anyone had a cat who hyperventilates when angry?

mandini

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
82
Purraise
1
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
My cat Beezus does this when she is angry. (I don't know if it is actual hyperventilation, but she sucks her breath in and out very loudly.) Currently she hyperventilates when she is around the new cat she dislikes. She also does it when she wants to go outside and I ignore her, or when I am brushing her fur and she wants me to stop.

I told my vet and he said cats only hyperventilate when under extreme distress, and that she does this over small things means she is probably very spoiled. She was found alone in the bushes at one day old and hand raised before I adopted her at 8 weeks.

Why does she do this?
 

hissy

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2001
Messages
34,872
Purraise
76
Because she wasn't raised with a mom cat so she doesn't know how to be a cat at all.
And, your vet is giving you a pat answer most vets give when they hear the term bottle baby. They assume that all bottle babies are spoiled, which is not entirely true.
 

nebula11

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
2,905
Purraise
3
Location
Salem Ma. (City of Witches)
When Emmet used to get very stressed like when we moved he would have panic attacks...He would hyperventalate, cry, then throw up......poor Emmet...but he stopped getting that stressed once he got older..though we dont put him in a cat carrier...because he will have panic attacks in there too but hes a well behaved cat so we can just carry him and let him sleep in the car...hes such a good boy
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

mandini

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
82
Purraise
1
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
So could these be panic attacks? She has never done this when she's had to go to the vet. It's only when she is not getting her way. Does she need cat Prozac?
 

hissy

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2001
Messages
34,872
Purraise
76
Don't put your kitty on prozac before doing that consult a cat behaviorist they will help you in a more natural way
 

nebula11

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
2,905
Purraise
3
Location
Salem Ma. (City of Witches)
Originally Posted by mandini

So could these be panic attacks? She has never done this when she's had to go to the vet. It's only when she is not getting her way. Does she need cat Prozac?
They could be panic attacks...but I agree with Hissy...dont medicate your cat without consulting a perfessional
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

mandini

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
82
Purraise
1
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
Originally Posted by Nebula11

They could be panic attacks...but I agree with Hissy...dont medicate your cat without consulting a perfessional
Don't worry, I wasn't going to. I hope she learns to calm down. See my other thread - "old cat hates new cat!"
 

wellingtoncats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
36,207
Purraise
24
Location
Wellington City, NZ
Good luck - perhaps you could get your kitty to a specalist?

The only time I have ever seen a cat hyperventilate was at a show one time and he was really hot and stressed.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

mandini

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
82
Purraise
1
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
Well she's been doing this for years. I think she is just high-strung. I was wondering if anyone else had a cat who did the same thing.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

mandini

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
82
Purraise
1
Location
Norman, Oklahoma
Originally Posted by Nebula11

Yeah Emmets the only cat that I have seen do it....and hes real high strung....is she a timid cat or a brave out going cat?
She's not timid or brave. I would say she is very self-confident. She's not friendly or aggressive towards other cats, but she holds her ground when they come to her.

She's actually a very strange cat, personality-wise. She never meows, even when she is hungry or wants in or out. The only time she will meow is when I see her in the yard next door or a few houses down the block. Then she will come up to me and say a few faint meows... like she is saying, Hi, I know you!

Another weird thing she does... when she wants to come in, she will jump up on the window screen and just hang there until she falls. It can be pretty frightening, it makes quite a racket... It would be better if she would just meow like the others!
 

rita

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
1,416
Purraise
1
Location
MI
I have never seen a cat hyperventilate either but I had a dog who used to hyperventilate when he got excited about something and then pass out from it
It was scary. Your cat is prolly more stressed because of the new kitty too
 

sicycat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2003
Messages
7,669
Purraise
13
Location
Bay Area, CA
Saki totally hyper ventillated after his last vet trip. On the way home he was and even a half hour after we got home. His breathing was insanely fast. It seriously scared the you know what out of me. I am now completely scared to ever take him to the vet again.. or god forbid, move!
 
Top