Cat Vitals
Knowing how to take your cat's pulse, take its temperature and determine its respiration may be a skill that comes in handy if you feel that your cat is ill and whether that trip to the veterinarian's office is necessary or not. The rate that a cat's heat beats is his "pulse" rate. It normally beats between 140 and 220 times per minute; a relaxed cat's pulse will be on the lower end of the scale and it will increase with stress or illness (i.e., a visit to the veterinarian's office could increase the cat's heart rate).
Pulse Taking
What you will need to determine your cat's heart rate:
- A watch that displays seconds; and
- Your cat.
Put your hand over your cat's left side, behind the front leg. You should be able to feel your cat's heart beating beneath your fingers. (If you are unable to feel the heart beats, you may need to consult your veterinarian about putting your cat on a diet as the cat may have too much body fat for you to determine its pulse rate.) Using a watch with a second hand, count the beats during a 15 second period of time; multiply the number of beats by 4 to get the beats per minute (BPM).
Temperature
To accurately take the temperature on your cat, you will need a rectal thermometer and lubricant (such as Vaseline). Apply the lubricant to the rectal thermometer and gently insert it in your cat's rectum. A cat's normal temperature is between 100 and 102.5 degrees.
Respiration Rate
Observe your cat when it is relaxed and standing. Count the number of times the abdomen and chest wall move in 60 seconds. Normally, a cat takes 15 to 25 breaths per minute.
