Cat panting after exercise. Possible cardiomyopathy?

Took Tyger in to the vet's earlier for a quick check-up and FeLV testing (negative!  ) and was discussing his tendency to pant after strenuous exercise.  I'd been told months ago, when he was just a kitten, that it could be a concern if he doesn't outgrow it.  Well, he's 1 year now and still pants after an intense play session.  He's healthy as a horse otherwise: his lungs and heart sound perfectly normal, he's very active and alert, has a great appetite, etc.  The vet we saw today said she would recommend getting an echocardiogram to rule out cardiomyopathy, that cats can seem like they're in perfect health and drop dead the next day    Then I look up "cat panting after playing" on google and every vet site that popped up said it's normal for cats to pant after intense exercise!  So now I don't know what to think.

What do you think are the odds it could be symptomatic of a heart problem?  Why do so many veterinary sites say this is normal?  Is an echo really necessary?  I can afford the echo in several months' time, but it's going to be a huge burden right now.  Rumi needs a bone marrow aspirate (specialist) and Rory may need to see a specialist for her renal failure...if this echo isn't 100% necessary, it would be a tremendous weight off my bank account if I could put it off until winter.  

I don't need one more kitty health problem to stress over, either.  I feel like I'm heading for a nervous breakdown with everything I've got on my plate already (!!).    

My cats when they were younger would often pant after extremely strenuous play.  They wouldn't want to stop playing to rest! 

stephanietx said:

 
My cats when they were younger would often pant after extremely strenuous play.  They wouldn't want to stop playing to rest! 

Click to expand...

One of ours also pants after strenuous play: she's quite a sprinter and runs very hard. She's a little over two now and, now that I think about it, she pants less than she used to, probably because she's slowed down a little now that she's older and the cats play a little differently, too. I probably wouldn't have thought anything of the panting but she also had a few small asthma-like coughing fits when she was younger. The coughing stopped completely when we switched kitty litters but I still always preferred to give her rests if she started panting. 

The vet-written 2ndchance site has a good summary of cardiomyopathy.

I pant too after exercise! I wouldn't be too concerned at all if the panting was just after exercise, coughing is a much more reliable indicator of heart problems. Now if your cat pants after walking around the house, that is a different story. As long as your cat is seen by a vet regularly, is not losing weight, and is still active, I myself would hold off on that expensive test. Of course YOU know your cat the best, any changes in the condition would definitely indicate further testing. All the luck and praying you have MANY years of happiness with your little one!

My opinion may be a bit different, but when it comes to my fur babies - because that's what they are to me and my hubby - I feel we CAN buy peace of mind sometimes. Though it's very likely you have a normal kitten that pants after strenuous exercise, if you want to make sure, get the echocardiogram done. It's that simple. :lol3:

My vet told me it was ok for a cat to pant up to age 2 after exercise.