High blood pressure in cats, or hypertension, is becoming a worrying problem.

This is not a condition in or of itself. As a British cardiologist so beautifully said about hypertension, it is the 'body's scream for help'.

Most often this will be done at a veterinary clinic.

Yet, everyone knows about the 'white coat syndrome', where people are stressed, making the measurements shoot up.

This is no less true for cats. In fact, it is likely to be much worse as they are such sensitive animals. 

In addition, the combination of being caged, the journey to the vet, the vet's clinic with strangers, other frightened animals and the chemical smells will make even the most stable cat worried, if not terrified.

Their instinct is to escape and they are unable to. And that can make it much worse.

Then the cuff to measure the hypertension. Most cats hate having anything on them. They hate feeling restricted in any way.

This means the results are likely to be highly inflated. Once the cat is back home, it is more than likely the blood pressure will come down. Possibly considerably.

High blood pressure in cats, as in people, is really a cry for help by the body. The body is struggling and needs help. Something in their life is amiss.

In people, one of the most, if not THE most, common causes is the diet. People eat badly today. Highly processed food, easy and cheap to buy, doesn't contain the necessary nutrition for the body to thrive.

This is as true with cats as with us.

The commercial cat food industry doesn't care a jot about the health of your cat. They are only interested in making a good profit. And if that means deceiving you with make-belief, so be it. It's global.

Apart from the all important dietary cause, this can lead to renal problems, from difficulty urinating all the way to kidney failure and everything in between.

Thyroid troubles are also likely to develop.

This means, it's better to focus on what high blood pressure in cats tells us, rather than worrying, or dealing with, the problem itself.

Veterinary drugs to lower the blood pressure are not going to slow the progress of the renal or thyroid problems. In fact, they are likely to accelerate their appearance.

It is well within your ability to reverse the progression, not just stop it progressing.

There is one thing that only you can do. Only you have control over your cat's diet. Only you can change that. No one else can do that.

And the diet is THE most important part of everyone's health. No-one can be healthy unless the body has the right nutrition for the job.  

The act of daily consumption means we can either enhance health or destroy it. Commercial cat food destroys it. This is why most cats today only reach the age of around 10 years, whereas they are naturally able to live healthy, vigorous lives well into their 20s. And did so not that long ago, well within living memory.

No one thing is ever the only cause of deteriorating health. Toxins (in veterinary drugs and vaccines, household furnishings and cleaners, air fresheners, garden chemicals, etc) all play a part in the health of your cat. 

As does lifestyle, stress, companionship.

Most of these areas are within your control and you can focus on improving them one at a time.

However, the diet is the one thing that will make the most difference in the shortest time in improving the health of your cat. So that's the best starting point.