Companion Animals

Cat Senior Blood Pressure Monitoring: Hypertension Welfare

Feline hypertension is common in senior cats and causes serious welfare harm from blindness, stroke, and organ damage without treatment.

Key Facts

Hypertension affects up to 20% of cats over 15 years old, most commonly secondary to CKD
Target systolic blood pressure is below 150 mmHg in cats to prevent target organ damage
Sudden blindness from retinal detachment is often the first detected sign of hypertension
Amlodipine is highly effective at controlling blood pressure in hypertensive cats

Welfare Considerations

Hypertensive cats develop progressive target organ damage including retinal detachment, brain haemorrhage, and cardiac changes. Sudden blindness is a welfare emergency that is entirely preventable with proactive blood pressure monitoring in senior cats. Early detection and treatment prevents suffering that is both significant and avoidable.

What You Can Do

Request blood pressure measurement at every senior cat health check from age 7 onwards
Seek emergency veterinary care for sudden apparent blindness in senior cats
Maintain anti-hypertensive medication consistently - blood pressure control requires ongoing treatment