Minika, a tiny, little tuxedo kitten hid in the wheel cover of a car. When the driver started the car, she tried to escape but managed to break a hind leg. When the driver saw her, she lay hurt with a damaged leg, breathing with difficulty, scared and in pain. But with the right help at the right time, she is happy cat now, running around on all fours.

Anybody who loves animals cannot see them injured or hurt. It is only natural to feel that because most people cannot see an animal in pain. But I have seen that sometimes when people see an injured animal or pet, they try to help but either get hurt themselves or hurt the pet even more simply because they don’t know how to go about it in the correct manner. Your own pet cat could get quite vicious, let alone a strange cat when it is hurt or injured.

It is important to handle the injured cat properly otherwise not only can you make the condition of the cat worse, you could also get hurt yourself. An injured person trying to help an injured animal does not help the situation at all. Please remember that even the most sweetest and tiniest of us cats can get quite ticked off with the slightest pain, discomfort or injury. We are dignified animals and, like humans, do not like ourselves to be seen in pain and suffering.

Mostly in a situation like this we are confused and insecure and do not understand what is happening.

Before approaching the animal, how about using some common sense? If it is a road accident, please watch out for the traffic yourself. If something heavy has fallen on the injured animal, make sure nothing more falls on you. If you are going to rescue a cat from a place on fire, please take the precautions that you have to protect yourself. Your safety comes first because if you get hurt too, who is going to help the animal?

If the pet is covered in a toxic substance like an acid or bleach or glue, please make sure to wear protective gloves or you could cover him with plastic (or some other protective material). In case the cat is bleeding, make sure and protect your hands with gloves, plastic cover, an old but clean towel or some clean newspapers if you can’t find anything else. Wearing full sleeves is also a good idea. In an emergency, time matters too because you cannot spend a long time rummaging in the store for the most appropriate item.

As you approach the cat, watch out for its body language and any sounds it makes. Use a soft, gentle, tone to talk to the cat. Shrieking and screaming will only make things worse. In case the cat has flattened ears, it is hissing or spitting, growling, has its back all arched up, hair standing on end, or it swats with claws, you have to approach carefully with hands protected in rubber gloves or covered in a towel and try to calm the cat down.

If the cat is not overly aggressive and responds to you by purring or visibly calming down, you could do a few little things to control the situation until help arrives or until you take it to the vet which better be quick.

Cover the animal or its wound with a towel. Place some water to drink. If this improves the situation, you could offer some warm milk. What would make things worse is trying to wash or clean a wound or straightening a broken leg? Please do not try any experimentation on the cat who is already suffering.

In case of a broken leg, try to slide a cardboard underneath the cat to be able to lift it without causing any more pain or damage. The quicker you can take it to a vet, the better it is.