A veterinary exam at least once a year for your cat is the best defense against cardiac illness. Here’s what you should know.

By Tom Ewing

Although one cat may be prettier, smarter or more athletic than another, nature plays no favorites when it comes to doling out heart disease. All cats are at potential risk for serious insult to this vital organ. In some cases, the signs are obvious to the trained eye. In others, a serious heart disorder can remain hidden for years before finally expressing itself in a sudden, perhaps fatal, deterioration of function.

Genetic predisposition does put some breeds at greater risk for cardiomyopathy — for example, Maine coons, ragdolls and Persians (above) — but no breed is immune to its threat.

The best thing that owners can do is to make sure their cats have thorough medical checkups — at least once a year — during which the veterinarian pays close attention to the heart. While examination with a stethoscope…

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