How to Treat Cat Injuries With Medicines for People

You can sometimes treat minor injuries to your cat at home. Cats are extremely sensitive to medications, more so than dogs or humans. Even if your veterinarian has used a particular medicine for your cat before, such as acetaminophen, realize that acetaminophen is highly toxic to cats and should never be given without a veterinarian's approval and supervision. There are only a couple of human medications that you can use to treat a cat's injuries without veterinary supervision.

Things You'll Need

  • Bright light
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Mild soap
  • Scissors or clippers
  • Assistant
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Instructions

    • 1

      Instruct your assistant to hold the scruff of the cat's neck firmly with one hand and both back legs with the other hand. Stretch the back legs down gently so that the cat cannot wiggle away or scratch. Do not continue until your assistant has a secure hold on the cat.

    • 2

      Examine the cat's entire body under a bright light to be certain there are no hidden wounds or injuries. It's often hard to see small scratches and cuts under the fur, but it is important to find them all. If any of the injuries seem to be puncture wounds instead of lacerations, take the cat to the veterinarian. Clip the hair around any wound carefully.

    • 3

      Wash any open wound thoroughly with warm water and a mild, plain soap, such as original Dawn dish detergent. Run water over the wound to rinse thoroughly.

    • 4

      Rub a plain antibiotic ointment on all minor cuts and scrapes. The ointment can be a triple antibiotic, but cannot contain any additional active ingredients such as pain relief. Rub it in as well as possible.

    • 5

      Distract the cat as much as possible for at least 10 or 15 minutes, to prevent her licking the ointment off. Use a favorite treat or toy to distract her. It is difficult to bandage a cat and should not be necessary if the injury is minor enough to be treated at home.

    • 6

      Take the cat to the veterinarian immediately if the injuries worsen, seem infected or do not improve. Also if your cat seems lethargic or agitated, he should see the veterinarian right away.

    • 7

      Repeat the washing and application of antibiotic ointment three times a day and, with improvement, switch to two times a day after the first two days.