What Should You Do If Your Cat Gets Poisoned?

Unfortunately, bad people poisoning pets has become very common over the years. There are so many stories of this happening to dogs and cats, and these people do out of pure hatred. If you that likes to wander around outside, then you must consider this happening to your cat. So you might be wondering: “what do I do if my cat gets poisoned?”

Symptoms of poisoning in cats

Symptoms of poisoning are extremely noticeable. It’s not hard to identify them and provide your cat with the proper treatment. The list below only contains the most common symptoms, even though your cat may not experience all of them. If your cat has one or more of them, it might be a sign that something is wrong.

• Troubles breathing
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Coughing and sneezing
• Excessive salivation
• Dark urine
• Panting
• Bluetongue
• Intestinal problems
• Depression
• Involuntary seizures
• Dilated pupils
• Fainting
• Shaking

Those are the most common, but there can be other symptoms too. You should also know what they are because it’s your responsibility to look after your cat and be aware of any changes so that you can act fast.

What should do if your cat gets poisoned?

Once you’ve identified the symptoms, it’s time to act fast because every second can make a difference.

Find a breezy area

The first thing you need to do if your cat has been poisoned is to take him to a breezy area that’s not cold. Make sure it’s a place with a soft breeze to ease your cat’s pain and help him relax. Be careful when you’re moving him because he might never have bit you or scratched you before, but sick cats do turn aggressive.

Call the vet

Call the vet and see if they can come to your house, or let them know you’ll be going to them and ask them what you should while you’re on the way.

Keep a 24 hour vet’s phone number on hand at all times. This can truly save your pet’s life in case of an emergency.

Don’t give your cat anything your vet hasn’t prescribed

This is a common mistake people do when their cat has been poisoned. If you search the web or ask people you know, you often get well-meaning advice that isn’t necessarily what’s best for your cat.

You and your cat are better off following the vet’s directions. Also, some countries have a poisoned pet hotline to help you through these moments.

Don’t make it throw up

If you haven’t been able to figure out what the poison was, don’t make your cat throw up. Some substances, when mixed with stomach acid, can cause irreversible damage to your cat’s esophagus or digestive tract.

It’s better to wait a few minutes until you get in touch with the vet, who can tell you whether or not you need to make your cat throw up.

Use activated charcoal

If your vet has given you the okay to force your cat to throw up, use activated charcoal afterward. Use water to dilute it with a ratio of about 1 gram per pound of your cat’s weight. The mixture should be more solid than the liquid, and you should use a syringe to feed it to your cat.

What it does is prevent the body from absorbing any more poison by building a “wall” between it and the organs.

Always remember that remaining calm can make a difference in these types f situations. Plus, cats tend to worry, and they feed off your emotions. If you seem calm, your cat will calm down too. There’s always a solution, so don’t worry, everything will be alright!