Kitten Panting After Play or When Stressed Out

rcatfroh

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Hi there,

I'm in the process of introducing my two older kittens (7 months and 5 months) to each other. They are still separated but have "play dates" and have been eating with each other. My concern is with my older kitten (Lester) who has been panting a lot and breathing very quickly while the two play and while he's around the new cat. I'm not sure if it's due to him being overly excited or stressed about the new kitty. The two cats play quite rough, I think Lester is still trying to figure out how to play with something other than humans and his toys. He gets very excited and breathes very very heavy while panting every time the two cats play.

Just a little background: Lester has always panted after excessive play. He is a hyper kitten and runs around until the point where he stops, pants and breathes very hard for about a minute and then he's ready to go again. I've read that it's fairly normal that kittens pant after play, however I'm starting to get a little worried about it. Since the new cat has come into our home, Lester pants almost every single time he plays and when he gets very worked up around her. He's not growling, hissing or puffed up at all, so I wouldn't call him aggressive towards her, but he definitely wants to play rough with her. I bought 2 Feliway diffusers to try and calm him down and they've worked a tad, but not enough to stop his excitement and panting. 

I should also note that Lester lately has a watery eye and usually a bit of crust around his nose (a very very small amount). That has just arose over the last month. 

I guess my question is should I be taking him to the vet? I know panting isn't the most normal thing for cats, but he's always done it, even when he was a few months old. Could it have something to do with his watery eye and crusty nose? Or could it be that he just gets so excited around the new cat?

Am I just overreacting?? I'm a new pet momma and I get worried about my baby!! 

Thanks! 
 

stephenq

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Cats under two can pant from exercise, after that and it becomes a concern. Panting without exercise is always a serious concern.
The eyes sounds like a mild URI and you could probably safely monitor for now but there is nothing wrong with getting a vets opinion.
 

kissthisangel

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Our little one often pants after getting a bit excited, new treats (crab this week, spoilt girl)  or a very energetic game and she lies down and pants for a few minutes before getting up and playing again with gusto . If your kitten seems lathargic generally, and then struggles after a small amount of play or excersise I'd consult a vet. If Lester has only really played solo or with humans then he might just be adjusting to how energetic your new fur baby is and how kitten fun differs from human fun. (you said they play rough)  You might need to place them together when he is at his highest energy level, and seperate them when he seems to tire to begin with so that he can build on his tolerance toward the fur-games.

with the potential URI, if Lester is up to date with jabs monitor closely for a  few days or so given his age I'm sure he's had jabs, if it seems that he is sneezing, has a cloudy or yellow/brown  discharge from his eyes or nose then a vet trip is in order better to be safe than sorry.  You could also look for signs of parasites such as worms, or fleas as this is easily passed from queen to kitten and infectious so if he has been playing with the new arrival he may have picked up an unwanted guest. You prbably already know but these type of things are easily treatable in cats over 1Kilo. 

I'm a bit f a Novice myself but I've picked up loads reading around this forum as well. :) will be happy to try and give any advice I can.

 
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