This is the Hissing Feline Podcast, a weekly program that is about everything cats. The Hissing Feline features experts and other cat aficionados who share their knowledge and perspectives about dealing with felines. From strays and ferals to adoption, health, and cat psychology. We hope the topics give you helpful and interesting insight into the world of cats. Now, here is the host of the Hissing Feline, Clark Greer.
SPEAKER_02Welcome to the Hissing Feline. I'm pleased you joined us for this week's podcast. My guest today is well-known cat and dog expert Arden Moore. She's founder of Pet First Aid for You. Arden brings a wealth of experience and perspectives of cats to the show. She is author of Pet Books and Magazine Articles and hosts the award-winning Oh Behave Podcast. Arden is a renowned speaker about dog and cat health and behavior and an instructor of pet first aid and CPR. Arden, I am thrilled that you are joining me today to talk about cat first aid.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's a big pause up to you, Clark. Thanks for inviting me.
SPEAKER_02The first question I have is why should cat owners learn first aid?
SPEAKER_00Why not? Do you love your cats? Well, we teach in our classes the whole meaning of cat first aid is you're basically that life-saving bridge between the uh-oh and the veterinary clinic. Yeah. What we do in our classes, everything is a veterinary approved, but we teach you what to do, what not to do when a cat gets injured or sick, and to be able to render aid on the scene and to safely get them to the vet. We can't make you a veterinarian in our classes, but we're that that that bridge between the uh-oh and the veterinary clinic. And you love your cats, we love to give them treats, we love to give them toys, we love to give them scratching posts and all that. One of the best gifts, Clark, you can give your cats is to know what to do and take a pet for a cat first aid class.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. Uh I'm sure you've heard some really positive responses from people who have taken your class and have had to actually implement first aid on a cat.
SPEAKER_00Yes, we've actually got testimonials. Uh, people have done CPR on their cats, helped them uh uh uh during severe choking episodes, and they've saved their lives. So I'm I'm kind of poor and famous. That's not a bad gig because I want to be known as the person that helps you save your cat's life. And I think that's not a bad gig.
SPEAKER_02Are there some specific signs that people should look for to be able to tell a cat is in distress?
SPEAKER_00You know, the thing about cats, and I am also a fear-free certified speaker, which means I I'm a student and a teacher, and that's what you should be. Um, but cats are a little bit more secretive about when they're not doing well, feeling well than dogs. Um, and that's because they're both a prey and a predator. They're a hunter and a hunted. So there's sometimes they will show things to us, Clark, but they're a little more subtle. So I tell all my cat pals, really pay attention to any little differences in how your cat is speaking, acting, eating, because they could have something wrong with them, and they're hiding it because they've got that dual brain of hunter and hunted, and they don't want to be somebody's lunch, even though they're your indoor cat and they're spoiled. So things like how they're breathing, um, if um if their gums are pale, uh if their pupils are dilated, these aren't healthy signs.
SPEAKER_02I was talking with a guest uh just a few weeks ago, and we were talking about something called the grimace scale. You can actually tell by looking at the cat's mannerisms and its face and its its uh its eyelids, you know, like they squint a little bit, those types of things. Those those are pretty uh obvious uh uh indications that there's got to be something wrong with the cat.
SPEAKER_00And the best advice is this all my veterinarians say to me to tell you all, it is always, always better to err on the caution side and be a little early and get your cat checked out by a vet than wait when it could be too late. So better to have the vet say, hey, thanks for bringing in um Rusty. Uh everything though is good, then why did you wait? Now it's very serious. So cats really hide their pain, but we need to know that it's better to have the vet thoroughly check them out and give us the okay sign.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we we really watch our cats, and I think most people that have cats are around them so much that they would recognize that there's something a little bit off. And we had that with our calico uh a couple of months ago. She had a UTI, and it's because she was acting really sluggish. We took her to the vet and they did some other blood tests, and they came back and said, you know what we found, and that's when they did that, and they were able to give her some antibiotics. So just paying attention to your cats is really an important thing.
