6 Explanations For Why Is Your Cat Sleeping With Mouth Open

Have you ever seen your cat sleeping with their mouth open? It might look strange, but it’s actually quite common. Cats don’t pant like dogs do, so seeing them breathe with their mouths open can be worrying. But, in most cases, they’ll calm down on their own.

If your cat keeps panting or seems stressed, it’s time to call the vet. Things like too much exercise, breathing infections, asthma, lung cancer, or fluid in the lungs can make a cat breathe with their mouth open.

Introduction

Seeing your cat sleep with their mouth open might seem puzzling or even worrying. But, this is a common sight in cats and usually has a simple explanation. Knowing why cats sleep this way can ease your worries and help you know when to seek vet advice.

Cats sleep in many ways, just like humans, and their sleep can tell us a lot about their health. An open mouth while sleeping might seem odd, but it can be a normal reaction to many things. These include the environment and health issues. By looking into these reasons, you can understand your cat’s sleep better and make sure they’re comfortable and safe.

We’ll look into why cats might sleep with their mouths open in this section. This will give you the info you need to spot any issues and help your cat stay healthy and happy.

1. Overexertion

A common reason for a cat to sleep with their mouth open is cat overexertion. Cats can get winded after playing or exercising. They breathe with their mouths open to cool down and catch their breath. This cat panting after exercise is normal and will stop in a few minutes as they rest.

Recognizing Signs of Overexertion

Signs of overexertion in cats include fast breathing, heaving sides, and not wanting to play or move. If you see your cat showing these signs of overexertion in cats, let them rest before they do more activity.

• Rapid breathing
• Heaving flanks
• Reluctance to continue playing or moving around

Watch your cat closely and give them breaks during play to prevent overexertion and open-mouth sleeping. If they keep panting a lot, it’s best to talk to your vet.

2. Respiratory Infections

If your cat sleeps with their mouth open, it might mean they have a respiratory infection, like a human cold. This cat upper respiratory infection can cause congestion, sneezing, coughing, and eye or nose discharge. They might also have a fever, lose their appetite, and get dehydrated. These feline cold symptoms make it hard for them to breathe, leading to the open-mouth sleeping position.

Respiratory infections are common in cats, with nearly 90% affected by feline herpesvirus. Cats can get this virus from their mother or other cats. The virus mainly hits the eyes and nasal passages. Most cases last 3-5 days, but in places with many cats, it can spread and hit several pets.

If your cat shows signs of a respiratory infection, watch their symptoms and talk to your vet. The right treatment and care can help your cat feel better and breathe easier.

3. Feline Asthma

If your cat is sleeping with their mouth open, it could mean they have feline asthma. This condition affects about 1-5% of cats. It can cause hard breathing, wheezing, and coughing, especially when they’re sleeping or active.

Symptoms of Feline Asthma

Cats with asthma often cough, wheeze, and breathe fast. In bad attacks, their gums and tongue may turn gray or blue, showing they don’t have enough oxygen.

One sign of asthma is fast breathing while they sleep. Cats should breathe about 24 to 30 times a minute when resting or asleep. If they breathe more than 40 times a minute, you should see a vet right away.

Asthma attacks can be caused by many things, like:

• Dust mites
• Grass
• Pollen
• Cigarette smoke
• Household cleaning products
• Cat litter dust

Other issues like genetics, heart problems, pneumonia, being over-weight, or parasites can make asthma worse in cats.

Quickly finding and treating cat asthma is key. It helps your cat breathe better and prevents serious breathing problems. Your vet might give them steroids to lessen lung swelling and bronchodilators to open up the airways. These help with feline respiratory issues and signs of asthma in cats.

4. Lung Cancer

Cats can’t smoke, but they can still get cat lung cancer or feline respiratory cancer. This serious condition makes your cat sleep with their mouth open. Other signs include rapid breathing, pain, low energy, poor appetite, weight loss, and coughing up blood.

Lung cancer in cats needs quick vet care. Catching it early and treating it is key for recovery. If your cat shows any worrying signs, see your vet right away.

Your vet will use tests like X-rays or CT scans to find out why your cat is having trouble breathing. If they think it’s lung cancer, they might do more tests, like a biopsy, to confirm it. Then, they can make a treatment plan.

How your cat’s feline lung cancer is treated depends on its type and stage. Your vet might suggest chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. With early treatment and care, some cats can live for years after being diagnosed.

5. Pulmonary Edema

Your cat might sleep with their mouth open due to a condition called pulmonary edema. This is a serious issue related to feline heart failure. It means fluid builds up in the cat’s lungs. Cats with this condition have trouble breathing, a dry cough, congestion, and feel very tired.

Symptoms of pulmonary edema in cats include wheezing, breathing fast, and struggling to breathe. If a cat breathes more than 30 times a minute when resting, it could mean fluid in their lungs. This condition can come from many things like viral infections, heart disease, cancer, or toxins.

Getting the right treatment for cat pulmonary edema is key because it’s a serious condition. Vets might use oxygen therapy, diuretics, and medicines for the heart or lungs. Without quick action, feline heart failure and fluid buildup in cat lungs can be deadly.

If your cat sleeps with their mouth open and coughs or breathes heavily, see a vet right away. Quick action on pulmonary edema can greatly improve your cat’s health and comfort.

6. Lodged Item or Seizures

Your cat’s open-mouth sleeping could mean they have a serious issue. This could be a foreign object in their throat or seizures. Both need quick vet care to fix the problem and stop more harm.

If your cat has a foreign object stuck in their throat, it blocks their airway and makes them uncomfortable. This makes them sleep with their mouth open, trying to breathe easier. It’s important to act fast to take out the object and help them breathe right again.

Seizures might also make your cat sleep with their mouth open. In a seizure episode, the cat’s brain acts strangely, causing them to lose consciousness. They might fall over, drool a lot, and have involuntary bowel movements. Their mouth could stay open as they lose muscle control.

• Seizures in cats are much less common than in dogs, usually being a symptom of brain disease.
• Partial seizures, involving only certain muscle groups or behavioral changes, are very rare in cats.
• Status epilepticus, or continuous seizures lasting more than 5-10 minutes, requires urgent treatment for cats.

If you think your cat is having a lodged foreign object or seizures, get vet help right away. Quick diagnosis and treatment are key to keeping your cat safe and healthy.

Conclusion

It’s normal for cats to sometimes sleep with their mouths open. But, it’s key to know when it might be a sign of something serious. If your cat keeps breathing this way, seems stressed, or shows other signs like coughing, sneezing, or runny nose, see a vet right away.

Understanding why cats sleep this way can help you keep an eye on their health. It could be from too much play, a cold, asthma, lung cancer, or fluid in the lungs. Watching your cat closely can tell you if it’s just normal or if they need a vet.

Your cat’s health and happiness are most important. Working with your vet can make sure your cat stays healthy. Even though open-mouth sleeping is often okay, it’s good to watch out. But, know that sometimes it’s just how cats sleep.