Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My cat has bloody areas on neck and head. Is it from male cat?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 6 years and 7 months old | 6 lbs

My cat has bloody areas on back of neck and over both eyes.not affecting eyes. I have older male cat that tries to have sex with her and thought the area on back of neck were from bites by the male.but area on forehead..looks same.he wouldn't bite her there. She has no other symptoms.thanx

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 17th, 2017

If the male and the female were fighting with each other, especially if he was trying to have sex with her (she won't want that because she's spayed and has no desire for it), it is possible that he could have bitten her in the forehead. I would separate them for now, and if your older male isn't neutered, I would have him neutered to stop this behavior. As for Fred jr, keep her in her own room with her own litter box, food, and water so her wounds can heal. Gently clean them with warm water and antiseptic soap. Do not put any topical antibiotic ointment on them. Although quite safe on superficial wounds, cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. Keep an eye on the wounds, and if they become red, swollen, warm to the touch, or there's pus, the wounds are infected. I would then have her seen by a vet as she will need antibiotics to treat the infection. I would keep her in the room by herself until her wounds are completely healed.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

My intact male cats are fighting. Should I worry about injuries?

Intact male cats can and do fight over things such as territory and females, so to answer your question, yes they can hurt each other if they get into a fight. Intact cats will also spray urine all over the house to mark their territory, which smells terrible and is very hard to get out. I would recommend having them both neutered to reduce any aggressive behavior as well as urine marking, which it sounds like you are seeing if they are fighting enough to cause a cut. Gently wash the cut with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the area clean and dry, and monitor for signs of infection which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. Should you see any of those signs, the cat will need to see the vet for antibiotics. In the meantime, I'd make an appointment to have them both neutered. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has a bloody head wound. What is it and can I use Neosporin?

Poor M! I'm glad to hear that you're already using the e-collar because this will prevent M from scratching and worsening the issue. This lesion could be a result of a skin infection, ringworm, mange, flea allergy, among others. While you can use Neosporin, I do not typically find it to be overly effective for most wounds on pets. Instead, you can try a wound spray, such as Vetericyn (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25902). Also be sure that M is receiving a high quality flea preventative, such as Advantage, Bravecto, or Revolution regularly. If this lesion persists or worsens, he will need to go to his vet for further evaluation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Neutered cat's incision is bleeding after a fight. Should I see a vet?

Unfortunately your picture of Spec's wound is a little blurry, but it looks bigger than a simple scratch to me. It also looks quite red, and it appears that there may be some discharge coming from it. If this wound is on his surgical incision, I would be concerned especially if he was bitten. Cat bites typically become infected and abscess. Gently clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap, and I would have this wound examined and treated by a vet today. Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My kitten has a bleeding, moist bald spot on neck. Should I worry?

It's good that the area has stopped bleeding. I would keep an eye on it for now. I would gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and Nick will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

What's wrong? My cat has a bloody gash and missing fur on her neck.

Tuna could have been injured. If you have clippers, trim back the fur in that area. Wash the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it daily. If you see signs of infection (redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, pus), you will need to take her into a vet immediately.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has fight wounds & scratches. Can he be neutered now?

Poor guy. You need to get him to a vet right away to have these areas flushed and then get him on a short course of antibiotics to prevent infection. Animal bites are notorious for getting infected because loads of bacteria live on pets teeth, which then migrates underneath the skin during the bite. Neutering your pet during this healing process is not an ideal time to do this; although, if your vet doesn't mind doing a quick snip at the same time to save from having to do two procedures, then go for it. I have seen several vets who will do this to help the owner out with expenses, plus a cat neuter takes literally 5-10 minutes to do. A neutered pet is less likely to get into so many fights outside, so there is an advantage to doing this right away.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has a bleeding, growing neck wound with fur loss. What is it?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It appears Precious may have sustained an abscess, probably from a fight with another cat. The abscess ruptured, & Precious has been licking the area to keep it clean. Her sandpaper tongue can actually cause more trauma to the area. You can clean the area with a little warm water & a disinfectant such as Betadine, & you may need to put an elizabethean collar on her to stop the licking. These type wounds do not always need antibiotics, but it would not be a bad idea to let your vet have a look at it just to make sure . Hope she well very soon.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share