How to check your cat's pulse

A customer on our chat asked me a question the other day, "What is the normal heart rate for a cat?” Although I am not a certified vet or authorized to give specific medical information, the following information was obtained through a cat care book from the library. If you notice any abnormalities with your cats heart rate please take him/her to the vet immediately. Once properly diagnosed by a certified vet we have a supplement that may be of benefit called Hearty Heart for cats.

The Normal pulse for cats is between 130 - 240 beats per minute. To feel the pulse look for the femoral artery which is located close to the surface on the inside of the thigh at the groin.

Count the number of beats per 15 seconds and times that by 4 to get the total per minute.

There are different types of heart disease (Cardiomyphapthy) in cats, most popular are: dilated Cardiomyphapthy, restricted Cardiomyphapthy and hypertrophic Cardiomyphapthy. A cat can have heart disease for a long time before experiencing heart failure. Most forms of severe heart failure occurs when there is too much fluid in the lungs and heart.

If you suspect your cat to have a heart condition please take it to your local vet, although economical in these tough times, self diagnoses especially in relation to the heart is not a good idea.

Luv Sheila & Freedom (my black lab)