Cats that have been injured in an accident should be taken to see a vet as soon as possible. Contact your veterinarian practice before you go to make sure that they’re open.

Additionally, alerting the practice staff means they can provide guidance on how to make the cat comfortable and offer suggestions on any steps you can take to treat them before arriving at the surgery.

It also means that the veterinary team is ready to treat the cat immediately upon arrival, improving the cat’s chances of survival. But what can you do to treat your cat's wounds before they get into the hands of the professionals?

What to Do if Your Cat is Injured?

Cats that are in pain may run away and hide (if they’re able to). They may also become unpredictable and aggressive, so take care when lifting them up.

Top Tips for Handling an Injured Cat

• Use a blanket or towel to wrap them - this will help to restrain them and may prevent them from biting you.
• Hold the cat’s body with one arm, supporting their weight with your forearm, while using your other hand to hold them firmly but gently under the chin.
• Place in a carrier or cardboard box and take to the vet.
• Check that the cat can breathe comfortably, is kept warm, and that any bleeding from an open wound is controlled (there may also be serious internal bleeding that isn’t obvious).
• When treating the wound, apply pressure to the wound to control the bleeding with cotton wool, a bandage, or gauze.
• As a last resort, a tourniquet may be used to stem the flow of blood from an injured limb or tail.

Remember that cat owners should only carry out first aid to save their cat’s life or prevent further injury until the cat can be cared for by a vet.

Eye injuries, burns, and scalds also require urgent veterinary treatment. Damage caused by fire or hot liquids can be reduced by soaking in cold, clean water. However, don’t attempt to treat the injury with ointments (unless advised to do so by your vet).

Take your cat to your vet practice as soon as possible. Any delay will increase the pain, as well as the risks to your pet's health including infection, shock and loss of fluid.

Cat Wound Care for Pet Owners

If your cat has been in a fight with another animal, it may be left with typical cat fight wounds, such as small cuts or grazes. These can be left to heal at home. More serious wounds, such as bite and puncture wounds, will need to be treated by your vet.

Bite wounds can easily become infected, and puncture wounds can force bacteria deep into the tissues, requiring antibiotic treatment. If you suspect a snake has bitten your cat, this should be treated as an emergency, and they’ll need immediate veterinary attention.

Step-by-step Guide On How to Deal with Cat Wounds

1. If there’s bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound with an absorbent dressing or sterile gauze. If, after 10 minutes, the wound is still bleeding, take your cat to the vet.
2. If bleeding has stopped and the wound is minor, gently clean with warm water and a clean cloth. A minor wound can be left to heal uncovered, but larger wounds will need a non-stick dressing to prevent infection. A gauze pad can be taped to the cat’s skin using surgical tape.
3. If there is any foreign material (such as dirt, grit, hair, or glass) in the wound, leave this for your vet to remove. Your cat may need surgery under anaesthesia for this.
4. Keep an eye out for any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, heat, pain, or pus. If your cat is infected, take it to the vet.

Don’t use soap, shampoo, hydrogen peroxide, herbal preparations, tea tree oil, or any other product to clean the wound. Cats will often lick off anything applied to their skin, and some ointments and antiseptics (including Dettol, TCP, Savlon, Sudocrem, etc) can be harmful to cats.

Large or deep wounds should ALWAYS be treated by your vet. They may need to give your cat pain relief, antibiotics and close the wound using stitches or staples and bandage. Severe wounds may require surgery under a general anaesthetic.

Afterwards, your vet will provide you with instructions on how to care for the wound at home. This may involve washing the wound several times a day and changing the bandaging.

How to Stop a Cat Licking a Wound

If the wound is in a place that a dressing cannot easily cover, your cat will need to wear a protective collar. This will prevent them from licking the wound and causing further contamination until the healing process has completed.

Remember, your cat may be frightened and in pain, so keep your cat quiet and calm and call your vet practice for advice. Cat injuries and large or deep wounds may need urgent veterinary treatment. 

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis - www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.