Cat Poisoning Information
Cats may be either accidentally or deliberately poisoned. Irrespective of how the cat was poisoned, you must act swiftly if you are to save the animal’s life.
Your cat may be poisoned by eating anything train rat baits to refuse. The symptoms of poisoning include pain, trembling, vomit-in, panting, burned mouth (from an alkali or acid), convulsions and eventual coma.
Most city and suburban homes, farms and ranches have on hand various substances that are poisonous to cats. For example, insect a drat poisons or baits, cleansers, herbicides, etc., are now commonly kept in city, suburban and rural homes. It is also possible for your cat to be poisoned by spoiled food in discarded cans or refuse dump.
Don’t waste time! If the cat does not have a burned mouth, force the animal to vomit. Ask someone to call a vet, giving the cat’s symptoms and the kind of poison, if known. Many cities now have poison control centers and these may be utilized for help in cases of poisoning. They are usually associated with hospitals.
If you know what poison your cat ingested and have the can, jar or bottle, follow the directions on the label. Antidotes usually are listed, if you do not know what kind of poison was eaten or are doubtful, proceed as follows. Induce vomiting by giving the cat equal parts of hydrogen peroxide (3 %) and water. Administer the same way as for liquid medicines. A strong solution of mustard can be substituted if you have no hydrogen peroxide. Salt water may also be used to induce vomiting; even one or two teaspoonfuls of salt placed on the back of the tongue will make the cat vomit. After the cat has vomited, give the animal beaten egg whites or milk. Cats that have eaten alkali or acids usually have burned mouths; therefore vomiting aggravates the situation. In such cases give the cat milk or beaten egg whites.
In all cases of actual or suspected poisoning, render first aid and get the cat to a vet as quickly as possible. Speed is imperative. Keep in mind that cats are highly sensitive to all insecticides and herbicides (plant-killers). Untold numbers of cats have been killed by insect and plant sprays. The late Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring mentioned that ant malarial spraying in western Java killed off thousands of cats. Insect and plant sprays used in Venezuela were also lethal to native cats, reducing them to the status of a rare species! It is also important to remember that in some cases of poisoning—strychnine, for instance—the cat may have to spend many hours under vet’s care even though you have administered an antidote.