I’m just wondering what is going on with my cat, I’m worried

Hello, you are through to Dr Linda, a UK based vet with 10 years of clinical experience working out of West London. It will be my pleasure to help you today.

I'm sorry to hear to this and understand your concern for Oreo.

Has he been neutered?

Does he go outside?

Understood, sure.

Is he eating, drinking and passing normal poo and pee?

Is he the only pet?

Thank you, ok.

Did he have his annual health check at 12 months old and was all ok?

Is he currently a healthy weight?

So 7kg is very large if he is a typical domestic short hair.

The average cat weighs 4kg.

Is he a large breed like a Maine Coon or is he obese?

Ok, thank you.

This is important as if a cat is overweight, they will be lethargic and will be less active and may be depressed.

Have you noticed any other signs such as fast breathing, bad breath, limping or bloating?

Thank you.

When you say he gets out of breath, does he breathe with his mouth open?

Ok, understood.

Before typing my reply is there anything else I should know?

Sure thing.

Please bear with me as I type my reply.

I'm sorry this has been going on and understand why you will be worried for him.

It is very worrying to me that he can pant, as this is not normal in young, healthy cats and can be indicative of an underlying health issue. This is especially true if it occurs after minimal exercise.

As I say, 7kg is really very heavy for such a young cat unless they are a giant breed, so I would want to confirm with the vet he does not need to lose weight.

Once confirmed, we need to look into this panting which could point towards e.g. heart disease, lung disease or joint disease. If there is an underlying problem, this is likely the cause of his behaviour change.

As well as a physical exam, the vet may perform some tests such as a chest x-ray or heart scan if concerned.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.