In everyday cat life, minor and major emergencies must always be expected. To be prepared for a wide variety of situations, you should have a few instruments, dressing materials and medicines in stock. Our checklist shows what is important.
Well equipped for emergencies
Everyone is happy if the first aid kit in the car is preferably never needed. The same applies to a first-aid kit for cats. The utensils may lie unused in a drawer for months or even years - but the moment may suddenly come when a cat first-aid kit is of the utmost importance. Perhaps your cat comes home with a bloody paw, a scratch or parasites. In many cases, action should be taken quickly - either to solve the problem yourself or as emergency care before going to the vet.
There is no substitute for a visit to the vet if the injury is more serious or if you are not sure what is wrong with your cat. Especially when it comes to administering medication, this measure should first be discussed with your trusted vet. Under no circumstances should you use medicines for humans or dogs as a substitute, as these could be toxic to cats.
What belongs in a cat's first-aid kit?
Although outdoor cats are more likely to need a first-aid kit sooner or later, it is also worth keeping a few items in the house just in case. These include
Instruments:
- Tweezers (for pulling out thorns etc.)
- Tick tweezers (quick removal can prevent the transmission of diseases)
- Bandage scissors (for cutting bandages)
- Claw scissors (if the claws are not worn off sufficiently by themselves)
- Small flashlight (to check wounds, mouth, ears)
- Clinical thermometer (to check the body temperature)
- Pipette or disposable syringe without needle (for administering eye drops)
- Optional: Cannulas, tablet cutter, flea comb, neck funnel
Medication:
- Disinfectant
- wound ointment
- Painkillers
- Antiparasitic agent
- Rescue drops
- Ear cleaning solution
- Eye drops
- Optional: dental care gel, homeopathic remedies
Dressing material:
- Plasters
- Gauze bandages
- compresses
- Absorbent cotton
- Wound cover
- Disposable gloves
How do I react in an emergency?
It's easier said than done - but in an emergency, it's important to stay calm and organized. Think about whether you want to deal with a problem yourself, administer first aid or (for example, in the case of larger wounds) drive to a veterinary clinic as quickly as possible. A transport channel should generally be readily available for this purpose.
Tip: In an emergency situation, every minute can be important. You should therefore save the telephone numbers of your vet, a veterinary clinic, the poison control center and an animal emergency call center in your cell phone and ideally also print them out and keep them at home. If you are not there, someone else can quickly access it and take action.
Make an appointment in your cell phone to remind yourself regularly to check the contents of the emergency pharmacy for expiry dates (e.g. eye drops) and to replace expired medication.