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My cat is breathing fast and sticking out its tongue. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 25 days old

my cat suddenly sticks out his tongue like a dog without doing anything & always breathing so fast, is that normal?

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on October 25th, 2021

No, panting in cats is never normal. I see that Tammy is quite young, but issues like asthma, heart failure, or toxin exposure could all cause signs of respiratory distress. On occasion, significant stress can trigger panting in some cats, but oftentimes there's also an underlying disease process. I strongly recommend taking Tammy to your vet or an emergency vet right away for evaluation. They'll need to perform a physical exam and will most likely recommend chest x-rays to try to get to the bottom of this situation. I hope that everything goes well for Tammy!

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