What is the standard blood volume for cats?

Cats have an estimated total blood volume of approximately 60 mL/kg body weight. Some references cite a range of 55–70 mL/kg; 60 mL/kg is the widely used midpoint in clinical practice.

How much blood can safely be drawn from a cat?

A common guideline is to draw no more than 10% of estimated total blood volume in a single collection session from a healthy cat. For a 4 kg cat (TBV ≈ 240 mL), that is about 24 mL.

Is 60 mL/kg accurate for all cats?

The 60 mL/kg figure is a useful clinical estimate. Actual blood volume varies with age, body condition, and health status. Neonates and obese cats may fall outside this range; consult species-specific references for critical cases.

How is this used in transfusion medicine?

Total blood volume helps estimate how much whole blood or packed red blood cells are needed to raise packed cell volume (PCV) by a target amount, using formulas such as: Volume (mL) = BW(kg) × 70 mL/kg × (target PCV − current PCV) / donor PCV.

Does this tool store any data?

No. All calculations run entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to or stored on any server.

Feline Blood Volume

Name: Feline Blood Volume
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter a cat's body weight to estimate total blood volume using the standard 60 mL/kg veterinary reference value.

Cat Weight

Body Weight

Blood volume constant (mL/kg)

Standard reference: 60 mL/kg. Accepted range: 55–70 mL/kg.

Results

Enter a weight and press Calculate to see results.

Quick Reference

Weight (kg)	TBV — 55 mL/kg	TBV — 60 mL/kg	TBV — 70 mL/kg

Summary

Enter a cat's body weight to estimate total blood volume using the standard 60 mL/kg veterinary reference value.

How it works

Enter the cat's body weight.
Select the weight unit (kg or lbs).
The calculator applies the formula: Total Blood Volume (mL) = Weight (kg) × 60 mL/kg.
View estimated total blood volume, safe blood draw limit (10% of TBV), and maximum transfusion volume.
Use results to guide blood collection, transfusion planning, or anesthesia fluid protocols.

Use cases

Determine safe blood draw volumes before diagnostic phlebotomy.
Plan packed red blood cell or whole blood transfusion volumes.
Estimate blood loss tolerance during feline surgery.
Calculate fluid replacement targets during anesthesia.
Teach veterinary students standard feline hematology reference values.
Verify manual calculations before clinical procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu