Kitten pants when playing with the Cat Dancer

Okay, I'm probably overreacting, but one of my foster kittens, Boston, starts panting when he's playing with the Cat Dancer. I've seen cats/kittens do the "open mouth" breathing when they're trying to get a good whiff of something, but this is more than that. He's literally panting, and his tongue is hanging out a little bit. It subsides quickly when I stop playing. Otherwise he is active (!), chases the others, even up and down the cat tree. The Cat Dancer is the only thing that seems to elicit this behavior.

Is he just getting over excited? Or is it something more? I have no problem taking him to the vet if that's needed, but I'm probably just being over protective...aren't I?

You know, Kelly, I'm no Dr., but this would concern me. Kitties sure go crazy over the Cat Dancer, don't they! It's probably just a case of overexertion, but something I would want to get checked out by Boston's Vet.

Mine do the same...usually only with the cat dancer. I spoke to my vet about it and he said it was overexertion. Once they look like they are going to start panting, give them a few minutes break. But if it seems unusual, I would see your vet.

My cats get really excited and active with our laser pointer. It's amazing to see. Before we got that, I never realized that cats panted at all! Mine do when they run around for a certain period of time. But it never lasts very long. They just lay down on a cool surface like tile and catch their breath. That really is the only time they do it, though.

I was playing with a friend's kittens once and they started panting. My friend got a little freaked out, but it's pretty normal. They still wanted to keep playing, even when I put down the feather wand- panting and all. Just give them a break and some nice, cold water. Hide the dancer if you have to.

Originally Posted by clixpix

Okay, I'm probably overreacting, but one of my foster kittens, Boston, starts panting when he's playing with the Cat Dancer. I've seen cats/kittens do the "open mouth" breathing when they're trying to get a good whiff of something, but this is more than that. He's literally panting, and his tongue is hanging out a little bit. It subsides quickly when I stop playing. Otherwise he is active (!), chases the others, even up and down the cat tree. The Cat Dancer is the only thing that seems to elicit this behavior.

Is he just getting over excited? Or is it something more? I have no problem taking him to the vet if that's needed, but I'm probably just being over protective...aren't I?

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what is a cat dancer?

Originally Posted by Big-Cat-Fan

what is a cat dancer?

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OMG, the Cat Dancer is the all time favorite toy of every cat I've ever known! Basically all it is is a piece of wire with several cardboard rolls and one end, and one cardboard roll at the other. You use it like a teaser toy. Cats go absolutely nuts for it, but I have no idea why. It looks pretty boring to me. Your cat must get one!

Thanks everyone for your input! I'll use the 'Dancer sparingly with him until he learns a little self control When I see him panting, I usually put the toy away anyway because I'm afraid someday he'll have a little kitty heart attack over it!

I don't think it requires a vet visit.

How long are you playing with her? Nano is older and gets tired fairly quick, so I take a 30 second rest every two minutes and that seems to keep things more even. If Nano is feeling overexerted, she will simply lay down and get back up after a minute. It's the combination of continuous lunging and jumping that takes the steam out of her so quick. Plus Nano's 14 lbs...she's throwing around a big body and really getting a workout.

So why not try giving her 20-30 second rests every couple of minutes? Not stopping the play but just letting her catch her breath. I genuinely believe most cats would stop playing (like Nano does) if they are really getting winded and need to rest. I don't think cats would "play themselves to death" (so to speak).

Milo does this with the laser pointer when he gets overexcited. That's the one toy that will really do it to him and it's easy to tell when's he's going to get started bc his nose gets really pink. I usually try to stop playing w/ the laser pointer before he gets to this point and switching to a slightly less stimulating toy.