How to Deal with a Poisoned Cat

According to data from the Pet Poison Helpline (animal poisoning hotline in the US), nearly 10% of calls are inquiring about what to do when a cat is poisoned. Cats’ inquisitive and well-groomed nature sometimes puts them in danger. Some of the most common poisonings in cats are poisoning with insecticides, human drugs, poisonous plants, and human food containing chemicals that cats cannot metabolize. To treat cat poisoning, start with step 1 below.

Table of Contents

Help the cat

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Know the symptoms of poisoning. Your cat may have been poisoned if any of the following symptoms are present:

Shortness of breath
Tongue and gums are blue
Gasp
Vomiting and/or diarrhea
Irritated Stomach
Cough and sneeze
Cheerless
Saliva secretion
Convulsions, tremors, or involuntary muscle twitching
Weakness and possible unconsciousness
Dilated pupils
Constantly urinating
Dark urine
Chills ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Take the cat to a well-ventilated area. When your cat shows signs of being poisoned, lying down, unconscious or debilitated, immediately remove the cat from the area, to a well-ventilated and bright place.

Wear long sleeves and gloves to avoid exposure to poison. Sick and injured cats are more likely to bite and scratch than usual because they are nervous and scared.
When a cat feels unwell or stressed, its first instinct is to hide. If your cat has poisoning and you need to watch for symptoms, don’t let it hide somewhere out of sight. Pick up the cat in a gentle but firm manner and bring it to a safe room. The kitchen or bathroom is a good place because you will need water.
If you find poison there, be careful to keep it out of reach of people or pets. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Call your veterinarian immediately. An experienced veterinarian or animal poisoning line can help calm you down and give you clear instructions on what to do or an antidote for your cat. Don’t forget that your chances of saving your cat’s life are always higher if you call the vet right away. This is the first thing you should do after holding your cat still. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you are in the US, you can also call the Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680) or the ASPCA Poison Contrp Center (1-888-426-4435). .
The animal poisoning hotline is not funded by the government like the human poisoning hotline, so you usually have to pay a service fee.

First aid

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Identify the poison, if possible. This step will help you determine whether it is correct to induce vomiting in your cat. If you see the chemical’s packaging, record the following information: trade name, active ingredient, and concentration. Also, try to estimate how much has been swallowed by the cat (is the chemical canister new? How much has it lost?) ^{[4] X Research Source}

Your first contacts will be your veterinarian, animal poisoning hotline, and product manufacturer.
If you can get on the internet, look up the active ingredient for that product. Try using search terms like: [product name] is it toxic to cats?
Some products can be swallowed without harm, and if you can identify it, nothing further needs to be done. If it is a poison, your next step will be to decide whether to vomit.

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Avoid folk remedies unless directed. Do not give your kitten food, milk, water, salt, oil, or any other home remedy, unless you know what poison your cat has ingested and what first aid or medicine to take. Your cat’s condition can worsen if you apply these treatments without the guidance of your veterinarian or an animal poison control center. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Veterinarians or helpline personnel have the knowledge and skills to know what to do and what to use when a cat is poisoned.

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Ask your doctor or support staff before inducing your cat to vomit. Do not induce your cat to have any reaction without your doctor’s instructions or the animal poisoning line. Some poisons (especially corrosive acids) can do more harm when the cat vomits. Only induce vomiting in cats when:

The poison was swallowed by the cat within the last 2 hours. If it has been longer than 2 hours, the poison has been absorbed, and vomiting will be of no avail.
The cat is awake and able to swallow. Never put anything in the mouth of a cat that is unconscious, lethargic, or having a seizure/change in mental status.
Toxins are NOT acids, strong alkalis or petroleum products.
You know for sure what kind of poison the cat has swallowed.

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Know how to handle acids, alkalis and petroleum products. Acids, alkalis and petroleum products cause corrosive burns to the skin. Even if your cat has swallowed it, you MUST NOT induce vomiting in your cat, as these chemicals pass through the esophagus, throat, and mouth and cause damage to these areas. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Strong acids and alkalis are found in household products such as rust removers, glass etching solutions, and cleaning agents such as bleach. Petroleum products include lighter fuel, gasoline, and kerosene.
As mentioned above, you should not let the cat vomit in this case. Instead, try giving your cat whole milk or raw eggs. ^{[7] X Source of Study} If the cat is not drinking on its own, use a baby syringe to inject 100 ml of milk into the cat’s mouth. The milk will dilute and neutralize the acid or alkali. Raw eggs have the same effect.

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Stimulate the cat to vomit if directed. You will need a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (DO NOT use the higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide found in some hair color or perm kits) and a small spoon or baby syringe. The syringe is easier to use than the spoon. Here are the steps you should take:

The dose of 3% hydrogen peroxide is 5 ml (1 teaspoon) per 5 lb (2.3 kg) of body weight given by mouth to a cat. An average cat weighs about 10 lb, so you will need 10 ml (2 teaspoons). Repeat after 10 minutes, up to 3 doses. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Hold the cat firmly and gently insert the syringe into the cat’s mouth, behind the upper two canines. Depress the plunger and inject little by little (about 1 ml) onto the cat’s tongue. Slowly let the cat swallow, do not pump the whole tube into the cat’s mouth at once, as the cat can inhale hydrogen peroxide into the lungs.

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Use activated charcoal. After vomiting your cat, your goal is to reduce the absorption of the poison going down the digestive tract. You will need activated charcoal to do this. Dosage is 1 g dry powder per 1 lb cat weight. A medium-sized cat will need about 10 g. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Dissolve activated charcoal powder with as little water as possible to form a paste and pump it into your cat’s mouth. Repeat every 2-3 hours, up to 4 doses.

Cat Care

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Check your cat’s fur for toxins. If there is poison on the cat’s fur, the cat will swallow it when grooming and there is a risk of poisoning. If the poison is powder, dust it off. If the poison has a sticky consistency like tar or oil, you may need to apply a hand sanitizer like Swarfega Hand Cleaner (like the one most mechanics use) on your cat’s fur. Soak your cat in warm water for 10 minutes to remove any product residue, then rinse with water.

The last solution is to use scissors to cut the hair that is sticky with many chemicals that are difficult to clean. Better safe than sorry!

Advice

The dose of activated charcoal used in case of acute poisoning is 2-8 g/kg body weight, every 6-8 hours, for 3-5 days. Activated charcoal can be mixed with water and given to cats by syringe or nasogastric tube.
Kaping/pectin: 1-2 g/kg of cat weight, every 6 hours for 7 days.
In any case, it is best to seek medical help from your veterinarian or an animal poisoning hotline.
You can dilute milk with water 50/50 or undiluted to lessen the effects of some of the toxins mentioned above. Doses of 10-15 ml/kg body weight or an amount that the cat can swallow is appropriate.
Hydrogen peroxide 3%: 2-4 ml/kg body weight immediately after ingestion of certain poisons.

Steps

Help the cat

First aid

Cat Care

Advice

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