Cats - panic attacks?

[Meowy Catkin]

Has anyone else observed their cat have what looks like a panic attack?

I don't know what set it off but he had a really high heart rate, panting, hiding, and then being really clingy having come out of hiding? He's fine now, normal heart rate etc... but a bit worrying at the time. He had a similar 'panic attack' a few years ago.

He's just recovering from a big abscess, so I'm a bit worried about him anyway.

 

[Blanche]

Could it be some sort of seizure/ fit?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Has he managed to ingest any sort of flea preparation? Inhaled from a new collar, licked the back of his shoulder after spot-on, groomed himself after spray on treatment? Or has he met the cat that contributed to the abscess? My old cat used to get a bit upset when a thunderstorm was building.

 

[fetlock]

Could he have been asleep when in hiding?
My previous cat would very occasionally wake up and panic if in a room on her own, with lots of loud whining and meowing and very clingy once she found me. It would take a good while for her to settle.
Think it only happened 2 or 3 times during her lifetime, once not long after surgery to remove some of her teeth.
I wondered if mine had had a bad dream

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thanks for the replies. I'll try my best to answer fully.

Blanche - It didn't look like a seizure as there was no convulsing or loss of control of his body. He was happily sitting with me on my bed. Then he just rushed off and under a piece of furniture for a few minutes. When he came out he was panting and his heart was beating really fast. He was clearly distressed and needed a lot of comforting. He was on my knee and desperately trying to groom my arm - which was fun as I don't have fur, so he essentially nibbled my skin - and then head butted me. Finally he settled down on my knee and his heart rate was normal.

Highmilagecob - He's not been de-flea'd recently. No other cat in the room. Yes, it has been thunderstormy.

Fetlock - He was awake when he 'switched' from normal to panic. ETA- it's interesting to read that your cat also had panic attacks and that they luckily were rare. The one after surgery does raise my interest due to the fact that Kasper also is recovering from a medical issue. Maybe they just feel more vulnerable in that situation?

 

[Blanche]

They can have focal seizures where they don’t convulse or lose control of their bladder. Could you see what he was doing when he went under the piece of furniture?

 

[cobgoblin]

Could it have been pain?

 

[EarsofaSnowman]

My cat has had something similar twice that I know of. The first time was an emergency out of hours visit to the vet as she was essentially hyperventilating. They gave her some air/oxygen and monitored her overnight but couldn't find a physical cause. The second time I closely monitored her myself, and when her breathing calmed I think she was quite clingy. She can be an anxious little thing at times, so the vet concluded that, unless it started happening frequently, it was most likely anxiety related. It hasn't happened for a couple of years, at least that I've seen.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Blanche - he was lying down panting when he was under the furniture.

Cobgoblin - he's very stoic RE pain so it's hard to tell how he's feeling. The abscess was healing well by that point, so hopefully in less pain compared to when it was draining and an open wound. Having said that, it can't have been a fun few days for him starting with the cat fight that caused the abscess in the first place. He's not a fighter, he's a timid boy really.

Ears of a horse - Yes, possibly a similar temperament. That's interesting that your vet related it to anxiety.