Many of us are aware of what to do if we need to help a fellow human if they are unconscious, but what about cats? Giving basic first aid to cats isn’t something that is taught in schools, yet it’s a valuable life skill that would benefit all cat owners to know. Knowing what to do can help to alleviate the panic and stress of the situation and potentially save the life of your beloved pet.
We recently reached out to the CEO of First Aid for Life, Emma Hammett RGN. Emma was able to share with us a short and very informative video informing and showing what to do if you find an unconscious cat.
Please take a few minutes to watch the video and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. This important skill can truly mean the difference between life and death for our feline friends. Vets are not always open, some out of our vets are located many miles away, learn a new skill today that could save your cat in an emergency.
What to Do if Your Cat is Unconscious
- Look for signs of breathing. You can place a mirror in front of the mouth to see the breath or use the back of the hand and see if you feel the breath.
- Check for a pulse. Use 2 fingers under the lower leg, push down firmly and you should feel the femoral artery.
- If you feel a pulse but the cat isn’t breathing; lift the cat and pull the tongue forward to open the airway. This may be enough to start the cat breathing, if not, hold the mouth shut and breathe into the nose. Use a short sharp breath, remembering the cat’s lungs are not as big as your own so don’t empty your lungs, use sharp puffs of breath instead. Remember to watch the video above for instructions.
- 1.If your cat is unconscious, not breathing and you can’t feel a pulse; you will need to perform CPR. Place your cat on their side and push hard and fast over the heart area for 120 beats per minute. Be sure to watch the video above for visual direction. Use your thumbs for small cats and kittens and your two hands interlocked for bigger cats. Start with 5 breaths, and then follow with 30 compression's followed by two breaths through the nose and repeat 30 to 2.
All the while you should be doing all you can to reach a vet as your cat will need to receive medical attention. The best thing to do is follow these instructions as you travel to the vets. Saving a cat using CPR is rare so it is vital you get your cat to the vets as soon as you can.
Please watch the very important video above for clear, easy to follow instructions on what to do if you find a cat unconscious. We hope you never have to use this skill, but it is one that is worth knowing, just to be on the safe side.