What stress actually changes
A stressed cat's heart rate and breathing rate both rise, sometimes significantly, well above their genuine resting baseline. A reading taken in a vet's office during a stressful visit can look elevated even when nothing is actually wrong at home.
Why this matters for a vet's judgement
A good vet already accounts for this, but it's still working with less information than a calm reading would give. That's exactly why a resting breathing rate taken at home, where a cat is actually relaxed, is a genuinely different and more useful number than anything measured in an exam room.
What actually helps
- A carrier left out and familiar at home, not only produced right before a vet visit
- A calm, unhurried approach getting a cat into the carrier
- Bringing an actual home baseline to compare against, rather than relying on the in-clinic reading alone
Why the home number is worth the effort
A single stressed reading in an exam room tells a vet less than a real trend from home. Halo's breathing and vitals tracking exists specifically to capture that calmer, more accurate baseline, and bring it into the room instead of relying only on what a stressed fifteen minutes can show.