I can check my cat’s heart status at home? Tell me more….
The leading cause of death in adult cats 9 years of age and older is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HM). HCM affects 1 in 7 cats. Cats can appear normal (asymptomatic) for many years then rapidly go into congestive heart failure (CHF), dislodge a blood clot resulting in lameness or paralysis (thromboembolism), or suffer sudden death from HCM. Veterinarians will perform auscultation (listening to the heart) and an echocardiogram to determine the diagnosis of HCM but owners can help by monitoring their cat at home.
How can owners help? Owners can perform a test on their cat in 60 seconds—a sleeping respiratory rate (SRR). A healthy cat’s sleeping respiratory rate is <30 over a 60 second period. When this rate of 30 starts to rise upon sequential testing, it may indicate fluid in the lungs which would be caught early before any signs of coughing, depression, or lack of appetite show up.
To perform SRR the cat must be asleep and not purring. Counting the rise and fall of the cat’s chest once constitutes one breath. The number of breaths over l minute (60 seconds) is then noted. Over the first week, it is a good idea to check the breath count 2 or 3 times/week to establish what is normal for your cat. You can video them for 60 seconds then go back and count if that is easier. Most cats’ baseline breaths/minute are from 16-24 but every cat is different which is why it is important to establish what is normal for your cat. Then upon monitoring, you can become aware of any SRR increases and have that checked out with your veterinarian. One elevated count should not worry you as other factors could be causing -light sleep, temperature changes, dreaming, etc., but if the value is elevated over 2-3 measurements then your veterinarian should be contacted.
With the expenses associated with diagnostic testing, it is nice to know you can perform a helpful test at home to help with your cat’s medical care.
Vet Prac News, August 2026, Davis, H.