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My cat just had kittens. Is her fast breathing and panting normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Russian Blue | Female | unspayed | 8 lbs

Hello, my cat just had 4 kittens around 6 hours ago and it doesn't feel like there's any left in the stomach but she is still breathing fast and panting occasionally Do you think we should be worried or is she just really tired and is just a natural reaction to her giving birth

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 16th, 2017

Panting can be normal after giving birth. Lactation will stimulate the uterus to contract during the first two weeks after giving birth, thus leading to the panting. Make sure Twitch is eating and drinking normally, has a normal vagina discharge, and has a normal temperature (between 101-102.5F). If this panting increasing, she stops nursing her kittens, she has a fever, or has any other concerning signs, take Twitch and her kittens into a vet immediately.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 6th, 2017

    Congrats on your new kitties! If you had said Diamond had JUST had the kittens a few hours I might have indicated that she could just be exhausted. Open mouth breathing at that point in time wouldn't worry me very much. At 24 hours post surgery, I would have expected her to recover mostly from this in terms of tiring out. I would definitely have her checked out by a vet to make sure there is no signs of infection or or issues relating to the pregnancy. Take a look at her nipples and make sure there are none that feel unduly warm. I would also check and make sure that all are producing milk readily for the kittens. You should also go ahead and start counting her respiratory rate per minute (count 15 seconds and multiply by 4), just to start having a baseline. In terms of her breed, I am definitely not the greatest in identifying exotic kitty breeds. To me, she looks like a tabby domestic short haired cat. Some of her markings in the back are kind of interesting though, making her look a little Bengal but the colors aren't right for that. Hope this helps!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 17th, 2020

    This may be normal. When kittens nurse, this stimulates the release of oxytocin in the queen, which in turn causes uterine contractions. This can be painful to the queen and cause the fast breathing.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 24th, 2018

    The rapid breathing is a concern and may indicate pain or fever. I recommend a vet check and possibly ultrasound to rule out additional kittens or infection. She would be expected to be drinking normally and eating a bit 6hours after Delivery

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