SPEAKER_00You know, that brings me up to the good old litter box. You know, we just love that chore, scooping the poop and the pea clumps. Oh, yeah. But I tell all my friends uh that take our classes, please pay attention to what's in the litter box, the odor, the size. Um, when pet safety cat Casey, who's the world's busiest safety cat on the planet, he, when he was about four years old, went into the litter box, Clark, and he barely did any urine. It was a little dollop of red in the litter, and he made that sound, ow. And of course, it was a Sunday night because only cat emergencies happen on weekends, you know, holidays, you're going on a trip. So we took the evidence, which is being a good cat detective, um, and we took uh Casey to the emergency, and he had a urinary blockage. His urethra was blocked. And they were able to unblock it, and a stream of urine came out, and he was there overnight, ran tests and everything. And I'll never forget what the vet said to me. She said that morning, the Monday morning. She said, Arden, it may have been more convenient for you to wait till Monday to try to work Casey into your regular veterinarian, but you saved his life. Because had you waited until Monday to try to get him taken care of, your beautiful orange tabby could have died from urine toxicity. Yeah. So again, a little bit early, then a little late.
SPEAKER_02Are there differences between male cats and female cats as having urinary problems?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I'm so glad you talked. Because in my classes, we make it fun. I'm not going to say they hacked up a tribazaur. It's called a hairball. Um, but if you look at the urethra, I actually call it in class the PP pipeline. And it's because it it looks like a road rally race, more so in male cats and male dogs than female cats and dogs. There seems to have the urethra, the PP pipeline, and cats and dogs that are males have a little bit more curves and bends. So that is why boys have a higher risk for crystals and stones and other blockers. But a female cat can have a urinary blockage.
SPEAKER_02Are there triage procedures that people could actually do? I know a vet probably is going to go through those types of things, but when you talk about humans with different types of first aid or injuries, there's some type of triage to do. Is there a same type of thing that you would do for a cat?
SPEAKER_00Well, first prey, because you're dealing with an animal with five weapons of mass destruction who's in pain.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00So um, yeah, the claws, the teeth, the flexible spine, the ability to jump the height of a giraffe. Uh we we typically in our classes depend on which thing we're covering, is you always the most important being to protect in a first aid situation for kitties is you. Because if you don't protect yourself, you can't help that cat. And secondly, it is how you approach the cat because cats smell our emotional states. So you talk in a baby voice, you apologize, that cat is gone or attacking. So we teach in our classes how to fake it till you make it, be calm, be confident, and get permission to freak out later. So it's your approach, it's your tone of voice. It is to get kids and other animals out of the room, because especially if you have a dog-cat household, sometimes a dog will look at an animal in distress and uh they may attack that, even though they're buddies. So the first part of triage is your safety and then the cat safety.
SPEAKER_02There are different types of situations where cats are required first aid. One of them is what you talk about is anything to do with UTIs and those types of things. What are the most common first aid needs and responses that you would give a cat?
SPEAKER_00Um, choking is a big one. About 200,000 kitties and dogs, sadly, every year die from choking. And uh there's a great integrative veterinarian, Dr. Judy Morgan. She actually created a day every June 22nd, is um Prevent Pet Choking Day. And she talks about things that we can do, but kitties can't resist linear moving objects like you know, feather wands or shoelaces or something that you wiggle like a snake on the floor. And some cats eat very fast, and they can get uh chunks of kibble or other things caught in their airway. So um choking is a big one, and it it could be a linear object, um, but it also could be, you know, something like food or a piece of toy or something. So we teach you actually how to do the kitty heimlich. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Wow. I was I was thinking about that in preparing for our discussion today, and I thought, wow, how do you do those types of things? And uh I I've always been concerned with our cats playing with the wands that include feathers in them. Is it is that gonna be an issue?
