cats and high altitude

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rvphotographer

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Sep 7, 2007
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I live currently live aboard my coach in Florida with my two cats.  I'm considering spending the summer in Santa Fe (altitude 7000'), and a friend mentioned that her two cats didn't do well with the altitude change.  Any suggestions/comments?
 
Never heard of that and we travel all over the US with our cat.  Haven't noticed any particular altitude problem.  We have spent several days at 7000 feet, but not an entire summer.  And people in Denver (5000 feet) keep cats as pets.  Did your friend say what she thought the effect was?

I assume that cats, like people, have to acclimate to a higher altitudes and less oxygen, but I don't think 7000 feet is enough to be a major problem. I did however, find a study  online that reported that cats born and raised at 5200 feet died after being taken to 14,000 feet (that's the top of Mt McKinley!).
 
I suspect cats are like people... Sometimes at high altitude they find it hard to breath due to the thinning of the air.

For most cats though this won't be much of a problem as they will conserve (Sleep)

My pair has traveled with me across the mountains a number of times I've seen 7,000 8,000, 9,000 and IIRC 10,000 altitudes and they did not have a problem (nor did I)

This matters,, Wife and I are NON-Smokers
 
We live at about 5000 feet altitude most of the year and frequently go above 6000 with the MH and cat.  No problems with either.  I would suspect that if the cats were alergic to something or had a respiratory problem, they could have problems.
 
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