# New mom is breathing hard while nursing...



## Chewysmom (Mar 31, 2009)

I'm not sure if there is something wrong here... she is breathing fast, like little short breaths, kind of like she did when she did when she was in labor.

She is nursing her kittens and eating a ton, but every time I go to check on her she is breathing kind of hard, and in short panting breaths, something with purring, sometimes without.

When I watched at length, she also sticks her tongue out just a little... and every now and then opens her mouth and just leaves it open, tongue out and all, panting kind of like a dog... it almost seems like she is labor again... is it possible for her to have more kittens in her that have not been born yet? (she had the others the morning before yesterday). The only other time I saw her in labor (last year) she was doing exactly this kind of thing.....

I can take her to a vet tomorrow, but does anyone know if this is any kind of normal behavior?


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

I'm not really sure...but was wondering if she might be thirsty?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I've only been around one queen with kittens, and that was too many decades ago when I was a young teenager. Still, I don't remember any labored breathing on her part. I don't think that what you're seeing is normal. In my experience, the only time I've seen a cat pant was when he was in respiratory failure with fluid buildup around his lungs and heart.

I'd get your queen to a vet today to get her checked out.

Laurie


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

laurief said:


> I've only been around one queen with kittens, and that was too many decades ago when I was a young teenager. Still, I don't remember any labored breathing on her part. I don't think that what you're seeing is normal. In my experience, the only time I've seen a cat pant was when he was in respiratory failure with fluid buildup around his lungs and heart.
> 
> I'd get your queen to a vet today to get her checked out.
> 
> Laurie


Well, if I play with my cat and he becomes over exerted he will pant too, so might not be that bad hopefully


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Xanti said:


> laurief said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think that what you're seeing is normal. In my experience, the only time I've seen a cat pant was when he was in respiratory failure with fluid buildup around his lungs and heart.
> ...


But Xanti, your cat has a good reason; he pants because he has exerted himself. A mother cat laying down to nurse her kittens and only getting up to eat/drink/litterbox, clean kittens and chaning sides for laying down...should not be panting and is not normal, so I agree with Laurie. 

No one wants to frighten anyone unneccesarily, but this sounds like an emergency.

Unless this mother cat is becoming overheated (_on a heating pad_?) then her fast breathing and tongue-out panting is not normal and the best advice would be to get her and the kittens to a vet right away. The vet can make sure she doesn't have fluid built up around her heart/lungs, check that everything has exited the uterus correctly with nothing retained and finally check for any type of fever or infection. 

If this is an emergency and too much time has been taken to resolve it, the mother cat could stop producing milk and possibly die, both scenarios leaving a litter of kittens that will need to be hand-raised. This is why I think time is crucial to get her recovered asap so she can easily care for her kittens.

Best of luck to the Momma Cat. =^..^=
heidi


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## Chewysmom (Mar 31, 2009)

A cat rescuing animal care worker friend of mine suggested that she might be feeling anxious or stressed because her kitten went away and never came back, and she has had a lot of distractions for the past 24 hours, so she suggested I leave her completely alone and let her be, and check on her in the morning (this morning) sure enough she seemed back to normal, relaxed and nursing. Same story wen I got home around 1 or so today. Babies all weigh in good (all over 130 grams) and are nursing peacefully, with an occasional uproar over a teat.
I petted her and her breathing was even, and she purred.

I tried to get her to use this sleeping box for her and her kittens (a few inches form where she is now) but that seems to have stressed her out again, so I am leaving her alone again...


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Whew! GREAT that it was *not* an emergency. I didn't know they could get stressed and show it in that manner. I've only had one cat kitten here, in 2004, and she was very easy to care for. She STILL loves the bathroom and will dart in there every chance she gets so I can pet her in her 'happy former home'.


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