As a cat owner, your furry friend's safety should always be a top priority.
Although we hope that our cats never encounter an emergency, it's important to know how to perform CPR on a cat in case of an unexpected event. Whether your cat has a heart attack or experiences difficulty breathing, performing CPR can save their life.
In this post, we will teach you five ways to perform CPR on a cat and hope that you will never have to use this knowledge.
1. Check for Signs of Life
Before you begin CPR for cats, check if they are breathing with a quick check. A healthy breathing pattern is slow and steady, with the rise and fall of the chest. If your cat is not breathing on their own, or their breathing is labored and shallow, it's time to start CPR.
2. Perform Chest Compressions
Place your cat on their side, on a flat surface, and position their head carefully to open the airways. Perform compressions by pressing down on your cat's chest with your palms, just behind their elbow joint.
The compressions should be smooth, but firm, with one compression for each second. Make sure you match the pressure and depth according to the size of your cat's chest.
3. Give Mouth-To-Mouth Resuscitation
This procedure involves blowing into the pet's nostrils to provide air to their lungs. To do this, hold the cat's jaw closed with one hand and inhale deeply. With your other hand, hold the cat's nose closed, and blow into the cat's nostrils until you see the chest rise.
After your first breath, wait for the cat's chest to fall before giving a second breath. Continue the cycle of breathing in and out every five seconds until the cat starts to breathe.
4. Use a Pet-Specific CPR Mask
These are designed masks that fit over the pet's mouth, nose, and face. They come with a one-way valve to help ensure that air flows in only one direction. Using this mask, the ratio of compressions to breaths is the same as in human CPR: 30 compressions for every two breaths.
When using a pet-specific CPR mask, you must first see if there is any obstruction in the pet's throat. If there's no unmovable blockage, you can proceed with the compression sequence. If the compression cycle is successful, but the pet is still unconscious, try breathing into the pet's mouth.
5. Monitor Your Cat Carefully
Once you've started CPR, it's important to watch your cat's vital signs. Check for breathing, pulse rates, and color changes in the gums to determine if feline resuscitation is working or not. Also, if possible, while performing CPR, call your Veterinarian or an emergency vet for helpful guidance.
For those looking to learn how to perform CPR on a cat, it is important to get certified. You can check it out here on how to get certified now and become prepared to handle any emergency with your beloved furry companion.
Learn How to Perform CPR on a Cat to Save Your Feline Friend's Life
While performing CPR can be stressful, it's important to know how to perform CPR on a cat in an emergency. Remember to stay calm, and to perform the steps to prevent further injury to your cat.
Practice with a dummy or manikin to become more confident in performing CPR. You never know when you might need to use your life-saving training and the knowledge could save your cat's life.
To dive into some of our topics, check out our other great articles.
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