Most cats do not pant routinely to cool themselves the way dogs do. A cat may briefly breathe with its mouth open after intense play or severe stress, but panting at rest, persistent panting or any visible effort to breathe is an emergency. Even a cat that looks alert can have an important heart or lung problem.
When to go to the emergency veterinarian
Seek emergency care now if your cat is panting while resting, breathing with its belly or sides working hard, stretching its neck forward, making unusual breathing sounds, showing blue, gray or pale gums, or becoming weak or unresponsive. Keep the cat quiet, minimize handling and call the nearest emergency veterinary hospital while traveling. Do not force food, water or medicine, and do not delay transport to count breaths or record a video.
Cornell’s Feline Health Center describes open-mouth breathing, rapid breathing and abnormal postures as possible signs of dangerous respiratory distress.
What can cause a cat to pant?
Stress, extreme exertion or overheating may briefly raise the breathing rate, but other causes include asthma, heart disease with fluid in the lungs, fluid around the lungs, pneumonia, airway obstruction, pain or injuries. Some of these can progress quickly. Panting cannot tell you which condition is present, and seemingly similar symptoms can need very different treatments.
How to check breathing when the cat is comfortable
Only while a cat is relaxed and breathing quietly with its mouth shut, count the chest rising and falling for one minute; one rise and fall is one breath. Many healthy cats have a resting respiratory rate of around 15–30 breaths per minute. Repeatedly higher rates, a change from the cat’s normal baseline or signs of effort should prompt veterinary advice. A distressed cat should be transported immediately without further monitoring at home.
What happens at the veterinary hospital?
A cat with respiratory distress may need oxygen and calming, minimal handling before additional testing. After stabilization, the veterinarian may listen to the chest and evaluate oxygenation, blood tests, radiographs or ultrasound to determine whether the problem involves airways, heart or the space around the lungs. Do not administer inhalers or other medicines without the veterinarian’s direction.
Can telehealth help?
A video consultation may help clarify a mild episode that has completely resolved, but it cannot deliver oxygen or reliably rule out serious heart and lung disease. For ongoing panting, choose in-person assessment rather than a virtual appointment. Our related kitten rapid breathing article explains breathing changes in young cats, and Cornell’s urgent-care guidance identifies respiratory distress as an emergency.
Educational material only. Do not attempt to treat breathing distress based on this article.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for care from your own veterinarian. Learn about The Pet Vet and our editorial policy.