Cats panting?

Faith

My cat seems to be panting a lot over the past week or so. It's mostly after grooming, like she's trying to remove a hairball or something, but she seemed to be doing it more today. I know the heat is probably a contributing factor, but is this normal for cats? She only does it for about 10 seconds or so, and then resumes whatever she was doing before (usually staring into space). She doesn't seem particularly thirsty either. I'm just a bit concerned because she's getting on in years!

Sigma Force

Could be anything if the cat is hot they will usually move themselves off somewhere cooler so may not be the heat. Esp. since the cat is getting on I would take her to the vet asap something doesn't seem right

lollip1

being as she is older I would agree that a vet visit is necessary.. better safe than sorry..

Cats do pant however in hot weather or when they have exerted themselves.. they have no sweat glands and so the only way to cool their bodies is through their paws or panting.. my cats sometime pant after some manic playing. Ever notices that when you bring you cat to the vets and they are nervous that the table will have little damp paw prints on it?

Alun

AFAIK their ears are also an important radiator of heat. There's an extensive array of blood vessels in a cat's ear, which is why they bleed quite so profusely if they're damaged (e.g. bitten) and sometimes need cauterizing to stop the bleeding (voice of experience here!).