First aid for cat : how to bandage a paw ?

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Reminder :
BEFORE helping an animal, you need to :
– Protect yourself, protect the present persons, and protect the animal : muzzle the animal and held him, establish a safety zone, or go away from a danger zone, and put gloves on.
– Give warnings : warn the veterinarian, and if needed the police or the fire brigades.

How to bandage a paw ?

If there is a small wound, you need to clean it if possible, to disinfect it, and to put a compress on it before making the bandage.

An about 2m band (6.5 ft) is needed to bandage a cat paw. Any bandage begins with a holding turn to hold the beginning of the band in position. For a paw, the holding turn is made under the joint.

  • Begin from the TOP of the paw and come down in diagonal up to the end of the paw.
  • Cover well the end of the paw, and go back up UNDER the paw, by following the same diagonal.
  • Go to the other side of the paw by following the holding turn OVER the paw.
  • Come down in diagonal UNDER the paw up to the end of this one.
  • Cover well the end of the paw, and go back up ON the paw, by following the same diagonal.
  • Go to the other side of the paw by following the holding turn UNDER paw.
  • Repeat.

Our friend Fluffy kindly agreed to help us to make this video :

To wrap the paw well, diagonals will be slightly moved, what will reveal a chevron motive on the bandage.

At the end of the bandage, nail the end of the band under the last turn, and fix well with plaster.

25 thoughts on “First aid for cat : how to bandage a paw ?

    1. Randall Millam

      Yeah thanks for nothing! Showing this ON A TOY is NOT the same as wrapping a bandage on a LIVE CAT that when the bandage is placed on their wounded bleeding paw that’s doing everything in its muscular squirming body to get away biting the hands attempting to help it, sinking fang is polar opposite!!
      How do I know?
      I just did it t!

      1. The Swiss Cats Post author

        Paws up for helping your cat despite the difficulties ! We never said it was easy, and the reminder at the beginning of the post is a warning. You did it the best way you could in real conditions, and we cross our paws that you could go quickly to the vet to heal your cat after that. Purrs

  1. Colehaus Cats

    This is good information to know and your video made it look easy. Good thing Fluffy didn’t try to bite you, or like our brother Quint, didn’t try to lick you half to death.

  2. da tabbies o trout towne

    pixie N zorro…thanx for sharin thiz !!! thiz iz grate ta noe N hope full lee
    no one haz ta try it out ore have a bandage applied !! 🙂 ♥♥

  3. Lola

    We didn’t realize so much bandage was needed! We better check our first aid kit to make sure we have enough. This is such a great post!

  4. The Island Cats

    Great info! A few years ago, Ernie had the misfortune of having a claw pulled out. The vet tried to bandage his paw, but there was no way Ernie would leave it on. After a day or so, I took it off because he was just so miserable having it on. ~Island Cat Mom

  5. Avril

    Lol yeah right will be able to do a perfect one like that on a real cat haha. Anyways i have wrapped my cat’s paw 3 times now today and he still managed to remove it. He also managed to remove after the vet wrapped his paw. The only one time he couldnt remove was when i used alot of tape. Of course i made sure it wasnt too tight. Cant be loose too coz my cat managed to shake it off.

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