Why is my cat hissing, smelling, and licking an infected wound?

That area looks pretty irritated, and abscesses (infections under the skin) are very common in cats due to the bacteria in their saliva. Misty will need to be seen by a vet in order to have the area cleaned, drained as needed, and a course of antibiotics given. You should also use an Elizabethan (cone) collar to keep her from licking the spot as it heals and causing further irritation. If you are having trouble affording veterinary care, this site may help give you some ideas to make it more affordable so Misty can be seen: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). It may heal on its own, even though it will take few days. Disinfection may be done at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. If the wound will not heal/or at least improve in 5 days, a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

From the picture I can only say this may be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. More investigations like sampling and bacterial swabs would be needed to determine the underlying cause more specifically. In my experience I have seen large wounds like this one from Poxvirus infection (but usually other wounds are present as well). I would suggest to handle this wound always with gloves (you are doing it anyway as I can see from the pic). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This wound is very infected and needs extensive wound care as well as antibiotics and pain medication from your veterinarian. Smokey needs to be seen by veterinarian as soon as possible. Keep the area clean and dry and keep her inside until shr is seen by veterinarian. Do not give any human pain medication as it can be extremely toxic to cats.

Hello. If you have or can purchase a skin antiseptic, one with either 2% chlorhexidine or 1% povidine iodine, then you can gently clean this 2 times daily. Antibiotics would hasten healing, & if the wound is not looking better by early next week, I would consider a veterinary visit. But by keeping this clean, it will heal, & yes, this has the look of a typical cat bite abscess, so he did get into an argument with another cat. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, I do think that Bramble should see a veterinarian as he will likely require local therapy if it is an abscess with drainage and cleaning as well as oral antibiotics. At the same time, your veterinarian can check his eyes to see if they are also affected and treat accordingly. Good luck!

Hello, I would recommend taking Roseberry into your vet as soon as possible. That wound appears to be necrotic, meaning that tissue is dying due to the severity of the infection. I worry that this wound will eventually lead to sepsis and death if left untreated. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.