First Aid for Cats – For All Cat Lovers

Course Overview

This First Aid for Cats Online course covers essential first aid for all cat owners and those working with cats. It empowers you with the skills and confidence to provide immediate emergency care for ill or injured cats. Giving appropriate and timely emergency treatment can reduce suffering, improve recovery, and may even save your pet’s life in those first vital minutes before you reach veterinary assistance.

Who Is This Course For?

The course is designed to help you learn how to assist your cat or any other cat should an accident happen. It is ideal for both pet owners and those working with cats. You will learn vital skills such as recognising when something is seriously wrong, taking a cat’s pulse, performing CPR if necessary, and treating other common first aid emergencies including bites, car accidents, poisoning, and injured limbs. This course conforms to the latest RECOVER guidelines for veterinary CPR.

How the Course Works

The training consists of illustrated step-by-step directions, flow charts, diagrams, videos, and test-yourself sections. It covers prioritising injuries, managing an accident scene, CPR, recovery position, choking, bleeding (including bandaging), poisoning, burns, scalds, broken bones, and much more.

Flexibility and Access

Compatible with all computers and mobile devices, you will have continuous access for 12 months, with the flexibility to stop and start as often as you like and print your certificate on completion.

Course Contents

Preparing for an Emergency

• Preparing for an emergency

• Helpful information

• What to put in your First Aid kit

• Keep yourself safe

• The Primary Survey – How to help in an emergency

• Danger

• Airway

• What the vet needs to know

• Response

• Priorities of treatment

• Breathing and circulation

• How to muzzle a cat

Unresponsive and Breathing

• Recovery position

Unconscious and Not Breathing

• Resuscitation

Choking and Drowning

• Choking

• Drowning

• How to help a choking cat

Anaphylactic Shock and Acute Allergic Reaction

• Introduction

• What is an allergic reaction?

• How to recognise an acute allergic reaction

• Common triggers for reactions

• How to treat anaphylaxis

Wounds and Bleeding

• How to treat a bleeding wound

• Dressings

• Embedded objects

• Different types of bleeds

• How to bandage a wounded limb

• Shock

• Symptoms of shock

• Treatment of shock

• Eye injuries

• Bite wounds

• Nose bleeds

Bites and Stings

• Bee and wasp stings

• Tick and flea bites

• Snake bite

• Animal bites

Burns

• Causes of burns

• Size, cause, age, location, depth

• How to treat a burn

• Electrical, chemical burns and smoke inhalation

• Sunburn

Poisoning

• Poisoning explanation

• Common poisons for cats – human foods

• Common poisons for cats – non-foods

• Prevention

Breaks, Sprains and Dislocations

• Types of fractures

• How do you know if they have broken a bone?

• Treating broken bones

• Dislocation

Head Injuries

• Head injuries

Spinal Injuries

• Spinal injury basics

Road Traffic Accidents – How to Help!

Fitting / Seizures / Convulsions

• What is a seizure and why does it happen?

• Seizures in cats – what to do

Extremes of Body Temperature

• Hypothermia

• Heat exhaustion

• Heat stroke

Useful Advice

Final Lesson