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Cats | Normal Physiological Parameters

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#獸醫百科#貓#生理指標#居家量測#動物照護

The full content of the "normal physiological parameters" column in the 12-column knowledge tree for cats. Where the original text could not obtain an authoritative figure for a field, it leaves the field blank and states why; this site preserves that as-is and does not fill in numbers on its behalf. The disease column has been published separately as vet/cat-common-diseases and is not duplicated here.

Cats | Normal Physiological Parameters

This article is compiled from the cat section of the veterinary encyclopedia. The same symptom calls for different handling in different species, and following another species' approach can be harmful — first confirm which animal you are dealing with.
Most values in this column have been verified and filled in from sources such as the Merck Veterinary Manual, ACVIM consensus statements and PubMed (see the source and verbatim quote in each row); in the second round (2026-07-30) two further items were obtained — the BCS target range (WSAVA) and the capillary refill time (Merck) — and have been changed to carry values; water intake and the threshold for interpreting weight loss still have no authoritative page that can be quoted verbatim, and have been changed to 【verification result: no single authoritative value / no fixed figure should be given】 (see the respective rows). The value of this column still lies in "what to measure, how to measure it, and which direction things go wrong", not in any single number — individual variation is large, so use your own cat's baseline.
ParameterReference valueHow to measureWhat an abnormal direction means
Body temperature (rectal temperature)38.1–39.2°C (100.5–102.5°F) (Merck Veterinary Manual: "38.1–39.2°C" "100.5–102.5°F" <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/reference-values-and-conversion-tables/reference-guides/normal-rectal-temperature-ranges>, verified 2026-07-30)Rectal temperature is the standard; aural temperature has a large error in catsHypothermia is more dangerous than hyperthermia in cats (shock, terminal stages, urethral obstruction, post-anesthesia); high temperature = inflammation / infection / heatstroke
Heart rateResting baseline 120–140 beats/min (Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Heart Rates table: "120–140" bpm, <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-heart-rates>, verified 2026-07-30); values are commonly higher when the cat is awake and stressed in the consulting room, so this is for a quiet home baseline onlyPalpate the chest wall or auscultate, count for 15 seconds × 4; in-clinic values are raised by stressToo fast = pain / hyperthyroidism / heart disease / anemia; too slow + hypothermia = critical (think hyperkalemia, urethral obstruction)
Respiratory rate16–40 breaths/min (Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Respiratory Rates table: "16–40" breaths/min, <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-respiratory-rates>, verified 2026-07-30)Sleeping respiratory rate (SRR) at home is the most practical home monitor for heart disease (✅ existence verified: Porciello F, Rishniw M, Ljungvall I, et al. "Sleeping and resting respiratory rates in dogs and cats with medically-controlled left-sided congestive heart failure." *Vet J* 2016;207:164-168; original wording "most dogs and cats with CHF that is medically well-controlled and stable have SRRmean and RRRmean <30 breaths/min at home"; PMID 26639825; <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26639825/>, verified 2026-07-30): count chest excursions for 1 minute while the cat is asleepA sustained rise = early warning of pulmonary edema / pleural effusion; labored inspiration, abdominal effort or open-mouth breathing = emergency
Blood pressureCategories (ACVIM consensus statement: "SBP <140 mm Hg" = normotensive, "140‐159 mm Hg" = prehypertensive, "160‐179 mm Hg" = hypertensive, "≥180 mm Hg" = severely hypertensive, <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6271319/>, verified 2026-07-30); measured values in healthy cats vary with the method (Doppler approximately 118–162 mmHg, oscillometric approximately 115–139 mmHg), and because the methodologies differ, neither is selected over the otherDoppler or high-resolution oscillometry; let the cat settle first, use a quiet room and a fixed cuff position (✅ existence verified: the same 2018 ACVIM hypertension consensus statement, source given in the "white-coat effect" row of this column, PMC6271319, verified 2026-07-30)Hypertension arises most often secondary to chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism; it can cause retinal detachment and blindness, and brain and cardiac damage
