How to Measure Blood Pressure in Cats

Just like humans, cats need to have their blood pressure levels checked as part of their exam or during surgery, especially for senior cats or cats suffering from an illness. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), high blood pressure can cause a stroke or blindness in a cat. Monitor your cat's blood pressure regularly to ensure your cat's health.

Things You'll Need

  • Doppler blood pressure monitor
  • Electric razor
  • Conductive gel
  • Blood pressure cuff with pressure gauge
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clip a small amount of hair from the underside of the front or back paw of the cat, over the site of the arterial pulse, according to Pet Place. Apply conductive gel to this spot, which will conduct the vibrations of the cat's pulse. Do this in a quiet room so your cat remains calm and its blood pressure does not go up due to stress (giving a false reading). Talk to your cat in a soothing voice to keep it calm.

    • 2

      Place the transducer (also called a sensor) attached to the Doppler machine over the conductive gel on the cat's paw. The Doppler machine will amplify the sound of the cat's pulse through the transducer. Put the blood pressure cuff over the transducer.

    • 3

      Inflate the pressure cuff until the pressure gauge reads over 200 mmHg or until you cannot hear the beating (or artery) pulse through the headphones or speakers. Some machines have headphones to listen through, which reduces the stress on the cat.

    • 4

      Release the pressure from the cuff slowly until you hear the beating pulse again. Record the number that appears on the pressure gauge at this point as the systolic blood pressure. Continue to release the pressure in the cuff; at the point where the pulse becomes louder, you can record this as the diastolic pressure. Release all of the pressure in the cuff.

    • 5

      Repeat the procedure (Steps 3 and 4) seven times for accuracy, discarding the highest and lowest readings of the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Average the remaining values for each to determine the blood pressure of your cat. Focus mainly on the systolic readings for accuracy. Normal systolic readings range from 110 to 160 mmHg. Readings above 170 mmHg indicate hypertension (high blood pressure) and readings below 90 mmHg indicate hypotension (low blood pressure).