Why does my outdoor cat keep getting wounds? Is it cat fights?

Poor Church! It sounds like he is developing abscesses from some sort of trauma. We see this most commonly from cat bite or fight wounds. Usually these wounds heal best when treated by a veterinarian. We generally clean and flush out the purulent material and then start an antibiotic for 7-10 days. One concern I have remind cat owners about fight wounds in cats is that this is how feline leukemia and immunodeficiency viruses are spread from one cat to the next. I recommend testing your kitty and then trying to work on ways to keep Church indoors and less likely to be injured.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats are miraculous healers. The leg could just be sore. I would worry about an abscess forming from the bite. Abscesses required opening them up and antibiotics. The only thing you can do is clean the wounds twice daily with warm water and a mild soap and warm compress the wounds after each cleaning for the next 3-5 days. I wish you the best!

Tiger should be examined by a vet. That wound on his leg looks pretty bad, and he probably needs good antibiotics and pain medications. If Tiger goes outdoors, he may be getting into fights with other cats. Cat bites are notoriously nasty and can transmit some bad bacteria that cause infection and abscesses. If these wounds are not from infected cat bites, then I would be concerned about an autoimmune disorder or a severe body-wide infection.

That looks like a bad bite and needs to be seen by a vet right away. Cats that go outside are more likely to get into fights with other cats, and these wounds can easily become infected. Your vet can clean and drain the wound, and provide antibiotics, pain meds and other treatments as needed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Levi. Yes, I recommend that you seek veterinary care for him. Fight wounds can easily result in abscess formation if left untreated. He will need to the wounds cleaned and evaluated to determine if antibiotics alone will be sufficient or if he would need surgery. I hope this information helps!

Cat bites often get infected and cause an abscess. I would leave it alone and check for swelling ever so often. If a swelling occurs, you need to take your cat to a veterinarian for an exam, evacuation and flushing of the abscess and some antibiotics. If not swelling occurs, it will likely just heal by itself.

These sound like wounds from being in a bad fight with another cat. It’s best to have these treated by your veterinarian if you can. In the meantime clean each wound with hydrogen peroxide and then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on them. I’m concerned about the ones around his anus. There may be a tear in the rectum that may be very serious and need a veterinary exam to determine if the feces are coming out the wound. If so this could cause more infection and may need to be stitched closed. Antibiotics will help these wounds heal more quickly also. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Moldy.