Newborn kittens are panting. HELP!

Hi I wondered if anyone could help me at all ? My one year old cat gave birth to her kittens 3 of them , 36 hours ago , my cat was laying with them at first , and now since last night she seems to go to them and lay with them for a while and then lay out side the wardrobe were they are ,until late promtied to go back in to them, 2 I have noticed are doing a like panting strange thing; and I got told maybe there cold and to put heat pads in just in case, when u try to do that my cat runs over to them then goes in the box with them so cannot do that ; I'm worried she is rejecting them, and is this panting thing they are doing normal ? Thankyou tam

tambellenie said:

Hi I wondered if anyone could help me at all ? My one year old cat gave birth to her kittens 3 of them , 36 hours ago , my cat was laying with them at first , and now since last night she seems to go to them and lay with them for a while and then lay out side the wardrobe were they are ,until late promtied to go back in to them, 2 I have noticed are doing a like panting strange thing; and I got told maybe there cold and to put heat pads in just in case, when u try to do that my cat runs over to them then goes in the box with them so cannot do that ; I'm worried she is rejecting them, and is this panting thing they are doing normal ? Thankyou tam

Click to expand...

Being too cold is the major danger, but now in the summer halfyear (at least in Sweden its almost summer warm now!) - its perhaps even too hot in there?

THIS could easily explain why they are panting, and why momma goes outside to rest some...

Otherwise I agree, panting kittens is rather alarming - often even directly alarming..

It doesnt sounds here as momma is abondoning them - she IS nearby them, she is returning to them now and then.   and in some situation - run to them and block off whatever you are doing...

Have you possibility to a) measure the temperaure where they are

2) weigh them every day?   having exact count on their addition i weigh, you have a pretty good idea of how they are faring...  It wont help against something sudden, but it is a nice help for slow processess.

IF your analysis shows they do paint for real, its probably an immediate vet errand.   Massive antibiotica may be the only way to try save them.

Although, all three got pneumonia simultaneously isnt that common, not with having a momma...

Mick528 said:

Baby kittens that breath heavy like that are panting not hissing. I have seen this same misinformation on ever cat site that I have gone to. My little babies are doing the same thing. They are putting there heads up opening their mouths and breathing fast and heavy. They are perfectly healthy and I'm guessing this is something kittens just do naturally do to the amount of people I see asking the same question. One of the babies at 3 days old hist at the uncle cat who came over to check them out and it was a clear hiss. There was no confusing it, it sounded exactly like a full grown cat hiss only not as loud. When people are asking why their kittens are breathing heavy it had nothing to do with hissing, that is just bad information.
When those babies hiss you will know it, it's unmistakable. Breathing heavy is panting, not hissing.

Click to expand...

How are your kittens doing now?   Are they still perfeclty healthy or?

Yes thank you for asking. All 6 of them seem to be in perfect health so far. They where born August 18th so about month and a day.

Swell! Tx for the update!   And thus we got confirmed, panting although potentially alarming, may be completely harmless too.