Happy is the owner whose furry four-legged pet has never gotten sick. However, not everyone is so lucky, and if the animal is sick, very often the disease proceeds with fever. That this is an increase in body temperature , in general , is known to all. But in order to say that something has risen, it would be nice to know the norm. And here is what temperature a cat should have, not all owners know.
There is a range of normal values, and its average value is higher than that of a person. That is, seeing, for example, the number 38, you do not need to be scared.
What temperature should a cat have if it does not get sick, is it healthy? The limit of values is from 37.8 to 38.9 about C. If it is above the upper limit, this indicates the presence of fever. This happens if the cat is sick with an infectious disease, with rheumatic processes, heat and sunstroke, brain tumors and other ailments.
Lowering the temperature is possible with viral diseases, in elderly animals with kidney or liver failure, after anesthesia, due to trauma, bleeding, hypothermia.
What temperature should a cat have when it is born? In newborns, it is lowered to 36.1 about C, but gradually increases as they develop. By the month she already reaches normal values. By the way, in kittens, the upper temperature limit can reach 39.5 ° C.
There is one exception to the rule when an adult animal is healthy, but it may have a changed temperature. These are the last days of pregnancy, more precisely, 24-36 hours before childbirth. What temperature should a cat have in this case? It falls by one degree and will be 36.8-38 ° C. This is one of the reliable signs of an approaching birth.
Rules for measuring temperature in cats
Mercury thermometer:
- shake, lowering the column down;
- lubricate the beginning of the device with a lubricant;
- place it in a twisting motion into the anus to a depth of about 1.5 cm;
- wait 2 minutes.
Electronic thermometer:
- enable;
- apply grease;
- enter it in the same way;
- wait for the beep.
Ear thermometer:
- enable;
- gently insert the tip into the ear, fixing the cat's head with the other hand;
- wait for the signal.
Any device of these after use should be wiped with alcohol.
How to measure a cat’s temperature if she doesn’t want to?
If the animal is not enthusiastic about this idea and resists so clearly that it poses a threat to the owner or veterinarian, measures must be taken to fix the pet. Here is some of them:
- You can use a blanket or towel by wrapping an animal in it.
- Veterinarians fix cats using the stretching method: with one hand for the skin at the withers, with the other for the hind legs and slightly stretching the body.
- You can hold the head and body of the pet under the armpit, hold the hind limbs with one hand, and introduce a thermometer with the other.
What to do if a cat has a temperature of 40?
A similar question is often asked by frightened owners to a doctor in a veterinary clinic. For a person, such an increase is indeed critical, but not for a furry friend. Although the rise of the thermometer by one degree already indicates the presence of fever and any disease. Therefore, you should not panic, but you also do not need to hesitate. Usually, a fever does not come alone, but in a company with other symptoms: cough, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, or others. They need to be identified, remembered or written down. It is necessary to deliver the cat to the clinic as soon as possible. A kitten with a temperature of 40 just needs to be watched very carefully, for a baby this temperature increase is insignificant, and it can also arise due to, say, increased activity of the baby.