Body weightEvery cat has its own baselineSame scale at home, fixed time, once a month, and record itA sustained decline is the earliest and most commonly missed disease signal in older cats (threshold for interpreting the magnitude of loss 【no single authoritative value for this item: the whitelist sources provide no cat-specific reference value for a weight-loss interpretation threshold; the magnitude of weight loss must be judged by a veterinarian from the individual's baseline, the time span and the clinical picture together, and cannot be covered by any single cut-point, 2026-07-30】, individual variation is large, so use the trend from your own continuous records and do not wait until the cat looks visibly thin)
Body condition score, BCS (1–9)Target range: the WSAVA "Cat Body Condition Scoring" official chart (9-point scale) explicitly lists 5 as "IDEAL" — "5 Well-proportioned. Observe waist behind ribs. Ribs palpable with slight fat covering. Abdominal fat pad minimal.", with 4 falling in "UNDER IDEAL" and 6 in "OVER IDEAL" <https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cat-Body-Condition-Scoring-2017.pdf>, verified 2026-07-30 (the verbatim text of that PDF can be obtained with a text-extraction tool; it is not a pure image file)Feel the ribs (they should be palpable but not protruding), the waist, and the abdominal fat padOverweight = diabetes mellitus / arthritis / anesthetic risk; too thin with a good appetite = hyperthyroidism / diabetes mellitus / intestinal disease
Muscle condition score (MCS)Qualitative gradingFeel the muscle on either side of the spine and over the scapulaeAn older cat can be "not thin but losing muscle", so this must be assessed separately from BCS
Water intake and urine output【No single authoritative value for this item: the whitelist sources provide no cat-specific reference value for water intake and urine output】Weigh the water container before and after; record the number and size of litter clumpsPolydipsia and polyuria = chronic kidney disease / diabetes mellitus / hyperthyroidism; reduced urine output, or straining without producing urine, = emergency
Mucous membrane color and capillary refill timeThe Merck Veterinary Manual "Parameters to Evaluate During Triage" table lists "1–2 seconds" as normal perfusion, "> 2 seconds" as poor perfusion and "< 1 second" as a hyperdynamic state <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/parameters-to-evaluate-during-triage>, verified 2026-07-30 (the table does not separate dogs and cats; it is a general small-animal reference value)Lift the upper lip and look at the gumsPale = anemia / shock; brown or muddy grey = methemoglobinemia (think acetaminophen); yellow = jaundice
Dehydration assessmentQualitativeSkin turgor, moistness of the mucous membranes, position of the eyeballsOlder cats have poor skin turgor to begin with, so this must be read together with body weight and the mucous membranes
Blood glucose / fructosamineThe fructosamine reference range in healthy cats is approximately 175–400 µmol/L (equivalent to 2.1–3.8 mmol/L) (PubMed: "Fructosamine concentrations ranged from 2.1 - 3.8 mmol/L in clinically healthy cats" <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12075546/>; "175 to 400 mumol/L" <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8947867/>, verified 2026-07-30; the two figures differ slightly, and because the methodologies differ neither is selected over the other; no verbatim-quotable source was found for a blood glucose reference value itself)Blood sampling; cats develop stress hyperglycemiaA single high blood glucose reading cannot diagnose diabetes mellitus; fructosamine or continuous monitoring at home is required
Oral cavity—Open the mouth monthly and look at the gum line, tartar, missing teeth and redness or swellingHalitosis, drooling, chewing on one side only or dropping food = oral pain

