Experiencing a medical emergency with your cat can be scary and stressful for both of you. One of the ways you can reduce both the stress and the fear you will feel is have a plan for what to do and how to do it.
Pre-Emergency Planning
There are a few things you should do now so that you’ll be prepared if an emergency occurs.
- Medical Records
- The File
- The Quick List
- List of Vets
Medical Records
The File
Keep your cat’s medical records in order and easily accessible. Ideally you’ll be able to grab their file on the way out the door and have all the information the emergency vet needs.
I like to keep some quick information right on the front of my cat’s files, anything I would need to be able to share with a vet in a hurry:
- Breed
- Sex and alteration status (spayed, neutered, intact)
- Color(s)
- Date of Birth
- Healthy weight (if known)
- Average weight (if known)
- History of major accidents, illnesses, or chronic conditions
- Vaccination history
- Known allergies (if any)
- Picture of the cat**
Here’s Thomas’s chart as an example
**The picture of the cat isn’t necessary for emergency room visits. I put pictures on the files so that if I die first someone else could quickly and easily match each one of my cats to their proper medical files. Though, if you have multiple cats the pictures can also help ER staff to recognize if you happened to grab the wrong file in your haste to get to the hospital.
The Quick List
Aside from having a complete file with your cat’s medical records you should also have a shorter list that you can give to ER staff that includes all the highlights:
- Current health conditions
- Any known allergies
- All medications and supplements they’re taking, including:
- actual name of the medication
- strength of the medication
- dose of the medication being given
- frequency the medication is given
I keep this list on my refrigerator and take it with me to all regular and emergency vet visits. I have the clinic staff make a copy for their records and I bring the original back home.
Here’s an example of one I used for Cat in early 2019:
List of Vets
Arguably the most important part of seeking emergency medical care is knowing where to look. It’s a really smart idea to have a written list of your local veterinary options so that you know exactly where to go if an emergency occurs.
I like to keep a list that looks a bit like a calendar so that I can look at any day of the week and know which vet is available to call. Without using the actual names/locations of my vets, here’s an example of the list that I use.
| Day | Available Vets |
| Sunday | Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
| Monday | Regular Vet (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 7 am – 8 pm Emergency Vet #1 (123) 678-9012 4321 W. This Street, 85701 Opens 8 am, open 24 hours from then Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
| Tuesday | Regular Vet (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 7 am – 8 pm Emergency Vet #1 (123) 678-9012 4321 W. This Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
| Wednesday | Regular Vet (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 7 am – 8 pm Emergency Vet #1 (123) 678-9012 4321 W. This Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
| Thursday | Regular Vet (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 7 am – 8 pm Emergency Vet #1 (123) 678-9012 4321 W. This Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
| Friday | Regular Vet (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 7 am – 8 pm Emergency Vet #1 (123) 678-9012 4321 W. This Street, 85701 Closes 5 pm for weekend Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
| Saturday | Regular Vet (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 8 am – 4 pm Emergency Vet #2 (123) 456-7890 1234 E. That Street, 85701 Open 24 hrs. |
Know How To Get There
If you have an emergency vet on your list and you have never been to their office, it’s a really good idea to practice driving there from your house at least once, to get familiar with the route and what the building looks like. I’d recommend practicing once during the day, and once at night.
Practicing the route to the emergency vet under as many different conditions as possible, gives you the best chance of getting there quickly and safely during a true emergency.
If the emergency vet is located in an area you don’t normally drive through, then it’s also a good idea to program their address into your phone or car navigation system so that you can easily access it for getting directions.
Call Ahead
If you’re experiencing an emergency it’s a very good idea to call the emergency hospital to let them know you are on the way and approximately how long it will take you to get there. I normally make this call once I am already in the car – if you do that, be sure to practice safe driving habits by using a hands-free device for the call. If you can’t safely drive and call, place the call just before you leave your house.