SPEAKER_00Well, if you're supervising um at, you know, some toys that are made, uh cat toys are wonderful and some are junk. So pick quality products, number one, and number two, make it interactive with you and that cat. You're bonding with the kitty, don't leave them out because you could be gone to the grocery store and come back and your kitty has choked. So I always put those toys away and bring them out when it's time to have a little play session. Um, you know, if I could eradicate a photo, it would be the silly photos we've all seen of a kitten next to a ball of yarn. I'm sorry, but the subtitle should be Kill, Kill, Kill the Kitty. Oh because kitties have barbed tongues, and that yarn is that kind of texture, and it can just slide down the throat and then stick. And so I would love to never see again a picture of an angelic kitten next to a ball of yarn. That's like danger. Um, doing the kitty heimlick, you know, you do have to go past the uh rib cage, and we show people how to do a closed fist and how to do abdominal thrust to be able to dislodge. If you have anything down the throat and you and you start to try to retrieve it, and there is any resistance, however, you don't keep pulling because you could cause a world of hurt inside their body. Instead, you actually have to do mouth to snout, PDCPR and be able to breathe for them en route to the vet.
SPEAKER_02There have actually been situations where maybe there was a house fire or something and it had cats in it. And I've seen pictures of firemen doing that to cats and dogs.
SPEAKER_00Well, your your timing is great. You're this is being recorded July 15th, which is pet fire safety day. Oh, well, this works out really well then. You better buy a lotto ticket, Clause. You just find that well.
SPEAKER_02I should.
SPEAKER_00But seriously, in a fire, it is the smoke inhalation that is a very danger. It is also the flames. So I'm so glad that more and more um firefighters and fire stations are starting to equip a pet oxygen masks of different sizes for pets. And um in my classes, I also teach people how to be instructors in pet first aid. And we have taught dozens of EMTs and paramedics, and they're now part of my pet first aid trainers all over the country. So I'm telling you, um, smoke, fire, and is dangerous. Um, and you need to always have something that alerts a firefighter should you be gone, that you have two cats or three cats in the house, or four dogs, or whatever, so that they have something on a window or a door so they know immediately. Uh, some communities actually you can go online with your local cities and register your pets and the people in the house so that if you're gone, the firefighters can pull it up on their phone at the scene and know what what pet might be still in the house. I think it's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so that would be something that people listening there around different areas of the country. It would be good for them to check with maybe a local firehouse, uh something like that, to uh to ask them do we have something like that here? Being prepared is uh the number one thing and knowing ahead of time and uh and thus your your uh first aid class, but also uh things that people could do locally that would really help them if they need to have first aid for their uh for their pets.
SPEAKER_00Another another idea, there's a a woman that created a thing called Save My Pet ID. She's a college professor. This is being done out of love, and I have one on my keychain. So if something happened and I got in an accident or I was hospitalized and unconscious, the first responders would be able to, they always are looking for a wallet or something. They would see my car keys and they'd see this attachment that says, I have three dogs and two cats, and here's my sister's number, so that they can call my sister to say, Arden's in the hospital, please make sure you can get to take care of her pets. So there's there's so many things out there now that help us be better caregivers for our pets.
SPEAKER_02It's it's like people wearing uh bracelets if they have medical conditions.
SPEAKER_00It's the same type of thing. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02This is the Hissing Feline Podcast. I'm your host, Clark Rear. Today's guest is Arden Moore, author, podcast host, and well-known speaker on pet issues. We'll be back in a minute to visit more about pet first aid.
SPEAKER_01The young couple were dyed in the wool dog people who dreamed of someday having a faithful mutt. Cats were not even on their list. That was until they adopted a timid gray tabby they named Sadie. The cuteness quickly turned into reality when Sadie took charge of the house. The good news was that on her best days, the cat was only slightly difficult. Yet, over two decades, Sadie became a beloved part of the family. The Striped Tornado, Life and Times of a Rotten Cat, is Sadie's story, a memoir that will inspire readers to rise above their challenges, to find companionship and love in the most unlikely places. The Striped Tornado, available on Amazon.
SPEAKER_02You're listening to the Hissing Feline Podcast. I'm your host, Clark Greer. Today's guest is Arden Moore, author, speaker, and podcast host. The topic of this episode is feline first aid. And here we are in the middle of summer. It's very hot where I live in the in the Midwest, but hydration is important for cats anywhere. How do you ensure a cat is drinking properly?