The content above is transcribed cell by cell from the encyclopedia chapter text, without rewriting or condensing; treatment direction is given by category only, with no drug names or dosages, and medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Limits of this content

The content of this article comes from the cat section of the veterinary encyclopedia (see the evidence chain for the original location and content hash). The sources listed at the end are the authoritative references cited by that chapter; the correspondence is at the chapter level. This content is for educational purposes and cannot replace diagnosis and prescriptions from a practicing veterinarian; seek veterinary care immediately in an emergency. This text has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.

FAQ

What should I note about body temperature (rectal temperature) in cats?
38.1–39.2°C (100.5–102.5°F) (Merck Veterinary Manual: "38.1–39.2°C" "100.5–102.5°F" <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/reference-values-and-conversion-tables/reference-guides/normal-rectal-temperature-ranges>, verified 2026-07-30) ｜ Rectal temperature is the standard; aural temperature has a large error in cats ｜ Hypothermia is more dangerous than hyperthermia in cats (shock, terminal stages, urethral obstruction, post-anesthesia); high temperature = inflammation / infection / heatstroke。
猫の体温（rectal temperature）について何に注意すべきですか？ — 38.1–39.2°C（100.5–102.5°F）（Merck Veterinary Manual：「38.1–39.2°C」「100.5–102.5°F」<https://www.merckvetmanual.com/reference-values-and-conversion-tables/reference-guides/normal-rectal-temperature-ranges>、確認 2026-07-30） ｜ 直腸温を基準とする；猫では耳温の誤差が大きい ｜ 猫では低体温のほうが高体温より危険です（ショック、終末期、尿道閉塞、麻酔後）；高体温＝炎症／感染／熱中症。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。
What should I note about body temperature (rectal temperature) in cats? — 38.1–39.2°C (100.5–102.5°F) (Merck Veterinary Manual: "38.1–39.2°C" "100.5–102.5°F" <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/reference-values-and-conversion-tables/reference-guides/normal-rectal-temperature-ranges>, verified 2026-07-30) ｜ Rectal temperature is the standard; aural temperature has a large error in cats ｜ Hypothermia is more dangerous than hyperthermia in cats (shock, terminal stages, urethral obstruction, post-anesthesia); high temperature = inflammation / infection / heatstroke。
What should I note about heart rate in cats?
Resting baseline 120–140 beats/min (Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Heart Rates table: "120–140" bpm, <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-heart-rates>, verified 2026-07-30); values are commonly higher when the cat is awake and stressed in the consulting room, so this is for a quiet home baseline only ｜ Palpate the chest wall or auscultate, count for 15 seconds × 4; in-clinic values are raised by stress ｜ Too fast = pain / hyperthyroidism / heart disease / anemia。
猫の心拍数（heart rate）について何に注意すべきですか？ — 安静時のベースライン 120–140 回/分（Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Heart Rates 表：「120–140」bpm、<https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-heart-rates>、確認 2026-07-30）；診察室で覚醒しストレス下にあるとより高い値が一般的で、あくまで自宅の安静時ベースラインの参考です ｜ 胸壁の触診または聴診で 15 秒×4；診察室の値はストレスで上昇します ｜ 速すぎる＝疼痛／甲状腺機能亢進／心疾患／貧血；遅すぎる＋低体温＝危篤（高カリウム血症、尿道閉塞を想起）。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。
What should I note about heart rate in cats? — Resting baseline 120–140 beats/min (Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Heart Rates table: "120–140" bpm, <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-heart-rates>, verified 2026-07-30); values are commonly higher when the cat is awake and stressed in the consulting room, so this is for a quiet home baseline only ｜ Palpate the chest wall or auscultate, count for 15 seconds × 4; in-clinic values are raised by stress ｜ Too fast = pain / hyperthyroidism / heart disease / anemia。
What should I note about respiratory rate in cats?
16–40 breaths/min (Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Respiratory Rates table: "16–40" breaths/min, <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-respiratory-rates>, verified 2026-07-30)。
猫の呼吸数（respiratory rate）について何に注意すべきですか？ — 16–40 回/分（Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Respiratory Rates 表：「16–40」breaths/min、<https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-respiratory-rates>、確認 2026-07-30）。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。
What should I note about respiratory rate in cats? — 16–40 breaths/min (Merck Veterinary Manual Resting Respiratory Rates table: "16–40" breaths/min, <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/resting-respiratory-rates>, verified 2026-07-30)。

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Jane・《Cats | Normal Physiological Parameters》・IDAEO 知識庫・2026-08-13・https://km.idaeo.ai/post/vet/cat-vital-signs

Updated 2026-08-15

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更新 2026-08-15T15:41:02.273Z · server-rendered · four-language · IDAEO 知識庫