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Normal
rectal temperature in cats:
100 -
103 F (37.7 - 39.4 C)
How to
take your cat's temperature:
This is
really best to be performed with two people, one to hold the
cat & the other to take the temperature. Let your cat's
behaviour guide you, if he/she becomes stressed or has a
history of being difficult to handle when being medicated
etc., then it is safer for you to seek the help of your
veterinarian. To do this, shake down the column of mercury
until it reads 96F, then lubricate the bulb tip with
petroleum jelly. Grasp the base of your cat's tail & lift
it. Insert the lubricated end of the thermometer about
halfway into your cat's rectum & hold it in place for 3
minutes. Remover the thermometer, wipe it clean with a
tissue & read the silver column of mercury.
Clean the
thermometer with alcohol.
Normal
pulse in cats:
130 - 240
beats per minute.
How to
check your cat's pulse/heartbeat:
To check
the pulse, feel for the femoral artery which is located
close to the surface on the inside of the thigh at the
groin.
I
found it difficult to find the femoral artery to check the
pulse, another method which I found much easier was to feel
the heartbeat. To do this press against the rib cage over
the heart. With the cat standing, feel the pulse just behind
the elbow. See image below.
Either way,
count the number of beats in 15 seconds & then multiply by 4
to get the total number per minute.
Respiration:
Around 20 -
30 breaths per minute in a cat at rest.
How to
check your cat's respiration:
One
respiration is an inhalation & exhalation. To check the
respiration rate count how many times the chest rises &
falls in a 15 second period. Remember, one rise & fall = one
respiration. Multiply the figure by 4 to get the total
respiration rate per minute.
Comparative
Age of Cats to Humans:
|
Human year |
Cat Years |
Human Year |
Cat Years |
|
1 |
15 |
11 |
61 |
|
2 |
25 |
12 |
65 |
|
3 |
29 |
13 |
69 |
|
4 |
33 |
14 |
73 |
|
5 |
37 |
15 |
77 |
|
6 |
41 |
16 |
81 |
|
7 |
45 |
17 |
85 |
|
8 |
49 |
18 |
89 |
|
9 |
53 |
19 |
93 |
|
10 |
57 |
20 |
97 |
Gestation period in cats:
The
gestation period for a cat is 63-65 days. This varies
between cat though, and anywhere between 60 to 70 days is
normal.
How to
tell if your cat is pregnant:
Unlike
humans, it is not possible to determine a pregnancy via a
blood or urine test in cats. However, there are often
indicators that your cat is pregnant, some signs include;
-
By the
third week of pregnancy the cat's nipples will become
enlarged & pink. This is known as 'pinking up'.
-
By the
fourth week of pregnancy she should have gained enough
weight to make her pregnancy visible.
-
By 3-4
weeks your veterinarian should be able to palpitate the
abdomen & feel the babies.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
