How to nurse your cat in an emergency





    The very serious problems---Call your vet immediately
    Some situations need to be seen by the vet at the vet's earliest opportunity.  Make
    sure your vet’s phone number is handy so you can find it immediately.     
    ---Is your cat having severe breathing problems?  
    ---Does it look as if it's in shock and is breathing faster than 20-25 or less than 10
    breaths a minute?
    ---Is it limping or protecting some part of its body?  
    ---Is it unexpectedly drooling and changing its behavior?  
    ---Do you suspect a bite from an insect or snake?  
    ---Have you seen your cat eat something poisonous?  
    ---Does your cat have an open wound from an animal bite or scratch?  
    ---Is it having severe diarrhea?  
    ---Is it vomiting repeatedly throughout the day?  
    ---Are there major changes in its urinary output?
    These are serious situations, so call your vet right away, explain the situation and
    tell them you are bringing the cat in right away.  It’s important for them to know
    you’re coming, so they can be ready for you.  Put your cat in its carrier, or wrap it in
    a blanket or large towel.  If unable to do this, try slipping your cat into a pillow
    case.  Have someone hold your cat while you drive to the vet.  Try to remain calm
    so your cat will sense that you’re taking care of the problem.    
    When a cat is sick or injured, it doesn't understand that you've come to help.  It      
    may not welcome your attempts.  So, take care to protect yourself first before   
    attempting to nurse your cat.  But, in an emergency, don't be afraid of getting
    bitten or scratched.  Act with confidence.   

     Acute injury
    In a serious accident, it's important to know ahead of time what you want to do so
    you can be in control and, in that way, get control over the cat's actions.  Throw a
    blanket or towel over your cat and grab it assertively.  Remove the cat and yourself
    from danger.  For example, in a car accident, get out of the line of moving traffic.  
    Check to see if the cat is conscious.  Is it breathing?  Is it's heart beating? If not,
    you must perform CPR.  

    CPR
    The elements of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are as easy to remember as
    A-B-C.
    "A" stands for airway.  We're going to try to open the cat's airway, if the cat isn't
    breathing.  Pull its tongue forward and check to see if there's something in its
    mouth.  Put your fingers as deep inside the mouth as you can and pull out anything
    that doesn't belong there.
    "B" stands for breathing.  We're going to try to get your cat breathing, if it isn't
    doing it on its own.  After you've cleared out its mouth, tip its head up and hold its
    mouth closed.  Breath short puffs every three seconds through the cat's nostrils.  
    No need to do mouth-to-mouth.  Remember that the cat's lungs are relatively small
    and your puffs should also be small.  
    "C" stands for circulation, meaning that we want to get the heart beating
    adequately to circulate the blood around the cat's body and brain.  We use this
    method only if the cat is not pulsing out blood from a wound to an artery.  
    Place your hand on the cats belly about an inch behind the cat's front elbows, to
    see if you can feel a beating.  If your cat's heart is not beating, you'll have to do
    chest compressions.  With your hand in that position where you suspect the heart
    would be, open your hand wide and squeeze your cat's chest between your thumb
    and four fingers. Again, this is different than what you'd do on a human, where you
    push down on the chest.  We don't want to break the cat's ribs, so we use this
    method.  Squeeze about twice a second for five times and then resume breathing
    for the cat.  Alternate these two methods in an attempt to restore the breathing
    and circulation.  Continue until you have restoration or for a maximum of twenty
    minutes.

    Precautions
    It certainly would help if you weren't alone.  Then someone else could phone the
    vet and tell them you're coming.  They could drive the car while you're doing CPR on
    your cat as you're sitting in the passenger seat.  But, if you're alone, start doing
    the CPR a few times and then call the vet.  Have the phone number handy.
    It would also certainly help if the accident happened during the vet's normal office
    hours.  But, if it didn't, then make sure you have the vet's protocol for
    emergencies.  Do you phone your vet, who will then meet you at the office?  Or do
    you bring your cat to an emergency clinic for cats?  Know this ahead of time.  Have
    the emergency clinic's phone number and location available.  

    If your cat is conscious
    Your cat can have an acute injury but remain conscious.  You'll need to pick it up.  
    Grasp it securely by the scruff of the neck, and lay it down on its side with its head
    away from you and its feet out of the way.  Support its back with that hand and
    arm.  Place your other hand between the cat's hind legs and support the lower
    belly.  Lift it up without twisting its neck or spine.  Talk in a calm quieting voice.  
    Keep the head lower than the rest of the body.  That way blood can circulate to the
    brain more easily and fluid can flow out of the cat's mouth, reducing the likelihood
    of the cat choking.  Have someone drive you to the vet's office.  See the previous
    paragraph for cautions.  If you have to drive, place the pet in a secure box with a
    blanket or towel around it.  No need to fumble with a carrier if it doesn't open at
    the top.  Or, if no box is available, place your cat in a pillow case with the end
    folded under.  























    If your cat is bleeding
    Press firmly on the wound for a few minutes. Place a pad over the wound.  Wrap a
    gauze bandage around it as tightly as needed to stop the bleeding.  Go to your vet
    right away.  The vet will remove the bandage shortly, before any damage is done.  
    Fasten the gauze with a tape, including wrapping right over the cat's hair so the
    bandage doesn't slip.  
    Any open wound that's on the cat's belly or head, that's gaping, or that becomes
    inflamed, needs to be seen by the vet.  
    Minor cuts can be treated by holding a wash cloth dipped in warm salty water (one
    teaspoon salt to a pint of warm water) on the cut.  Do this every few hours until
    you see improvement.  



    If your cat is having a seizure
    A seizure is also called having a fit, having epilepsy, or having convulsions.  Your
    cat will lose consciousness and perhaps also lose bladder and bowel control.  It will
    jerk its legs hectically and perhaps have foam in his mouth.  Don't try to restrain
    the cat from moving.  Instead, move furniture or other items out of its way.  Push
    the cat away from the edges of any surface it's on to keep the cat from falling.  You
    can use your foot instead of your hand if necessary.  Stay with your cat during
    these few minutes and then drive it to your vet when the seizure is over.       

    If your cat is choking
    Check your cat's mouth and remove anything that doesn't belong there.  Pick up
    your cat in your two hands, holding it erect and facing you.  Have your thumbs
    under the area where the ribs end and the soft belly starts.  Push your thumbs in
    quickly and sharply.  When you are successful, the object will fly out of the cat's
    mouth.
How to Nurse Your Cat