Page 77 - Complete Cat Care: How To Keep Your Cat Healthy and Happy

First aid kit

A first aid kit for your cat will enable you to deal with minor
injuries yourself or, in emergencies, provide care until you Thermometer
can reach a vet. Some pet shops sell veterinary-approved
kits, or you can make up your own using the articles shown
here. Keep the kit easily accessible at all times.
Adhesive bandage Disposable
gloves
Tweezers

Saline
First aid box wash Bandage Cotton Scissors

back of the tongue to check for nose. Continue for up to 10 minutes needs urgent action; heat stroke
anything blocking the throat. or until the cat starts breathing. may quickly progress to collapse, 75
■ Breathing—look for chest coma, and death. Lower the body
movements and feel for breath Shock temperature by placing the cat in a
from the nostrils. Shock is a life-threatening loss of cool room with a fan, or placing cool,
■ Circulation—feel the chest for the circulation caused by severe injury damp towels on the body, especially
heart beat, and the inside of the or heavy internal bleeding, around the armpits and groin.
back leg, near the top, for the pulse. poisoning, or a severe allergic Basic first aid
If there is no breathing or pulse, reaction. The cat will feel cold to Drowning
give heart massage by squeezing the touch, breathing and pulse will If you can reach a drowning cat, pull
the chest under the forelegs with be weak and rapid, and the gums him to safety and dry with a towel.
one hand, at two compressions per will be very pale. Wrap the cat in If he is not moving, hold him by the
second. Every 10 compressions, blankets to preserve body heat, but hind legs, with his body hanging
give a “breath”—press the chest do not constrict the chest. If he is down, then shake him up and down
with both hands, or cup your hands having problems breathing, lay to clear water from the lungs. If he
around the face and blow into the him on his side with the head tilted is not breathing, try resuscitation.
downward. Monitor ABC.

Hypothermia
Abnormally low body temperature Traffic accidents
can develop if a cat spends too long Accidents are the main cause of
outside in cold weather or falls into serious injury and death in cats.
freezing water. Bring the cat into a Minimize risks by keeping your cat
warm room and wrap him in warm, indoors at busy times and at night,
dry blankets—warm the blankets and have your cat neutered—
neutered cats are less likely to
first in a tumble dryer. The cat will stray and get into danger. Sadly,
need urgent veterinary attention. many accident victims do not
survive. If you find a body, check it
Heat stroke for a collar and take it to a local vet
A cat can easily develop heat stroke to be scanned for a microchip. If
the cat is alive, move him only if he
on a hot day if he is shut in a room is in danger of being hit by another
△ Risk of heat stroke or a vehicle with no access to vehicle, or if you feel that moving
A greenhouse or a room with big windows can him will not worsen any injury.
get very hot in direct sunlight. A cat trapped in a water. The cat may be panting and
room like this will be at risk of heat stroke. distressed, with red gums. This

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