Are you a cat lover, especially kittens with their cute and sweet appearance and innocent voice? Then how do you save a dying kitten?
You should know that cats can hide their pain and discomfort, so you have to rely on your eye to spot the signs of a dying kitten.
This article will help you understand how to save a dying kitten by getting medical help, and learn about the different signs and symptoms that suggest a cat’s weakness so you can make the proper plan to save its life.
Part 1
1. Getting Medical Help
Get a cat carrier. If you don’t have a cat carrier, you need to look for a suitable box to put the cat in; choose one that is large enough for the cat to feel comfortable standing up and moving around, but not so large that it bumps into walls.
Cover the box so the cat can’t escape.
Poke holes in the sides of the box so the cat can get air.
Place a towel or old piece of clothing in the box to make the cat feel safe and to absorb urine or vomit.
2 Keep the cat warm.
Newborn kittens are not able to regulate their body temperature without their mother warming them, so you should wrap the box in a towel or blanket to keep the kitten warm.
Just be sure not to block the ventilation holes you’ve made in the sides of the box.
– The cat itself can be wrapped in a towel or old clothing for extra warmth.
– Be sure not to cover the cat’s head if you wrap it in a towel for warmth and breathing, just as you did with the ventilation holes if the box was wrapped.
3
Locate the nearest veterinary clinic. The cat needs veterinary care immediately, so you should seek out the nearest emergency veterinary clinic so that the veterinarian can examine the cat and ensure that it can be saved from death.
An emergency veterinary visit costs more than a regular veterinary visit.
Type “veterinarian” or “veterinary clinic” into the search engine, then type in the name of the city you live in.
Or enter your city’s postal number in the search engine with the word “veterinary clinic”.
Try contacting an animal shelter so that the administrator can recommend a nearby veterinary clinic.
4. Take the cat to the vet.
The cat you put in the box needs to be taken to the veterinarian, and be aware of the whining and meowing noises that may be made during the car trip, which are indicative of his discomfort in the car.
It is not necessary to waste time adjusting the position of the cat in the car, but rather to expedite transportation to the vet.
Be sure to wrap the cat in a towel or soft clothing while driving carefully and not move the box abruptly so that the cat does not roll around in it.
Some cats calm down when they look out the car window, while others are not affected. Try both positions and see how the cat behaves.
Part 2
Helping a Dying Cat
Resuscitate the cat with CPR.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is intended to stimulate the heart and breathing, is performed on unresponsive patients, and is appropriate for humans as well as cats and many other animals.
Perform CPR on the cat only if there is no clear breathing or pulse, and in the meantime, have someone call the veterinarian or call the veterinarian yourself if you are alone in this situation.
Remove obstructions in the cat’s airway.
Use your finger to clear any obstructions in the cat’s airway, and hold the cat with its head tilted forward and downward in case there are fluids in its mouth, throat, or lungs, so that gravity will stimulate the removal of those fluids.
Place your mouth around the cat’s nose and mouth and inhale 3 puffs of air.
This is enough because the cat’s lungs are small and do not absorb much air.
Be careful when doing this and remember that there are diseases that can be transmitted from cats to humans; circulate the air every 20 seconds.
Chest compressions are not necessary if there is a heartbeat, and only pulmonary resuscitation if the cat is not breathing.
Check the cat’s chest for a heartbeat. Begin chest thrusts on the cat’s chest by placing it between your ring finger and thumb.
Do this as if you were pressing the cat’s chest behind its bent elbow. Check the heart rate every minute.
Do not continue CPR for more than 5 minutes. This means the cat is unfortunately already dead.
Controlling bleeding.
If the cat suffers a deep cut or puncture, you must first control the bleeding and stop it immediately.
This is the same thing you would do yourself, the goal is to clean the wound and stop the bleeding until you take the cat to the veterinarian for sutures to close the wound.
Clean the area around the wound with water and an appropriate antiseptic solution.
– Use a clean piece of gauze to apply pressure to the wound.
After cleaning its edges, continue to apply pressure for 5 to 10 minutes without lifting the gauze to examine the wound; this only causes further bleeding.
Wrap the gauze with a bandage when the bleeding stops, then take the cat to the veterinarian.
Try to limit the cat’s movements so that it does not cause further bleeding or tear the bandage.
Check the cat’s temperature. Kittens are prone to hypothermia and therefore need the warmth of their mother.
You should warm the kitten if the mother is not present or if you cannot warm the kitten for any reason; place the cat in a box lined with a cloth or old clothes, and add soft towels and bottles of warm water.
Newborn cats are not capable of regulating their body temperature, relying instead on their mothers to do so.
Do not use a hairdryer or heater to directly warm the cat, as you will harm the cat with excessive heat.
Beware of kitten wilt syndrome. Some kittens die before weaning, even if the mother is caring for them.
Some diseases cause kittens to wilt and die, so it’s important to pay attention to the symptoms of this syndrome early on to save the kitten’s life.
Take a cat you suspect of having progressive wilting to the veterinarian to assess its chances of survival.
Some of the causes of kitten wilt syndrome are:
Birth defects,
Obstructed delivery,
Environmental factors,
Blood type inconsistencies between mother and cat,
Postpartum delivery,
The low weight of the cat,
Bacterial,
viral or parasitic infections,
Dehydration
Exaggerated temperatures in the birthing environment.
Part 3
Recognizing the signs and causes of a dying kitten
1. Watch for signs of inactivity.
Kittens are lively, curious, and playful by nature, and sleep for long periods like children, but at the same time, they are very active and bustling during the waking period.
If the cat is lethargic, meaning that it sleeps all day or is not active when awake, it is a sign that something is wrong.
Take your cat to the veterinarian immediately for a diagnosis.
2. Monitor your cat’s eating habits.
Kittens, especially newborns, need to eat every two to three hours, so if the cat refuses to eat for several hours, it’s a sign that something is wrong.
If the cat refuses to eat for several hours, it is a sign that something is wrong. Kittens cannot go without eating for several hours, and this usually indicates a stomach disorder or more serious condition.
3. Take the cat to the vet for an examination.
Check the cat’s vomiting. Kittens spit up constantly, like babies, and sometimes vomit, a sign of their urgency to eat and feed.
Constant vomiting is a sign of illness and the need for appropriate treatment.
Some people recommend giving kittens over-the-counter anti-vomiting medication, but this should not be done to a small cat, but taken to the vet to be examined and given the medication, or else the life of the cat will be at risk.
4. Protect your cat from bacteria and viruses.
Kittens have very weak immune systems and lack antibodies if the mother is not breastfed, which deprives them of the antibody-rich colostrum milk. Because of this lack of antibodies, the cat becomes immune and therefore vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections.
Take the cat to the veterinarian immediately if you notice lethargy, diarrhea, or vomiting to treat it.
