Basics of checking up on your feline's health

Published: Tuesday, May. 19, 2009 - 12:00 am | Sacramento Bee

With a little practice, you can easily learn to take your cat's vital signs.

A cat's heart normally beats 140 to 220 times per minute, with a relaxed cat on the lower end of the scale. It's not unusual for their heartbeat to be high at the veterinarian's office, since cats don't like being away from home, and they certainly don't like being poked and prodded by strangers.

To take your cat's pulse at home, you need a watch that clicks off the seconds. Put your hand over your cat's left side, behind the front leg. You'll feel the heartbeat pulsing beneath your fingers (if you can't, you might talk to your veterinarian about getting some of the fat off your cat).

Count the beats while 15 seconds clicks off your watch. Multiply by four to get the BPM, or beats per minute.

While you're at it, check out your cat's respiration rate. Step back and watch your cat when he's relaxed and standing. Count the number of times the abdomen and chest wall moves in 60 seconds. A normal cat takes 15 to 25 breaths per minute.

Normal feline body temperature is between 100 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, read from a thermometer inserted where the sun doesn't shine.

--Dr. Marty Becker