SPEAKER_00Well, um, dogs lap up water like crazy, but uh cats are kind of desert animals, so they come from their background. So you got to kind of out fox the feline, and to do that, you sneak in water. So one one trick is make sure, you know, canned food uh has about 70% water in it. Um make sure you have a wide stainless steel water bowl or one of those pet fountains because kitties like moving water. Um try not to because they don't want a small bowl where their whiskers get crunched. And plastic materials um can get uh stinky odors and uh and they can become contaminated. And the nose of a cat is so powerful, they're like, I'm not doing that, I'm not doing that. Um you can also um, you know, they got these lickable treats now that are out there, different companies make them. Um you can leave your kitchen faucet dripping a little bit. Oh my God, some cats just love pawing and drawing the water to them, but they need to be hydrated. And in this hot weather, Clark, cats do not have skin pores all over their body and sweat like we do. The only way they can try to drop their body core temperature is to pant, or they would actually start sweating through their paw pads. So if you see that panting and the paw pads getting wet, that's a danger sign that your cat is becoming seriously dehydrated and and they're becoming too hot. And that just takes a wallop to all the body systems. So in our Pet First Aid for You classes, we do teach people how to deal with uh cats that are overheated and uh what to do and what not to do. And the biggest no-no never, never, never give a cat ice cubes or a pack of frozen peas on their bellies to try to drop their body core temperature because the very hot body meets the very ice cold, and it's like a cymbal crash, and you can send that cat into shock. So to help my students remember this, I have a little thing I say which is ice, ice, not nice, baby.
SPEAKER_02That's good. How about putting it in their water? Can you do that in their water dish?
SPEAKER_00When they're not overheated, yes. But uh not when they're in the when their gums are getting bright red instead of bubblegum pink, that's a warning sign they're getting overheated.
SPEAKER_02D does it help to watch the litter box?
SPEAKER_00Are they connected at all in making sure a cat is drinking and Yeah, because you know, when you're scooping the clumps, if the if the litter if the urine clump is about the size of your your your fist and now it's like a little size of a quarter or a half dollar, there could be a urinary blockage or it could be a sign that they're not drinking enough water. Conversely, if they're just all of a sudden you get these moon pie size litter clumps of urine, that could be a warning sign that your cat may be diabetic. Uh especially if you smell a little sweetness out of their breath, a n a necessary move to book an appointment with your veterinarian.
SPEAKER_02Now we've been talking about some things that uh pet parents can do if their cat has some type of ailment. And uh but on the other hand, are there some things that cat parents should not do when giving first aid?
SPEAKER_00Oh, thanks for asking. Yeah, because cats, number one, are not people and they're not small dogs. They have such a unique physiology. There are some things we can do in pet first aid for dogs that we should never do in cats. One c big example is if you suspect your cat got into a poison and you're very far away from a veterinic, you need to get your veterinarian on the phone or the ASPCA poison control hotline staffed 24-7 by veterinary toxicologist, or even the new rising field of veterinary telehealth, have a veterinarian on there and they will tell you how and what to do for that cat or that dog. So for dogs, like if you if they swallowed your pain meds and you're on a camping trip, you got to get that poison out. So for dogs, you can give them hydrogen peroxide in a dose recommended by the veterinarian based on their weight to make them hurl it out their mouth. However, you never give hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting in a cat because you can burn their esophagus. So we you gotta go with the veterinarian's game plan. And now we live in 2026 and we can find ways to get hold of a veterinarian online.
SPEAKER_02And there are there were mobile veterinarians, they will actually go to the to somebody's house to take care of uh the animal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I want you to really know the poison control hotline number. Recognize that mobile vets sometimes they're uh they're not as much emergency as they are routine. Um, but telehealth medicine can be staffed by ER vets. So we have a a lot more options to keep our cats healthy.
SPEAKER_02And another thing that I read is that people should not give their cats and Dogs, as far as that goes, human medications.
