Bandaging a Cat

Bandages are used to stop bleeding, to keep dirt and bacteria out of the wound, to keep the edges of the cut together, to support the injured area, and to keep your cat from scratching or excessively licking the wound. Bandages should not be so tight that circulation or breathing is compromised. If the wound isn't clean when you cover it with a bandage, you may hide a developing infection from early discovery, so get the cut clean and keep it clean.

A pressure bandage is any bandage applied with pressure. You can hold the bandage firmly with your hand or tie it in place. A Band-Aid is another pressure bandage. but it is limited to fairly small cuts and wounds.

Some cat owners leave bandages on too long. They should be changed freqluently. every day or two and whenever they become wet. The skin has to "breathe," and you have to be sure that the wound is not getting infected - don'twait until you can smell it. For painless removal, apply nail-polish remover liberally to the back of the adhesive tape for five minutes. This will dissolve the adhesive and release both skin and hair. Do not let your bandaged cat outside.

You should have the following supplies in your first aid kit:

- Gauze bandages, 1" wide

- Padding, either a cotton roll or a clean clothAdhesive tape, 1" wide

Bandaging a Paw, Limb, or Tail

To make a bandage for a paw, limb, or tail, wrap the wound firmly with gauze pads, a gauze roll, or a clean cloth or handkerchief, using a spiral pattern. Place a few strips of tape crosswise at the end of the bandage.

Starting at the toes (or tip of the tail), wrap the adhesive tape in overlapping bands securely over the first layer. Be sure to include hair on both sides so the bandage will not slip. To avoid having the lower leg, paw, or tail tip swell, the bandage must include all of the extremity.

Bandaging the Chest or Abdomen

Place a gauze pad or clean cloth over the wound. A many-tailed bandage is made by tearing both narrow ends of a large, rectangular piece of clean cloth lengthwise into one-inch-wide strips but only one-third of the way down. It will fit amply around the chest or abdomen. The strips are tied over your cat's back.