As a cat parent, you want your feline friend to live a long and happy life. While routine veterinary visits are a critical part of ensuring they have a clean bill of health, it’s also important to stay aware of potential illnesses and diseases that can affect your cat’s well-being. One condition that can fly under the radar – but deserves special attention – is feline hypertension, or high blood pressure in cats.
Just like in humans, hypertension in cats means their blood pressure is higher than what is considered safe or normal. It’s most common in middle-aged and senior cats, and the risk tends to go up as they get older. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to irreversible damage to a cat’s kidneys, brain, eyes and heart. As signs of hypertension can often go unnoticed, it’s key to understand what causes high blood pressure in cats and why annual screening is so important.
What Causes High Blood Pressure in Cats?
- Secondary Hypertension: In many cases, feline hypertension is caused by an underlying condition, such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, heart disease, as well as certain medications. When this happens, we refer to it as secondary hypertension.
- Primary (Idiopathic) Hypertension: Less commonly, we are unable to find an underlying cause of the cat’s high blood pressure. In these cases, it’s referred to as primary or idiopathic hypertension.
- Situational Hypertension: Cats can also experience temporary spikes in blood pressure due to stress or anxiety, known as situational hypertension. Situational hypertension can be triggered by things like vet visits or environmental stressors that activate their fight-or-flight response in addition to underlying pain such as dental disease or osteoarthritis.
Signs of Feline Hypertension
Feline hypertension can be tricky to spot early on, as many cats show no obvious signs or symptoms of high blood pressure until it begins causing more serious health issues. Still, there are some signs that may point to a problem. Keep an eye out for:
- Difficulty breathing
- Unexplained changes in behavior
- Changes in vocalization Signs of vision loss, like bumping into furniture or missing jumps they used to make with ease.
Diagnosing Feline Hypertension
Since high blood pressure can go undetected, blood pressure checks during your routine wellness visits are critical for ensuring your cats’ well-being. These help us establish baseline measurements for cats so that we can track trends over time and aid in early detection of feline hypertension.
And because we know that vet visits themselves can cause situational hypertension, we utilize cat friendly handling techniques during blood pressure checks and take a ‘big picture’ approach when evaluating results. Rather than relying on a single reading, we consider your cat’s overall health, behavior, and any signs of underlying illness to ensure the most accurate and thoughtful diagnosis.
Measuring Blood Pressure in Cats
Blood pressure in cats is commonly measured using the following techniques: the Doppler method, which measures the sound of blood flow through the blood vessels, or High Definition Oscillometry (HDO), which measures the motion of the blood through the blood vessels. Both use a small cuff – placed on the cat’s limb or tail – that gently inflates and deflates to measure blood flow, much like how it’s done in humans.
We recommend checking blood pressure annually during every routine visit starting at age 7 to help your cat get comfortable with a cuff on its tail or leg and to establish YOUR cat’s normal baseline For cats with high risk diseases such as kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, we may recommend monitoring more frequently.
Treating Feline Hypertension
The good news is that high blood pressure in cats is manageable with the right care. At Faithful Friends, treatment typically involves giving your cat daily medication once or twice a day to help keep their blood pressure within a healthy range.
After starting medication, we advise bringing your cat back within a few weeks to recheck their blood pressure and ensure the prescribed dosage is working as intended. Once your cat’s blood pressure is stable, we will perform re-checks every three to six months to monitor their progress and make any needed adjustments. Most cats will need to stay on this medication for life, but with consistent treatment, they can continue to live comfortably and stay healthy.
Clinical Insights from Dr. Ashlie Saffire
For a deeper dive into the diagnosis process, we recommend reading Dr. Ashlie Saffire’s article on systemic hypertension in cats. Dr. Saffire, the only practicing board-certified feline specialist in Ohio and member of our Cat Specialty Center, explains:
- Why repeat blood pressure measurements at separate visits are critical
- The difference between situational, secondary, and idiopathic hypertension
- When emergency treatment is necessary
- The role of diagnostics like CBC, biochemistry, TT4, and urinalysis in uncovering root causes
“Using feline-friendly handling techniques in a calm, quiet environment helps reduce the risk of situational hypertension,” Dr. Saffire notes. This patient-first approach is foundational to our work at Faithful Friends.
Understanding feline hypertension, recognizing the signs early, and staying proactive with routine vet visits can make a lasting difference in your cat’s health and overall quality of life. At Faithful Friends Veterinary Clinic, we’re committed to being your partner in care—offering advanced diagnostics and ongoing support to help your feline friend live a longer, happier, and healthier life. Whether it’s catching high blood pressure early or managing it long term, we’re here for you every step of the way.