Emergency hospitals can serve you best if they are prepared for your arrival and have a brief understanding of the kind of condition you cat will be in when you arrive. Calling ahead can fast-track your cat’s triage and care. Often, if they know you are coming, the hospital can have a triage tech prepared to meet you at the door.
If you need assistance getting your cat from the car inside the hospital, let the staff know when you call. They will provide specific instructions for where to park when you arrive.
Emergency vs Urgent
If you’re not sure whether your cat is experiencing symptoms that require a visit, call first and ask. Depending on the situation you may be advised to go to the emergency hospital immediately, or you may be advised to wait for your primary care vet instead.
If you call ahead and are not advised to go to the emergency hospital, be sure to monitor your cat for a change in symptoms. If anything changes or worsens, it will be important to either call back and ask for updated instructions, or take your cat in for care.
Learn Payment Options
If you are like most people, the cost of an emergency vet visit can put a real strain on your finances, if it’s not outright impossible to cover.
It’s a good idea to call each of the emergency hospitals on your list and find out:
- The initial visit cost
- The forms of payment they accept
Emergency hospitals generally always cost more than a primary care vet, and different hospitals will have different fees. I have 2 emergency hospitals near me. One of them has an $85 visit fee, and the other has a $110 visit fee. Knowing that difference ahead of time can help you to plan/prepare.
Some hospitals take Care Credit, which, if you qualify, can help you to pay for services. If you’re very lucky, the hospital you visit may have private funding/grants to offer to cover the cost of care. Finding out the possible options ahead of time can remove some of the stress of the visit.
If you’re unsure about your ability to pay for emergency care be sure to look for possible sources of financial assistance. Some of the groups offering financial assistance have lengthy intake/approval processes, but many allow you to sign up before you need them, and will then help cover the cost of care later. If you think you might need help, it’s a good idea to start looking now, before you actually need it.
If You Don’t Have a Car
Everything gets a bit more complicated if you don’t have a car. If you can, try and prepare as many transportation options as possible.
House-Call Vets
If you are lucky you may have house-call vets in your area who are willing/able to take emergency calls. Check to see what you have in your area and add these vets to your list if they accept emergency calls. Add all the possible house-call vets to your list, because you never know if the first one you choose will be on a different emergency call when you need them.
Phone a Friend
Check with your friends who have cars and see who among them would be willing to drive you in an emergency
If you’re luck enough to have more than one friend who is willing/able to help, write out a list of who is available, starting with the friend who lives closest to you and working further away.
Ask a Neighbor
Check with your neighbors to see if any of them would be willing to drive you in an emergency, or even lend you a car. Not all neighbors will do this, but if you find one, make sure you stay on good terms with them.
Taxi or Ride Share
Taxis or ride share services like Uber and Lyft are another option. If you think you might need them it’s a good idea to set up accounts with them now so that you’re prepared to use them immediately. Taxis where I live have ridiculously long wait times (up to 2 hours) so they’re not really a viable option where I am. Uber and Lyft often have much shorter wait times. You may want to check both companies before requesting a car to see which one can have a car to you the fastest.
Public Transport
Where I live the only public transport we have is an unreliable bus system. This wouldn’t work for me in an emergency at all. I checked while writing this page, and it would be faster for me to walk to my nearest emergency vet than to try and ride the bus.
If you live somewhere with quick and reliable public transport then that may be a good option for you. If the transport system requires cash payments then you should make sure to keep the amount needed for fare available at all times.
Pet Ambulance
There are a few cities in the US that have actual pet ambulance services which will transport you and your cat from your home to the emergency hospital. You should check to see if you have a pet ambulance in your area.
In An Emergency
In an actual emergency:
- Grab your medication list
- Grab your cat’s medical records
- Check your list of vets to see where you need to go
- Put your cat in a carrier and loaded into the car
- Call the vet and let them know you’re on the way
- Drive to the vet (with navigation/directions enabled if needed)
Feline Disease Management 