What's causing my cat's painful-looking nose? Should I see a vet?

Poor kitty! That looks bad and I bet it's uncomfortable. It's possible that she has a severe infection, a caustic burn, ringworm or autoimmune condition. Of these, only the ringworm is contagious to the other cat (and humans as well). I recommend to get her into the veterinarian quickly as that look bad. She needs medications. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It looks like an infection, most probably either fungal or bacterial. you should take Zeus to the vet in order to get that checked, a sample might be needed in order to confirm the diagnosis and then treatment can be started.

Hello. I am always concerned about an ulcerated nasal planum in a relatively young cat. This could be bacterial, autoimmune, fungal, or cancer ( less likely due to his relatively young age ). You really need to see your veterinarian for a minimum of a culture & to start antibiotics. If the antibiotics do not seem to be helping, than a biopsy will be necessary. Hopefully, he just picked up an odd infection & he will be back to his beautiful self soon. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. It looks like it may have a sinus infection or nasal and sinus infection that's creating an abscess. Common infections in that area are associated with fungal (Cryptococcus neoformans or Aspergillus) or bacterial. Cancer can also cause this in older cats. A sample of his nose, bloodwork, and urine sampling would aid to differentiate between these diseases. I would recommend consulting with your primary care veterinarian about further diagnosing your cat. Hope this helps and best of luck.

That looks like it may be dried blood, or something such as an infection/fungus but it is hard to tell from the photo. If he is bleeding from his nose and in pain, I would seek emergency care right away.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While I agree with your veterinarian that this can be due to an infection. However, I think a fungal infection like cryptococcus seems more likely and that would only respond to anti-fungal therapy. Another possibility is cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma. I recommend you consider having him reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. May be a biopsy could be done at this time since it has not improved. Good luck and have a great day!

From the pictures, it looks as though what you are seeing may be from trauma. Cat scratches to the face commonly occur on cats that are outdoor cats. Many times the hair will not grow back and the cat will be left with a small scar. If canto is indoor only and the nodule is raised, I would say get a vet to examine him to see for sure what it may be. It could be from a bug bite or a skin tumor of some type. If you cannot get to your vet right away, I would say just monitor for now and if it worsens get him seen sooner. It does not look infected or swollen from the picture. I would monitor for signs of infection which may include swelling, redness, painful to the touch, discharge, etc. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.