Cat burned its paws on the hot stove – how to treat

You should seek veterinary help as soon as possible if your cat accidentally jumped or stepped on a hot stove top. Don’t apply any home remedies unless the vet has provided guidance to do so. Applying ice or cold water, for example, may do more harm than good, especially if this is involving anything worse than a first-degree burn.

Minimize your cat’s movement

Discourage your cat from moving around. Burned paws can lead to nasty infections, especially if the burned paw skin repeatedly comes into contact with an unclean surface.

Use an Elizabeth collar

Prevent your cat from licking it’s burned paws by placing an Elizabeth collar around its neck. If you don’t have an Elizabeth collar at hand then try making a makeshift one (at least until the cat gets seen by the vet). One simple way of creating a makeshift Elizabeth collar is by making a hole in the middle of a large paper plate.

Wrap cat’s paw with non-stick gauze

If you have them available, wrap the cat’s paw with sterile non-stick gauze or sterile wound dressing pads. This may further reduce the likelihood of the burned paws from getting infected with harmful bacteria. You could consider using plastic saran wrap as an alternative if you don’t have any sterile dressing at home. Plastic wraps should only be used as a temporary solution as they aren’t breathable.

Get a stove cover

Cats are smart animals. Most of them will have learned their lesson and not jump on the stove again after the first burn incident. That said, you may still want to take some prevention steps just in case. One simple way to prevent your cat from stepping on a hot stove top is by getting a stove top cover.