How to Restrain Your Cat to Give First Aid

A cat is just as likely to injure their owner as a stranger when threatened. This is why it is so important to learn the proper restraining technique before administering first aid to a cat. Otherwise, the caregiver may the one seeking first aid.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Towel
• Table or bench

1. Prepare a work station to examine or administer first aid to the cat. Place a towel on a table or bench that is a comfortable height in order for the provider to stand. The towel makes the work surface less slippery.
2. Approach the cat with confidence and handle gently. Grab the cat with one hand by the excess tuft of skin and fur behind the head, and in the middle of the neck called the scruff. Place the other hand underneath the hind paws for support when lifting or carrying the cat.
3. Place and restrain the cat on the work station. Scruff the cat firmly with one hand. Confirm the proper hold. If scruffing correctly, the care giver should see the cat's ears come together and the shoulder blades pop up.
4. Administer first aid to the restrained cat with free hand. Inspect wounds indicated by the cat's constant licking or other behaviors. Dispense medication orally or topically. Get the cat down on its side or back if the area needing attention is either on its underbelly or hind paws.

Tips & Warnings

• Grabbing the cat by the scruff of the neck is not mean. A mother cat carries her kittens this way. Scruffing releases endomorphins that are comforting to the animal.
• Solicit the assistance of another person, if scruffing is not providing an adequate opportunity to administer aid.
• A threatened cat's 5 weapons are its mouth and 4 sets of claws. A cat's teeth can penetrate joints or bone. If angry, a cat may also use its claws to drag a person's hand to its teeth, creating scratches as well.