High Blood Pressure In Cats

I have a senior cat around 12 years old which I rescued about 6 years ago. The one characteristic I have noticed since I have known her is that her pupils do not restrict with light. They are huge and her eyes look black. The vet said high bp could be the cause. Should I worry about this is she seems happy and healthy and plays? I know her vision is not great. Any advice would be appreciated as I realize she doesn't have too much longer to live and want to give her the best few years of her life and want to spoil her. (Mandy Smith - Ontario, Canada)

Your vet should be able to measure your cat's blood pressure for you to determine if there is a risk. Like in humans, the most common way to measure blood pressure is using an inflatable cuff and an instrument to detect arterial blood flow. High blood pressure (hypertension) can accompany heart or kidney disease, or hyperthyroidism (thyroid disease). While there are drugs that can reduce blood pressure in humans, there are so far no approved drugs for cats.

It is indeed common in many mammals for blood pressure to rise in old age. The question in this case is whether the blood pressure is significantly high to pose a threat to the health of your cat's health. If it is, then the underlying cause of the high blood pressure needs to be determined and treated if possible. If it is not, then the pressure is unlikely to be affecting your cat's quality of life. Ask your vet to perform a blood pressure check and compare it to the normal pressure for a cat of this age.