Is It Normal for a Cat to Breathe Through Its Mouth?

1 Overview

Normally, brief open-mouth breathing after intense exercise is fine and needs no worry. But if a cat pants with lethargy without exercise or after only light activity, pay attention — it may be one of these three conditions.

1. Oral disease

Owners who feed mostly soft food note: cats are carnivores, and soft food — soaked kibble, homemade meals, porridge, canned food — easily lingers in the mouth, breeding bacteria and causing plaque, tartar, ulcers, and gum swelling.

Severe oral disease shows as frequent drooling, bad breath, and mouth breathing — no small matter, because severe stomatitis may require full-mouth extraction, affecting both future eating and lifespan.

2. Respiratory infection

Respiratory infections with cough, runny nose, and sneezing easily cause labored breathing and mouth breathing, mostly from a blocked nose — much like a human cold and easy to recognize.

Note that bronchitis, pulmonary edema, and tracheitis cause similar cold-like signs but are far harder to treat, so with mouth breathing and severe difficulty, see a veterinarian promptly.

3. Heart disease

Apart from congenital cases, most feline heart disease occurs in older or obese cats — hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and others — all prone to labored breathing and fatigue.

Breed scientifically; do not chase a ‘cute chubby cat’ look. A healthy, long-lived cat is the right goal. If possible, have cats over 10 get regular checkups to catch problems early.

The above are common causes of mouth breathing. For other questions, consult an online veterinarian anytime; if symptoms are severe, go to a veterinary clinic directly.