My cat is hissing and holding tail down after coming inside. Why?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mister. I would assume from what you are describing that one of two things has happened. Mister either got into a fight with another cat/some wildlife or he has suffered some other trauma such as hit by car/other. I would advise taking Mister to your veterinarian. They can get a detailed history and do a thorough examination of the affected areas. Typically with fights, the hind end is involved since one cat is often running away from the other cat or animal that is attacking it. Of course bite wounds and scratches can occur anywhere on the body. Your vet can then discuss a sound treatment plan which could involve sedation/anesthesia, clip/clean wounds, drain placement, antibiotics, rabies booster, pain medicines, anti inflammatory medicines, etc. If you are not sure what happened, your vet will most likely advise a rabies booster shot (if no fever) in case this was a wild animal such as a raccoon, skunk, etc. Good luck with Mister.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chessie! It looks like either a bite wound or an anal gland abscess. Either way, the area needs to be cleaned with a mild soap and water and she needs antibiotics. I would take her to the vet to have the area checked and they can start her on medications. Good luck and kisses to Chessie!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Mikey. That is strange behavior! It make me wonder if he has some pain in his back, hips, or tail. It could also be that he has problem with his anal sacs. They may be impacted or infected. Without seeing him in person, I can't say for sure what is causing this behavior. I'd have him seen by a vet to have this diagnosed and treated. Since this has been doing on for 2.5 weeks, I'd see if you can get him into a vet today. I hope this helps!

It looks like it could be an injury to your cat’s tail. If he’s allowed outside, he could have gotten into a fight with another cat causing the wound. Cat bites frequently become infected and cause an abscess, so I would have this checked out by a vet today or tomorrow. The vet can clean it up and can give antibiotics as needed. I hope this helps!

This usually happens when they have lower spine pain and/or had a tail-pull injury. Cats can get their tails caught in things (i.e. under tires, fences) and tend to struggle a lot, which can cause further injury to the muscles, ligaments and nerves. These types of injuries tend to heal well over a few weeks. You can apply ice to the area fro 15 minutes twice a day to help take down the inflammation. It's best to take Oberin to a veterinarian in order to get pain medication and an accurate diagnosis of the problem,. I hope that helps and Oberin gets better soon.

I suspect that Mishkey got attacked by another cat. Keep an eye on this area, if it isn't looking better in a few days, he should probably be rechecked by the vet. Sometimes that irritated skin will start to die and turn black, in which case it often needs to be removed surgically. Minimizing activity and giving pain medications as prescribed by the vet is the best you can do for him at this time. Make sure his food and water and litter pans are easily accessible.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Until your nearest veterinarian opens, I recommend keeping Psycho as relaxed and quiet as possible. He's likely had a traumatic several weeks! Put him in a dark quiet room with his food, water, and litterbox, and minimize his stress. However, he should be seen by the vet as soon as possible - I'm concerned he may be fighting an abscess (infection) and may require antibiotics to get better. Hope this helps!