5 month old kitten panting when playing?

[kgropp16]

Moscato and I recently discovered her favorite type of toy. She absolutely LOVES playing with small stuffed toys that are mouse-sized. She bats them around, chases them, and carries them around in her mouth until she gets them stuck underneath something, lol.

After playing with this type of toy for about 15 minutes or so, she'll start to pant. I can hear her when she picks the toy up in her mouth and runs past me with it. She sounds like a dog with a toy in its mouth. She might lay down and open-mouth pant for a few seconds and then resume playing. If she doesn't pant, her chest will still be rising and falling rapidly.

I want to assume it's relatively normal for a kitten her age who really likes her toy, but I know some people don't believe cats should pant at all... She's had dozens of other toys and I've never seen her do it with any of them. Even when she's chased the laser pointer around for an hour.

Any thoughts?

 

[Columbine]

Panting IS normal in kittens and young cats when they've been playing hard and really exerting themselves. You may never have seen it before simply because she's never been as active and into the game with her other toys - these mouse-sized stuffed toys sound like her idea of heaven :9:

Panting is concerning, however, when it's not related to exertion, in older cats, or where it's associated with other signs of being under the weather.

Hope that clears things up for you

 

[kgropp16]

She really does act like she's in heaven with those things, haha. It's nice to know what sort of toy she prefers now so when I purchase new ones, I know exactly what to get!

Now I can smile if I catch her panting because I'll know she's just having a great time. 

 

[losna]

Panting IS normal in kittens and young cats when they've been playing hard and really exerting themselves. You may never have seen it before simply because she's never been as active and into the game with her other toys - these mouse-sized stuffed toys sound like her idea of heaven

Panting is concerning, however, when it's not related to exertion, in older cats, or where it's associated with other signs of being under the weather.

Hope that clears things up for you

Yeah, it was terrifying when Sinbad was just lying on the floor panting, I called the vet and she said bring him in immediately. 

But it's cute when he's panting happily because he's run himself around like a little fiend in excited play.