Cats like to play outdoor, do you agree? When they play outside, they might get exposed by some insects, including bees and wasps. When your cat tries to annoy or get rid of the bee or wasp, the next thing happens is your cat gets stung by the wasp or bee.
It must be painful! Wasp’s sting is not only painful, but it can be poisonous and cause allergy to your cat. Wasp is as dangerous as fleas, read these ways to get rid and prevent fleas on your pets.
You might be wondering how to notice that your cat is stung by a wasp. If your cat is stung by a wasp, there are some signs you can observe, such as nibbling or giving attention to the part being stung, yowling more than usual, swelling area and pawing at the stung part.
Being stung by a wasp is a serious issue for cats as it might lead to severe reaction and it can be fatal if it is not treated well. Here are the 7 things you to do when your cat is stung by a wasp.
- Be Aware
Cats are known to be good for hiding pain. So, it might be hard for you to notice that your cat is stung by a wasp. Keep an eye on every sign shown by your cat, such as allergic reaction, and treat it immediately.
- Reduce the Swelling Part
To do this, you can simply take a clean towel or cloth and soak it in cold water. Then, wrap the cold cloth or towel against the stung area to reduce the swelling.
You can also use ice cubes and apply them on the site of the sting, but be mindful of any shock reaction because of the sudden change of temperature and sensation.
Swollen body parts can also be the signs your cat has food allergies, so make sure you find the root problem.
- Use Head Cone or Cat Booties
Head cone and cat booties are very beneficial for preventing your cat from licking, scratching or biting the stung part. Licking, biting, scratching will slower down the healing process.
Booties can also be used to keep your cats’ paws cold during hot weather, just like mentioned as one of the ways to keep your dog cool when in hot weather.
- Keep Your Cat Hydrated and Well-fed
If your cat gets stung in the mouth area, it might find it difficult for it to eat. Provide enough drink as well to make your cat stay hydrated. Proving soft or moist food will be better than dry food to make your cat easier to eat the food.
- Soothe the Wound
The wound of wasp sting can be soothed down by using baking soda and water. You can make a thick paste of baking soda and water and simply apply the paste to the sting site. If your cat has multiple sites of sting, you can use oatmeal bath.
If your cat is exposed to another type of wound, you can apply these home-remedies to treat cat wounds. They are very simple, easy and practical.
Do you know that baking soda is one of helpful tips to eliminate bad smell of cat urine? It is one of the useful stuffs you should keep at home!
- Use of Vinegar
Vinegar is really popular in remedies for treating some problems in pets, including cats. Vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar, is really useful to neutralize the alkalinity of the sting.
Soak the cotton ball or cotton with apple cider vinegar, then apply the cotton ball on the affected area. If possible, use a slight pressure to reduce the pain and inflammation.
If you are curious of the other uses of apple cider vinegar, you can see steps to treat dog ear infection with apple cider vinegar and how to treat cats eye infection.
- Contact Your Vet Immediately
Most wasp sting is not too dangerous, but without any serious and proper treatment, it can be fatal. If you have done most of the treatments mentioned above and the sting bite is not getting better, then you need to contact your vet for medical treatment.
A wasp sting is considered serious if it hits the mouth or neck area. Your cat is also possible to get allergic reactions that can be mild or severe. Unfortunately, these allergic reactions doesn’t always appear right away, some may take around at least 24 hours to be noticed. So, it is important to keep your eye on your cat once it gets stung by a wasp.