them and also do browse around the site for all it's good reads and informative forum threads.

Do introduce yourself and your kitty to the community in 'New Cats on the Block' under the Social Forums and do post photos of your kitty for us to see

 

[lavishsqualor]

I would think that the heat could and her high physical activity could certainly contribute to it. Perhaps you could give her an ice cube?

 

[kittypa]

I had a cat come home panting once. We took him to the vet and an x-ray revealed that he had a small tear in his lung. Later we found out from a neighbor that he had been hit by a motorcycle.

Short version, take the kitty to the vet.

 

[cat princesses]

I think the panting is just a sign of being hot. Maybe you can wet a cloth in cold water and wipe down your kitty to help cool them down a little?

 

[Erisha]

Thank you all for all the helpful advice. I have already given her a ice cube and kept her in the cooler part of the house. And also wiped her with a cool cloth. Her panting has gone down a little. But as a precaution I am still taking her to the vet. Thanks again for helping out. It's my first time here and I already feel very welcome.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Is your cat spayed? I think that could be part of the aggressive behavior.

 

[Erisha]

No, she is not spayed yet. I was planning on spaying her next month.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Is she allowed outside at all? I think you're describing some hormonal behaviors.

 

[Erisha]

No she is not allowed outside at all.

 

[IndyJones]

Do you have an air conditioner? Can you turn it on? If you don't maybe you could get a portable one from the hardware store. They just plug into the wall and have a hose you stick in the window.

A dehumidifier also might help.