Cat First-Aid Kit: What to Stock and What to Leave to the Vet

Core kit: digital thermometer with lubricant, sterile gauze and self-adhesive bandage, saline for flushing, styptic powder, blunt scissors, needle-free syringes for feeding, an e-collar, ear cleaner, enzymatic cleaner, and pet-safe wipes. Keep it in one box and check expiry dates every six months.

Do not stock for self-use: antibiotics, steroids, and painkillers require a veterinary diagnosis, and common human fever or pain drugs are poisons to cats, so lock them away from pet supplies. Emetics like hydrogen peroxide are only used under phone direction from a vet.

Tape an ER card inside the lid: your clinic and a 24-hour emergency hospital with phone and address, the cat's weight, vaccine history, chronic medications, and poison consultation contacts. Grab-and-go with the card saves ten minutes of record hunting in a crisis.