Although we usually pay great attention to our pets' safety at home and try our best to eliminate all obstacles for them, the possibility of pets getting injured cannot be avoided. Cats getting injured is common, after all, they are so playful. Depending on the severity of the wound, some minor injuries can heal on their own, while others must be treated or require a visit to the doctor.

Observing the wound

When a cat is injured, the first thing is to observe the wound carefully. Gently feel its legs and spine to check for fractures. If the cat can calmly stay still and allow you to touch its legs and spine, it likely does not have a fracture. However, if it fusses and prevents you from touching its bones, it is quite possible that it has a fracture. If the cat is injured and also has a fracture, it should be sent to the hospital immediately. But if there is no fracture and only some superficial wounds, you can disinfect and bandage it yourself at home.

Cleaning the wound

Cats often become emotional and irritable when injured, and might bite when unstable. Therefore, put a collar on the cat before bandaging. Short-haired cats do not need shaving when treating wounds, but long-haired cats need to be shaved before bandaging the wound. If the wound is small and bleeding is minor, just clean the wound with saline solution. After wiping it clean, apply iodine around the wound. The cleaning and disinfecting process might cause some pain, so it is recommended to soothe and calm the cat during disinfection to stabilize its emotions. If the wound is larger and bleeding heavier, after cleaning and disinfecting, apply pressure to stop the bleeding with cotton.

Bandaging

After disinfecting the wound, you can proceed to bandage it. Regardless of minor or heavy bleeding, it is recommended to use cat-specific hemostatic powder. For small wounds, use a small amount of hemostatic powder then bandage with gauze. For heavier bleeding, after applying hemostatic powder, press a wad of cotton before wrapping it with gauze to better stop the bleeding. If the cat’s wound is deep or large, after bandaging it is still necessary to go to the hospital for professional treatment to promote healing.

Before the cat’s wound is fully healed, excessive activity is not recommended. Cats recovering from fractures should avoid large movements. After injury, it is advisable to provide more nutrition to the cat to promote wound healing and help it recover body strength as soon as possible.