April is National First Aid Awareness Month
National First Aid Awareness Month
American Red Cross has designated April as National First Aid Awareness Month. It’s an ideal time for cat owners to learn about how to care for their four-legged companion in case of an emergency or accident. Here we’ll share some useful tips to prepare you for an emergency.
Tips for Handling Emergency
You never know when your cat can fall, eat something toxic to them, or get in a fight with one of your other cats and get injured. So, you must have an action plan to deal with the situation. Follow the below-given tips and take care of your feline friends.
1. Keep Emergency Contacts in Hand
When you own cats, you must have emergency numbers. Ensure that you have the vet’s emergency number and ASPCA hotline. Keep them in your wallet or place them on the fridge door. You can place them anywhere else, but ensure that you’ll not forget and get them when needed.
2. Get First Aid Training
Nobody can handle your kitten better than you in case of an emergency. So, try to get first aid emergency training from your local vet or American Red Cross. Having training will make you well prepared to handle an accident.
Seek vet’s guidance and buy a first aid guide. Moreover, you can watch information videos to see how to tackle these situations. Having first aid training will help you check the heart rate and pulse rate of your kitten. Further, it will help you bandage a wound, and you can prevent yourself from a kitten’s bite. First aid training will enable you to learn how to perform CPR, and you’ll be able to recognize the signs when to take your pet to the vet.
3. Ensure That First Kit Is Always Ready
It depends on a cat’s owners whether they want to purchase assembled kit or prepare one by themselves. Whatever ways you choose, ensure that the kit includes self-cling gauze, non-stick bandages, and paper tape. It would be great if you have hydrogen peroxide and activated charcoal in the kit. It would be handy when your kitten ingests a poisonous substance. Having a thermometer in the box would be great. It will help you check the cat’s temperature. Finally, don’t forget to add antiseptic spray, splint supplies, tweezers, and gloves.
4. Act Quickly
When your kitten experiences an accident, stay calm, control your nerves, and act immediately. If you don’t get any response from your kitten, check airways to ensure that there isn’t stuck anything in the throat. Carefully examine the heartbeat and breathing. In case the breathing isn’t normal, start CPR.
In case of bleeding, put compress over it and splint broken bones. If possible, immediately call the vet at home for emergency treatment.
Final Words
Celebrate this National First Aid awareness month by learning first aid emergency training. Perhaps, it’s the best way to show your love for your kitten. Moreover, it will ensure that you’re well prepared in case an accident takes place. So, follow the tips mentioned above and save your kitten’s life.