My cat "pants" sometimes

[Booboo's Mom]

Hi
I'm new here, and hope to learn something about my cat.
The problem has happened about 5 times now in the last 4 years. Booboo is 11, a neutered male brown tabby. He's healthy, I think. He eats well and uses the litter box regularly.

Some times, though, he'll vomit violently (usually after eating grass), and then cries out like a yowl and after that he runs to a corner or under the bed and sits all hunkered, sides heaving in and out, nostrils flaring as if to get more air. I usually follow him and lay down next to him to watch. Twice, while I observed, he let go of his bowels, right on the floor. He never does that when feeling ok. This "panting" (mouth closed) lasts about 12 to 24 hours, and then he's normal again. It always seems to happen during the hours when the vet is closed. Friday evening, SAt. a.m., etc. So I haven't had him to the doctor when it's happening.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Booboo's Mom.

[sugarcatmom]

You might want to take him in for a check-up, even if it's not while he's having one of these "episodes". There's no way to diagnose the issue over the internet, but maybe if you can describe the symptoms to your vet, they can give you some ideas. I am wondering if he's possibly constipated when this happens. Constipated cats sometimes vomit, and then the hiding and fast breathing could be due to pain, followed by finally being able to poop - albeit on your floor. What does he eat?

[Booboo's Mom]

Thanks, sugarcatmom for your input.

I don't think he was constipated. He bm's twice a day, and it's usually soft. The ones he did on the floor were soft.

I thought it was the grass, at first. Two of the times, he threw up whole blades of grass...older tough ones. I thought maybe they cut or scraped him inside, causing the pain/panting.
But this episode occurred after he had not been outside in 2 weeks. I stopped letting him out because he continually "grazes" and I wanted to head off these attacks. But now my hunch is blown, because he's had no contact with grass in 2 weeks or more. This time, too, I found him already in the panting condition and could find no evidence of vomiting or bm anywhere in the house.

I hate when it happens, because he's so pitiful when he's in that condition.

I'm going to try and post his picture. I tried once and it didn't work, and I lost my message too. Here goes....

[krdahmer]

He is a very handsome cat. And I would also recommend a check up at the vets.

That said, I have had a similar situation just recently with Fagan, I found him just like that under the bed, he had pooped, thrown up a bit and was just panicked, panting, very pitiful meow as well.... I rushed him to the vet thinking he had ingested something. Turns out he was fine, had just scared himself and was having a sort of panick attack. His heart rate was at 240 when we got to the vet and around 140 when we left. He had xrays and everything. He has been fine since, but I have noticed that when his belly is upset or he is working on a hairball or about to throw up he does get really panicked so I have tried to talk calmly to him and show him that it isn't a big deal. He doesn't even hide after now just kinda waits for me to clean it up.

I would be concerned though that it has happened more often lately with your guy, so take him in to the vet and give them as much detailed info as you can (maybe even a stool sample) and they can give you a better idea of what might be going on. It may be that he just needs a little something to help him digest better.

Is he on dry or canned food? (Maybe try adding more canned too)

Best of luck to you and your handsome cat!

[Booboo's Mom]

Thank you drdahmer for your reply. Sorry I didn't get this message til today. I forgot to check for replies until now.

Thanks for telling me that your kitty did the same thing and was ok. Booboo IS a bit of a paranoid type. He used to be extremely afraid of humans...I got him after he had spent his first year as a barn cat, fending for himself in the fields. It took well over a year before he let me touch him. He's come a long long way since then (after 9 years), but panic attacks sound very possible.

It hasn't happened since, although he does occasionally just urp up his food right after eating, but not with the violent contractions. I have him on the Purina Indoor Formula, thinking it would prevent his craving for grass. He loves it and eats it well (except when he throws it up).-

I work full time and it's hard to get to the vet, so I only take him in when it seems like a dire emergency....only once, though...he had a bad tooth. He also really hates going into the carrier...I'm sure he's not the only cat like that! I vow that the next kitty I get will be trained from kittenhood to go into the carrier willingly. Is that possible?

