Take A First Aid For Pets Class This Spring

I just read a story about a Mississippi firefighter who saved a cat by performing CPR, and it reminded me how I took a First Aid for Cats and Dogs class with my friend Bernie at the Manhattan chapter of the American Red Cross a few years ago. We learned how to perform basic first aid and CPR on pets.

We actually practiced the CPR techniques on a stuffed dog, and I was out of breath after a few puffs. Still, I would hope I could summon up more air if I was in a crisis situation and needed to save an animal.

Anyway, I just checked out the Web site for the Greater New York City chapter of the American Red Cross, and the organization still offers the First Aid for Cats and Dogs class. It is a four-hour course and costs $70, although you can save $10 if you register online.

If you love cats and dogs and would like to be able to help an injured animal at least until he or she can get veterinary care, I highly recommend this class. It might be fun to take it with a friend like I did. We both learned a lot and left with pet-friendly first aid kits.

For more information on upcoming classes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Greater New York City area, click here.

By the way, the cute cat pictured with this item is named Ollie, and he strongly encourages everyone to sign up for the First Aid for Cats and Dogs class.

For his own safety, Ollie isn't allowed out of the apartment he shares with his brother Elephant, but they are both studying First Aid for Humans through a correspondence course and practice CPR on a Barbie doll. Cat Sitter in the City commends them for their efforts.