The other day I was watching my elder cat eat some kitty treats I had just handed him. After having been ill and stopped eating only days before, I was thrilled his appetite was returning (it was determined he is in the beginning stages of kidney disease, so he is on a very special regime). He adored these treats, so much so that he gulped them down with barely a chew!
I started to worry that he might choke. Though he has really good teeth for a 15 year old cat, he ate one of the nibbles so quickly that he gagged for a split second, startling me. The first thing I thought was "I would have to do the Heimlich on him if he choked.
Fortunately, that did not happen. But I thought nonetheless, it would be good to write an article on doing the Heimlich on cats.
First, make sure your cat is really choking and not having difficulty breathing through some other ailment. If you are sure there is an object or piece of food stuck in your cat's throat (signs include panic, clawing at the mouth, trying to cough and difficulty breathing), gently open your cat's mouth if you can and look to see if you can spot the object. If so, carefully reach in a couple fingers to remove it.
WARNING: There are small bones at the back of a cat's tongue that can be mistaken for chicken bones. Be sure what you are seeing is indeed the foreign object. If this does not work, go ahead with Kitty Heimlich following these guidelines:
- Grasp the cat around the waist so that the animal's rear is nearest to you, similar to a bear hug.
- Place a fist (one hand over the other) just under the ribs.
- Compress the abdomen several times (usually 3-5 times) with quick pushes.
- Check the mouth to see if the foreign object has been removed.
If you are not successful and Kitty is in great distress, take him to the nearest veterinary hospital ASAP! Even if you do remove the object, get your cat to a vet for a check-up to be sure no damage was done by the foreign object or the compressions to the chest.
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