Feline How-To Manual: Care in the Sick Room ~ Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.

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Any health care links located here are NOT to replace a veterinarian visit; please take your cat to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior or any symptoms of illness or injury. Call your vet and describe your cat's symptoms with any of your concerns about the cat's well-being. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your cat's health that you have overlooked. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

3Care in the Sick Room3

The degree to which you watch over your convalescing cat depends upon the extent of his illness and the specific instructions from your veterinarian. If you have a multi-cat household, reintroduce the patient to the others with some discretion. Even the best of feline pals hiss and torment the one returning home who smells like an animal hospital. Remind any children that the cat isn't feeling well. Let the cat decide just how much human attention he's feeling up to.

Confinement within the home for all or part of the day is usually sufficient for most convalescing cats. If there is a question as to whether the cat will cooperate in the use of the litterbox, confine him to one room with a door that closes.

Cats with fractures, spinal injuries and seriously ill cats must be strictly confined. Most cats who are this ill will tolerate confinement very well.

Ask your vet if you may borrow a portable cage or a large airline carrier. Many hospitals loan these out to their clients for free or with a deposit. Playpens, bathtubs, appliance boxes, laundry baskets, or small wading pools can be used, depending on the circumstances and the determination of the cat. Be creative.

Cats will often sleep inside their litterbox while confined to a cage. To discourage this, give them a second litter tray, or a small box or dishpan as a bed. Line the box with an unwashed article of your clothing. If he can't use his back legs to stand or walk, turn the box so he can crawl inside. Check the bed frequently for urine and feces in case he doesn't move out of the bed to use the litterbox.

Use a regular litterbox for elimination if there is room in the cage. If not, use disposable styrofoam or paper plates with about two tablespoons of cat litter; change after each use. This conserves space and is more hygienic and pleasant for the cat who would otherwise be confined inside a small compartment with a smelly litterbox.

The choice of cat litter depends upon whether or not your cat has stitches and whether or not he insists on sleeping inside the litterbox despite your encouraging him to do otherwise. Sand and clay type litter are unsuitable if your cat has an incision and sleeps in the box. The small particles will stick to the wound and promote infection. Shredded newspaper is much less likely to enter the wound, promoting infection.

Changing the type of litter can be tricky with cats, as it can trigger an aversion to the box and inappropriate elimination and defecation. You and your vet must weight the risks of infection versus the risks of creating a litterbox problem.

Your veterinarian will have discharge instructions regarding diet, medication, at-home treatments, confinement, and need for rechecks. Carefully go over these instructions before you leave the vet's office for clarification on any point you have questions.

When your cat comes home, allow him to find the place where he is most comfortable until the adjustment is made and his patterns of eating and sleeping are back to normal. Keep an eye on his appetite, water consumption, bowel movements, urination, and give him his medications as prescribed. Keep your veterinarian informed on his recovery.

There are a number of ways to provide an external heat source if your cat's body temperature is low. The safest method is to use a hot water bottle. If one isn't available, a sealable container such as a plastic liter-sized soft drink bottle will do fine. Fill with hot water, wrap it in a soft towel, and place it in his bed. Simply refill it when the water cools off or microwave back to the proper temperature.

There are two kinds of heating pads - those that heat from electrical current and those that heat with circulating hot water. Circulating hot water pads are much safer because they maintain a more steady temperature, but they are very expensive - usually several hundred dollars in cost. Electrical heating pads tend to fluctuate in temperature. Regardless of the setting, even at the lowest, the temperature rises to surprisingly high levels on most commercial models while in use.

Simply stated, heating pads are dangerous. Very sick cats tend to stay in one position and will not necessarily move off the pad if it gets too hot. If the cat is severely injured or ill, he may not be able to move off even if he wanted to. Should you use a heating pad, always place several layers of towels between your cat and the pad. Make sure he has room enough to move off the pad if he wishes. If he's incapable of movement on his own, move his body position every 30 minutes to an hour. Never put the setting higher than low.

Heat lamps can also be used to provide heat. These are very effective, but their use carries the same risk as do heating pads. Keep heat lamps positioned high above your cat's head, and be sure he's able to move away from the lamp. If not, move his body position every 30 minutes to an hour.

Another source of heat is an incubator. An aquarium works very well for this purpose. Cover the bottom with a soft towel. Place a heating pad inside the aquarium against one of the sides and use clothespins or snack bag clips to hold the pad in place. Alernatively, set the aquarium on top of the heating pad, with a towel between the two. Partially cover the top of the aquarium with another towel to hold in the heat.

Set the pad on low. Use a regular indoor/outdoor thermometer inside the incubator to monitor the temperature. Incubators like this are wonderful for orphaned kittens. Put warm water balloons under the towel for the kittens to nestle against.

How-to Articles in This Series:

Article   1: How to Choose a Vet
Article   2: Hospital Admission of Your Cat
Article   3: Preventive Care: Vaccinations, Serologic Testing, Spaying & Neutering
Article   4: Preventative Care - Dental Care, Flea Control, and Grooming
Article   5: Cooperation - Restraint Procedures and Trimming Claws
Article   6: Keeping Records
Article   7: Care in the Sick Room
Article   8: Keeping Watch - Your Cat's Vital Signs
Article   9: Nutrition for the Cat
Article 10: Feeding the Cat - Including Newborn Kitten Feeding
Article 11: Medications and Prescriptions
Article 12: Basic Nursing 101
Article 13: Managing Bandages and Splints
Article 14: Before and After Surgery and Dentistry
Article 15: Pregnancy and Delivery
Article 16: Euthanasia

Page URL: http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/howto7.html

Resource References:
Caring for Your Sick Cat Carol Himsel Daly, DVM and veterinary consultant
Cat Doctor, Mark Evans, B Vet Med MRVCS
Cornell Book of Cats, Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University