Cat Owner's Manual › Chapter 9: Emergency Care For Your Cat › Giving Your Cat the Heimlich Maneuver ›

Giving Your Cat the Heimlich Maneuver

This technique can assist a choking cat. Be advised, however, that this method can cause serious injury if done improperly, or if executed on a feline with an unobstructed airway. Use it only if you actually witness a cat ingesting (and subsequently choking on) a foreign object.

    Heimlich Maneuver for Cats
  1. If the cat is wearing a collar, remove it.
  2. Open the cat's mouth and look down its throat (Fig. A). If you can see the object causing the obstruction (and if the cat will allow it), remove it (Fig. B). Do not try to remove the object unless you can visually identify it. Cats have small bones at the base of their tongues that may be mistaken for chicken bones.
  3. Lift the cat by the hindquarters and suspend it, head down (Fig. C). This is sometimes enough to dislodge the object.
  4. As an alternative to step 3, administer a sharp, openhanded blow between the shoulder blades (Fig. D). If neither of these techniques clears the airway, you must perform the Heimlich maneuver (Fig. E).
  5. Holding the feline around the waist, press it to your body, as if in a bear hug. Place a fist just below the ribs.
  6. Compress the abdomen quickly and firmly with the fist, three to five times.
  7. Check the mouth to see if the object has dislodged. If unsuccessful, repeat.

expert tipEXPERT TIP: Even if this technique succeeds, it is still necessary to take the cat to the veterinarian. The Heimlich maneuver itself can cause internal damage.

Comments (2)

Chapter 9: Emergency Care For Your Cat

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It would be very easy to 1. dislocate the cats hind legs, or 2. breakl some ribs, if you followed two of these suggestions. I have found that holding the hind legs, while supporting the weight of the front body with another hand on the cat's chest, and then swinging the cat, gently, like a bell clapper between your legs....works like a charm!

purred by TRACY YOUNG on Jun 17, 2008 AT 4:18 pm PDT
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i think this was great because it showed pet owners how serious heimlich manuever is and how it can save your pet's life.

purred by Rachel on Jun 22, 2008 AT 4:25 pm PDT
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Quirk BooksThe Cat Owner's Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!