Burns can be caused from excessive heat, electrical shock, chemicals and too much sun. The severity depends upon the exposure and depth of the burn. A superficial burn is indicated by redness, blistering, slight swelling and tenderness. A deep burn looks white and the fur falls out easily in the affected area. A deep burn over 15% of the body will usually result in death due to the loss of fluids and the onset of shock.

Treat by packing with ice, or cold water for twenty minutes to relieve the pain. Clip away the hair and wash with a surgical soap and gently pat dry. Apply an antibiotic ointment and wrap with gauze to keep the cat from chewing at the spot and to keep it clean. Change bandages at least twice per day, being very careful not to pull the scab off with the bandages.

Treat burns caused by chemicals by flushing with water. If it was acid, mix four tablespoons of baking soda to a pint of water and flush the area. If the burn was from an Alkali mix two tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water and flush. This must be done within five minutes of the burn to do any good. Treat with antibiotic ointment and bandage as above.

Chilling to a newborn or young kitten can quickly lead to death. The most common cause of hypothermia that we have encountered is to get up at 6:00 a.m. and go out to check on a very pregnant female only to discover that she has given birth and not known what to do. We often find the kits still in their sacs, cold and wet and quite dead. Many a time the lifeless little forms have been revived and have grown into loving adults, so we never give up.

We wipe the sacs away from their noses and drop the kits down into our shirts to rush them into the nursery. We give mouth to mouth resuscitation and heart massage and briskly towel their fur. A blow dryer, set on warm, blowing on the kit all the while is an added benefit. With kittens this small we put the nose and mouth into our own and blow very gently so as not to burst the lungs. Sitting there reading this, you may be saying to yourself, that there is no way that you would put some bloody, slimy animal in your mouth, but you would be surprised at what you will sacrifice to save your new infant. I only have one human daughter, but she knows who her "blood brothers and sisters" are in our home.

The exotic body temperature should be 101 degrees for all species that we have worked with. If the body temperature drops below 97 degrees you may see symptoms of shivering and then collapse, quickly followed by coma. You must warm the chilled cat gradually and then keep him warm. For more information see the chapter on KITTENS .

To warm an adult, dry him if he is wet and apply warm water packs to the armpits, chest and tummy. Make sure the packs are warm and not hot. As the cat begins coming around you can offer a little honey or sugar water.

Frostbite is much more serious and warm water soakings are called for to raise the temperature more quickly. The affected area will look pale white, and then red and swollen as the circulation returns. Topical Antibiotics and protective bandaging will speed the healing process. The dead tissue will usually fall off within three weeks. The ears are most often damaged in extreme cold. A warm den box will prevent this from happening.

If it is very hot and the cat is panting take a close look in his mouth. If the tongue is red and the cat is drooling he may be suffering from heat stroke. Cats cool themselves by increasing the air over their tongues and by salivating on their fur to cause evaporation. When the cat’s body temperature goes over 106 degrees he may stagger, vomit and produce bloody diarrhea. His lips will turn blue or grey before digressing into a coma.

Mild cases require only that the cat be moved to a cooler area and given water, but if his temperature has exceeded 104 degrees then you should cool him by immersing him in cool water or wrap him in cold wet towels. If the cat is near collapse a cool water enema will help speed the cooling. Cats who suffer from upper respiratory problems are quicker to succumb to heat stroke and one of the results of overheating is that the throat swells, compounding the problem for a cat whose breathing is already impaired.