Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi guys. i'm new to the cat forum, as well as new to cats. we adopted a stray from my parents' neighborhood a little over a month ago. his name is franklin, hes about a year old & has been neutered & declawed (before i'm flamed, that wasn't my idea.) people think i'm crazy, but i want to put together a first aid kit for him. i'm a big fan of the "just in case" scenario (re:a little paranoid)

things i have already-

alcohol, for sterilization
2" ace bandage
oral feeding syringe
kwik stop styptic powder
2 glass droppers, straight tip & bent tip
2 pairs of latex gloves
1 ziplock bag of cotton balls & q-tips
5 telfa non-stick pads
10 2x2 gauze sponges
pen light
rectal thermometer
betadine 7.5% solution

there are several other things on the list that i haven't bought yet, but i was wondering if anyone else has done this & what they used. also, i work in a pharacy so i know the betadine (& other things, but that's the only thing i've bought so far) will probably need to be diluted, can anyone tell me for sure what i should dilute with (i was guessing water) & how much?

thanks for any help,
morgan & frankie

Hi,

It's good to try and be prepared, but please remember that cats can be very difficult to treat, especially if they are in pain. For this reason I recommend you add a nice, thick towel to your supplies so that you have a chance of at least picking up your cat without getting hurt. Plus, you may want to get a muzzle. Often the best thing to do is bundle up the injured cat and get him or her to the vet. Anesthesia may be needed before the cat can be treated.

I would get an ear thermometer to use rather than a rectal one. They are much easier on cats and if the temp is high enough a vet visit will be needed anyway. I would also replace any glass droppers with plastic ones. Imagine a cat biting down hard on something made of glass. Not good.

Above all, be extremely careful. Even professionals, such as vets and technicians, get hurt by their patients on a regular basis. Last week I had a bad cat bite that abscessed within a day and I had to drain it several times plus take antibiotics. A badly frightened and/or injured kitty can act totally different than you would expect.

Regards,
PHKitkat