If your Maine Coon kitten was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur, take a deep breath and read this article. You’ll learn what it means when your kitten has a heart murmur. You will discover what to expect. Additionally, you’ll understand how to support your kitten’s health.
We like to keep things as simple and easy to understand as possible for you. So we’ll stick to the basics and help you easily navigate your way through the information.
What is a Heart Murmur?
Simply put, a heart murmur is a sound caused by turbulent blood flow in the heart. It’s often discovered during a health examination.
The idea of a heart murmur might sound scary at first, but it’s not always a sign of disease. This is especially true if the murmur is found in a young kitten.
When are heart murmurs usually detected in kittens?
In most cases, heart murmurs are discovered during their first health examination. This occurs between the ages of 6 to 10 weeks old. This is when breeders take the kittens to the vet to get a wellness check before sending them to their new home.
Our veterinarian does a routine of the following during health exam visits.
- Blood Test to check for Feline Leukemia and Heartworms
- Fecal Float Test [to Check for Coccidia and/or Giardia]
- Checks for any evidence of fleas
- Checks the eyes, nose and throat for any signs of virus or infectious disease
- Listens to Heart and Lungs
- Confirms 2 descended testicles for male kittens
- Checks gums and teeth
- Administers Pyrantel Deworming Treatment
- Administers FVRCP vaccine
The heart murmur can easily go undetected if it’s quiet. This depends on the severity of the heart murmur and the stress level of the kitten. It also depends on how much the kitten is sniffing and/or meowing. Our vet always pays special attention when listening to the hearts of our kittens.
How Common are Heart Murmurs in Maine Coons?
Research estimates that 10 to 15% of all kittens may have a heart murmur detected early in life. Most of them are innocent or physiological, especially in larger breeds like Maine Coons. We keep track of everything in our cattery. We can confirm that 11 kittens out of 251 have had heart murmurs, which is only 4.3%.
The majority of heart murmurs go away as the kitten grows and their heart matures.
The Grading Scale: Understanding the Severity
The heart murmur grading scale ranges from Grade 1 to Grade 6. It’s based on how loud the murmur sounds when your vet listens with a stethoscope. When our vet is listening to the heart, the room must be very quiet. Most of the time, she can even tell which side of the heart the murmur is located.
- Grade 1 is very soft and hard to hear—it might even come and go.
- Grade 2 is still quiet but easier to detect.
- Grade 3 is moderately loud
- Grade 4 the murmur is quite noticeable and may suggest an underlying issue.
- Grades 5 and 6 are the loudest; they’re so strong they can often be felt as a vibration through the chest wall.
The grade helps your vet decide if the murmur is likely harmless (what they call “innocent”) or if it needs more testing, like an echocardiogram. Most murmurs found in kittens—especially Maine Coons—are low-grade (1–2) and temporary, resolving as the kitten grows.
Will My Kitten Outgrow Their Heart Murmur?
Your Maine Coon kitten might have a Grade 1 or 2 heart murmur. It will very likely outgrow this by the age of 6 to 12 months. These innocent murmurs resolve on their own as the kitten grows and the heart develops.
If the murmur is a Grade 3 or higher, then it’s important to keep a closer eye on it. Have the kitten’s heart listened to by a vet every 60 days. if it’s not resolved by 1 year old, then visit a feline cardiologist to have an echocardiogram performed. This can rule out HCM or initiate a care plan for your cat.
Are There Any Supplements for Feline Heart Health?
We’re big believers in natural supplements for our cats and for ourselves! I had a Maine Coon kitten that had a Grade 3/4 heart murmur detected during her vet visit. After doing some research I decided to give her Feline Cardiac Support. It’s a supplement made by Natural Process.
When she was 6 months old, I took her back in for a recheck. The heart murmur was completely gone! The vets couldn’t believe it. They all passed her around and had a listen to make sure they were telling me the correct information.
Ever since that experience, I suggest that supplement to any owner. This is especially true for those who have a kitten or cat with a heart murmur or heart disease. Could it have been luck? Or just healed with time? Yes, of course. But I’ll never know if that was the case, or if the supplement helped. So now I’m an advocate.
What is the Outlook for my kitten with a heart murmur?
Owning a Maine Coon with a heart murmur doesn’t mean that something is “wrong”. Most of them will go on to live long, happy lives. Keep an eye on it. Follow up with your vet. Always feel free to reach out to us any time. We’re here to help and offer support for all Maine Coon owners!
Its our goal to educate and offer support to all owners of Maine Coon cats. We love to see our Coonies live long, healthy lives and make people happy for many years.
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