Whisker Watch

Get AIM!

June 2000

by (Livin' La Vida) Mocha

"KUH-CHACK"

English Translation:

Have you ever had something caught in your throat that you just couldn’t hack up? I don’t mean a hairball, I mean something actually choking you. Luckily I have not, but if I ever do, I am glad my owner knows what to do in case of such a pet emergency.

The Heimlich maneuver used on people will not work because the anatomy of a cat is different than a human. The spinal set-up is different, so you can’t compress against the spine. The best thing to do is hold the cat upside down and shake the object loose.

The American Red Cross hosts pet first aid courses through most of their chapters. To find the one nearest you, log on to www.crossnet.org/where/where/html and enter your city or zip code.

These other websites offer first aid information and resources:
http://www.crossnet.org/hss.pets.html
http://www.apogeecomgrp.com/videos/cats.html
http://www.catcare.com
http://www.hsus.org/programs/companion/pet_owners.html
http://www.hdw-inc.com/felinefirstaid.htm
http://www.healthypet.com
http://www.petsource.com/pet_first_aid_kit
http://st4.yahoo.com/glowdog/petfirstaidkit.html
http://www.americansun.com/pet.html

As you are well aware, vet costs are rising steadily, and most pets do not have health insurance. But, knowing the skills and techniques of pet first aid can mean the difference between expensive vet bills and reasonable home care.

So Cal is back to normal....
HOT and Smoggy {cough}