Well, thank you again. And good wished to your fur-face, too.
Booboo's Mom

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Booboo's Mom

I have him on the Purina Indoor Formula, thinking it would prevent his craving for grass. He loves it and eats it well (except when he throws it up).-

Yikes. I'm going to be a bit of a nag here, so bare with me . First of all, please find a better food for Booboo. The ingredients of the one you're feeding are atrocious:

Ingredients
Corn Meal, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, soy flour, beef tallow preserved with mixed tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), cellulose, salmon meal, soybean hulls, malted barley flour, brewers dried yeast, natural flavors, phosphoric acid, calcium carbonate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, potassium chloride, choline chloride, salt, taurine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, L-Alanine, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), niacin, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2) ...

Way way too many grains/carbohydrates/artificial ingredients, and virtually no real meat at all. For an obligate carnivore such as a cat, this is a totally unacceptable diet. I urge you to read this website to find out more about feline nutrition: http://catinfo.org/. A good wet food would be a much better choice (cat's also need to get water with their food as they have a low thirst drive - cats fed only kibble are chronically dehydrated).

When Boobo throws up after eating, he's regurgitating the food, which is common in such an indigestible high fibre food as this one. I guarantee if he was eating a more digestible canned food, he wouldn't "scarf n barf" so much.

The other thing I have to comment on (again with the nagging, sorry) is that at 11 yrs old, Booboo really should be going to the vet regularly (annually) for a senior wellness exam (with an EKG and blood pressure monitoring) and bloodwork/urinalysis. He's at an age where any of the various age-related conditions could start showing up and since cats are so good at hiding illness, the only way to catch some of these things early is with routine check-ups. I totally understand how reluctant (that's putting it mildly!) some cats can be about going to the vet, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't go anyway. If your kid hated going to the dentist, you'd still make them go, right? Plain and simple, your cat doesn't have a say in the matter. And you're bigger than him. If he won't go in the carrier, try just putting him in a pillow case and then in the carrier. Or get someone to help you. If you turn the carrier on end (door facing up) you might have better luck dangling him into the opening.

I just really think it's important that he get a check-up, especially with his history of panting and pooping on the floor. Good luck!

[calikat421]

I agree that you should take him to get checked out by a vet. I was told recently by a vet that cats are not supposed to pant and if they do that means that there is something wrong (my cat pants every now and then). Also, there are usually emergency animal clinics that stay open 24 hours, of course it depends on where you are located.

He is a very beautiful cat though and I pride you for being so loving and laying next to him as he has his episodes, many people would just stand back and watch. Getting down to his level, I'm sure, is comforting to him.

[chico2]

BooBoosmom,I too have an 11yr old brown Tabby,who will hide just from the sound of me bringing the carrier upstairs.
I do like Sugarcat said,put the carrier with the opening facing up and just kind of drop him in.
He howls all the way to the vet,but once there,he freezes and after his bloodtest,he is more than eager to run in to the carrier.
I also agree with sugarcat on the food,Purina dry is about as bad as any food can be,it's very likely his problem is foodrelated.
Please feed him canned food and maybe let him munch on some good quality dry for snack.
You will not find any good quality cat-food at grocery-stores or places like Walmart,you'll need to go to a pet-food supplier,like Pet Smart,Pet Value etc..
Good Luck!

[Kristin7]

I hope you figure out what is wrong. I don't have too many suggestions but only want to comment that one of my cats pants when she is either hot or scared (like in the car in her carrier on the way to the vet). She too hates being put in the carrier (except when we arrive at the vet - once they get her out, she just wants to go back in!). My trick to getting her in it, is to put her in butt-first. Head first does not work at all, she just scrambles and wedges her paws at the opening and it is a struggle. She goes in very easily if I face her the other way and sort of push her head down gently.. she backs right in, no problem. Just something you might try, not sure if this works w/ all cats. Good luck figuring out what might be wrong!

[krdahmer]

I agree with everyone else on the food issue, that is not a good one, and I have found that investing in a higher quality one has made litter duties and vet trips alike, a lot lighter. And it could be why he is regurgitating, they also do this from eating too fast, Fagan also is a regurgitator and he used to do it often, but after starting them all on a grain free, single source protein food it has been few and far between. And they will eat less of a higher quality food because they get the ingredients they need in a smaller amount. So even though they may cost you more to buy, they will last longer and therefor not actually cost you more over time.

Also about the grass, it is good for them to eat some grass, it is how they regulate themselves, it aids in digestion. I actually buy and keep cat grass readily available for my guys and find they eat it more when they are having an issue with a furball.