While cats that spend any amount of time outdoors are more likely to need a first aid kit than those that stay purely indoors, it is wise for any cat owner to have some basic supplies in their cat first aid kit. It’s easy to compile, and you never know when you might need it, so this shouldn’t be done until you find out your cat needs it.
The following list is a good starting point for preparing a first aid kit for your cat, but your cat’s personal habits, medications, and health needs may require additional items to be added. If your cat is injured, take them to the veterinarian for a thorough examination.
Glove
If your cat has wounds, has been sprayed by a skunk, has ants or fleas, or has some kind of chemical on its fur or skin, then you will need to wear some examination gloves before touching your cat. Examination gloves can protect you from anything on your cat, including bacteria and bloodborne pathogens. These are inexpensive disposable items, so throw them away and restore your first aid kit after each use.
Electric Scissors
Things can get stuck in the cat’s fur, and the fur can get into the wound. In both cases, you’ll need some small electric scissors to shave off unwanted hair. A first aid kit comes with some cheap scissors that can help treat sticky objects, tangled hairy items, diarrhea, bites, lacerations, etc. In addition, there is less chance of accidentally cutting a cat with scissors than using scissors to cut off unwanted fur.
Emergency Phone Numbers
If your cat needs serious medical attention, your first aid kit can only do so much. To help your cat, you need to get them to the vet as soon as possible or know who to call for information. Having a list of emergency phone numbers that includes your regular veterinarian, emergency veterinarian, and pet poisoning hotline can help prevent you from wasting time searching for and finding these phone numbers when an emergency occurs.
Benadryl
Liquid diphenhydramine, often referred to by the brand name Benadryl, is an antihistamine that should be in every cat’s first aid kit. Children’s formulas are liquids and are easier to give to cats than pills, especially if your cat is small. The typical dose is 2 mg per kilogram of body weight, or simply, 1 mg per pound of body weight orally every 8 hours. However, if you suspect that your cat has an allergic reaction, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Iodine
If your cat is cut or bitten, cleaning with povidone-iodine can help clean the wound and prevent infection. Povidone-iodine, also known as Betadine, is a brownish-yellow liquid. It mixes with water to form a diluted cleaning solution that can be applied directly to open wounds.
Bandaging Material
There are many types of bandage materials that can be used for cats. Make sure you have adhesive bandages in your first aid kit, such as veterinarian wraps, non-stick gauze, bandages, and gauze.
Scissors
Scissors are a must-have in a first aid kit. Not only can they cut the bandage to the right size, but they can also cut rope, rubber bands, headbands, strings, and other items that can entangle the cat, resulting in narrow wounds.
Hemostatic Powder
Nails can tear when a cat fights or when a cat’s nails get stuck in a carpet or blanket. Not only can these injuries cause pain to your cat, but they can also become messy if you can’t control the bleeding. Hemostatic powder is a special powder that can help stop bleeding and is an essential part of any cat’s first aid kit.
Salt Water for Eye Washing
The saline eyewash is a great dual-purpose cat first aid kit item. It can be used to rinse debris from a cat’s eye as well as to flush wounds.