First aid: how to perform CPR on a cat

First aid procedure can save human's life, but an animal's as well.

We've already told you everything you need to know about performing CPR on a dog. Today, learn everything you should know about performing CPR on a cat.

It is considered that to be able to perform CPR on your cat is absolutely necessary, and that every cat owner should learn it in case their pet is in a life-or-death situation. If your cat was hit by a car, or got stuck in a tilting window they might be unconscious.

Firstly, you want to make sure that your cat really is unconscious: talk to them, vigorously rub them. If they don't respond, them place them on their side. Start by calling veterinary emergencies or ask someone to drive you there. This way you can perform CPR on your way to the clinic. It's important to take action quickly.

Remember these 3 easy steps:

1. Airway

Open your cat's mouth, pull out their tongue and with your finger, take out anything in their mouth that could block the airway (tiny objects, vomit, blood).

2. Artificial respiration

You first need to check if your cat is breathing or not. Grab their head into both your hands and place your thumbs underneath their jaw. Keep their mouth closed. Place your face close to your cat's nose and try to feel a breath coming out of their nose. If you can't feel anything, it means that your cat is not breathing. You must provide them with air artificially.  

Keep your hands the way you placed them earlier, and blow 4 times into the cat's nostrils. Be careful, as cat's lungs are way smaller than ours, so don't blow too much. After you blow, back up and check that your cat's abdomen is deflating and then, you can blow again.

3. Chest compressions

Before you start chest compressions, you must check your cat's heart beat. To do so, you need to find your cat's pulse. You can feel it inside their right back thigh.

If you are sure that your cat's heart is not beating, immediately start chest compressions. Place your cat's front paw along their body (like they were standing up) and spot where their elbow meets their tummy. Place your index finger there, and slip your thumb approximately at the same level on the other side of your cat. To do the chest compression, you "pinch" your cat's abdomen between your index and thumb.

Give 30 rapid chest compressions.

After the 30 chest compressions, blow twice into your cat's nostrils the way as explained above. Repeat the sequence.

About every minute, check if your cat is breathing or not. You can repeat the sequence for up to 20 minutes. We sincerely hope you will never need to perform CPR on your pet, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.