Despite your best efforts to keep your cat safe, the unthinkable can happen. Your cat could choke on a toy, chew through an electric cord, slip out the door and get hit by a car, or collapse from heatstroke on a hot day. Any number of serious illnesses or injuries could lead to respiratory arrest (failure to breathe) and then rapidly spiral into cardiac arrest (stopped heart) and ultimately death. If your cat fell unconscious and stopped breathing, would you know what to do?

CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is an emergency procedure used to restore life to an animal (or human) whose breathing or heartbeat has stopped. The goal of CPR is to keep oxygen flowing to the brain and other vital organs until more definitive treatment can be obtained. CPR does not take the place of proper veterinary care. But when conducted appropriately, it can make all the difference for your cat.

The ABC’s of CPR

It is important to confirm that your cat is unconscious and has actually stopped breathing or has no pulse before you attempt to perform CPR. Take a moment to observe the situation before forging ahead. Does your cat fail to respond when you try to rouse her? Is her chest no longer rising and falling as with normal breathing movements? Is there anything stuck in her mouth, any blood or other sign of injury? Are you unable to feel a pulse? If your pet’s breathing or heartbeat has truly stopped, her tongue, lips and gums will soon start to turn blue. If you see these signs, it’s time to act.

CPR in animals and humans has three main components: Airway, Breathing and Circulation, and they must be addressed in that order. There’s no sense trying to restore a pulse (circulation) in an unconscious cat before first trying to remove the toy that is lodged in her throat (airway).

A=Airway

If your cat is unconscious and has stopped breathing, first make sure there is nothing blocking her windpipe. In cases where a cat is choking, this may resolve the problem.

What to do:

1. Lie your cat on her side
2. Gently extend the neck and incline the head upwards slightly
3. Look in the mouth for any blood, vomitus, or foreign material and clear it away if possible.
4. Pull the tongue forward. Sometimes this will dislodge an object.
5. Perform a “finger sweep” of the back of the throat with your pinky finger to dislodge objects forward onto the back of the tongue.
6. If all else fails, try the kitty Heimlich maneuver described in our article on Feline First Aid.
7. Check to see if your cat begins breathing again. If she is breathing effectively, her gums and tongue will start to turn pink and she will slowly come to. If not, proceed to then next step (rescue breathing).
8. Seek veterinary care immediately, regardless of whether your cat seems to have revived completely. Unforeseen complications can arise minutes to hours after an episode of choking or respiratory arrest.

What not to do:

1. Take extreme caution not to get bitten. This procedure must only be performed on an unconscious animal.
2. Don’t confuse the tiny bones in the back of the throat (the larynx) with a foreign body!

To continue reading, please visit CatHealth.com