SPEAKER_00Right. Because what's good for the human may not be good for the cat or the dog. We have different physiologies. Um, and so there are certain medicines, like if you have a headache, then you're gonna take acidamidophine. Um, you will kill a cat if they get acidamidophil in their body. So uh if you have a cat or dog that's gotten stung by bees and repeatedly and their throat is closing, and you need to keep the airway open, the only safe over-the-counter um antihistamine is got one ingredient and one ingredient only, and it is called a big word, diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine, diphenhydramine. It needs to be in a gel form. You just take a safety pin and puncture the gel and drip it down their throat en route to the vet, and you always, always call ahead. Never show up at a veterinary clinic with a surprise emergency. Let them know you're coming, listen to their guidance. Every minute counts, and they will be there ready to take care of your pet.
SPEAKER_02Homes typically have some type of first aid kit or at least have access to first aid materials. Are there contents to include and not include when you're thinking about first aid for a cat?
SPEAKER_00Well, I actually helped create a first aid kit, and it's for cats, dogs, and people, but we do have little cautions like the hydrogen peroxide, no, no, for kitties there. But uh typically a good first aid kit is going to have gauze squares, gauze rolls, they're gonna have uh scissors, they're gonna have uh something to fix a leg, um, they're gonna have tongue depressors, they're gonna have um, you know, a whole litany of things. But you just really just look at the ingredients from the dog or cat's perspective, and again, hydrogen peroxide is a big no-no for cats.
SPEAKER_02All right. The big thing is to be prepared for an emergency, not wait until one happens.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And you know, I get it, everybody. We love our cats. Uh, I have two, Rusty the performer, and pet safety cat Casey, who's a therapy cat, and he goes to memory care centers and schools and libraries. I love these guys. And you know, when something uh-oh happens to them, we really have to have calmness. We have to act and think like a cat detective, gather clues, say out loud the time when you saw and heard your cat starting to choke or collapse and and and report that to the vet. If you say the time aloud rather than just look at the clock or your your watch, you remember it more. And I'm just saying cats make us better humans.
SPEAKER_02This has been a really good uh session today on this podcast, and and I I know that listeners are really tuned in on this topic today because what happens if there is an emergency in the home related to the cat? And these these are really good advice. Where can people find more information about pet first aid in general, maybe signing up for uh one of your classes? You have you have some classes that are like live and some that are like and so forth.
SPEAKER_00Pet first aid, the number four, and the letter U. Pet First Aid for You. We are the only company right now I've been teaching for 15 years that offers it when it's geographically feasible in person. We also teach interactive live Zoom, and we've taught people from Cairo, Egypt to New Zealand. And now we offer two self-paced classes online that you can take when you want, two o'clock in the morning. And one of them is strictly cat first aid and CPR. I'm I'm I'm focusing on my cat buddies out there. So we offer three ways, and every one of them features Pet Safety Cat Casey, and for the dog classes, we have two very well-mannered dogs, Kona and Nova Sixtoes, that also are in my classes. I'm actually working with real animals teaching you how to save a life.
SPEAKER_02Where can people find more information about pet first aid and uh the things that you offer uh through uh through your website?
SPEAKER_00Well, they can go to pet first aid for you, that's a number for the letter U, or my main website, which is ardenmoore.com.
SPEAKER_02I want to thank Ardenmoore for joining me to talk about cat first aid, why it's important, and the best ways to address cats in distress. Be sure to tell your friends about the hissing feline and click the follow button where you listen to this podcast. Also, please leave a five-star review so other cat lovers will find the hissing feline. Join me for the next episode of the Hissing Feline, when my guest, Dr. Elizabeth Chapman, will discuss diagnosis, treatment, and management of feline diabetes. Until then, remember to keep hurrying.
SPEAKER_01Content on the Hissing Feline Podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to provide medical, veterinary, or legal advice. Please consult your veterinarian and local and state authorities before dealing with feral and stray cats. Opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and not necessarily those of Derecho Cat Media LLC. References to products or services do not imply an endorsement. The Histing Feline Podcast is the production of Doratio Cat Media LLC and has been blessed by our rescue cats, Bridget and Maddie. All content is used with permission or under fair use.