Cat Jumped On Stove ;-(

[fiorya]

Earlier, I took a pot off the stove for a second and turned away. Before I could stop her, Iris leapt up onto the hot burner.

She seems okay for the most part. She's been licking one of her front paws. I looked at it and it doesn't look like the skin is broken, but it is a little warm. Since her paws are black, I can't tell if it's red at all. But she is running around as usual, not limping at all.

I've been trying to apply a cool towel to it, but she is naturally squirmy and won't sit still long enough. Also tried running it under cool water or dipping it in water, but she won't have that.

I'm hoping it isn't hurt too bad. We literally just got back from the vet two hours ago. I don't want to have to take her back. But I'll keep a close eye on it throughout the night.

Have any of you had a cat burn its paws before? Do you have any tips?

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
fiorya - Yep - about seven years ago, just after coming in, my little Scottiecat did just that before I could manage to cap the burner as I always do with a pot lid.

Have you ever accidentally touched an hot burner yourself? If so, remember pulling your hand back, and finding that your reflexes saved you from a nasty burn? Imagine having reflexes roughly six times faster than you have now.

I was incredibly worried when it happened - quite nearly beside myself - and actually dragged my veterinarian away from an hockey game on television, to come out to the house and have a look at her. When he got here and gave her the once-over, he asked, "do you know which paw it was?" I was relieved, of course, and more than a little annoyed by the fact that I had to spend the remainder of the evening watching a hockey game on television.

Their reflexes are fast enough to toy with poisonous snakes, and to use hornets as playthings. Relax - Iris has already forgotten that it happened.
.

 

[doomsdave]

fiorya,

I once had a little kitty, Painintheass, who walked through hot charcoal we'd (thoughtlessly!) dumped in his normal path on patrol around our house.

He stepped in the red hot coals and leaped six feet (2m) up. Then he ran away. I ran after him, caught him, and stuck his feet into some cold water. He moaned, dear god.

But, he got better. A little gnarly in the footy-pads, but okay. 1CatOverTheLine Is correct.

I think your kitty's fine.

 

[Neo_23]

Does it make sense that domestic cats would naturally be pretty resilient to stepping on hot things since their ancestor (the African wildcat) was a desert animal and likely stepped in hot sand all day long?

Just a theory.

 

[lilin]

Yup, I agree with the others. If it makes you feel better, maybe give the vet a call and ask what to look for as far as signs of problems, and keep an eye out. But if there's no broken skin, limping, or notable swelling, it will likely heal pretty quick on its own. Cat beans have pretty thick skin.

 

[fiorya]

Thanks everyone

She seems perfectly fine now. She hasn't licked her paw at all since about an hour after hurting it. Bouncing off the walls as usual, being her crazy self. I think she'll be alright. Just scared me half to death.

 

[LTS3]

Yes, Leroy did that as a kitten. He jumped onto a HOT stove right fter I turned it off. It's a glass top stove so to a cat it looks like part of the counter. Not sure if a stove with burners makes any difference visually to a cat. Leroy immediately started screaming and I snatched him off and took him to the sink where I ran cold water over his paw for several minutes. Then I packed him up and took him to the vet ER. Leroy screamed the entire way. A vet examined the paw and determined that was a superficial first degree burn. The paw pad was red but there wasn't any burnt fur. The vet prescribed a burn ointment. Aplying the ointment was easy to do. Some cats might not like stuff applied to their paws, though. Leroy hobbled around for awhile. I followed up a week later with my regular vet who had heard all about Leroy's burned paw (same hospital). The paw was better then but stil painful as Leroy demonstrated by jumping off the exam table and screaming in pain while holding his paw up The paw fully healed not long after that.