My unneutered cat is losing fur, fighting, and has eye discharge. Is he sick?

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.

Hello, sorry to hear about your kittens. It is difficult to evaluate from the photos if those are fighting scars/scabs and hair loss, or areas of hair loss from another unrelated cause. Other things that may cause this hair loss and scabs may be something that is making them itchy. Common things in indoor cats include allergies and infections with parasites, bacteria, or ringworm. If these areas do not improve then have her evaluated by her veterinarian soon to make sure that this is not associated with some form of infection or allergies. It this is indeed associated with fights the read the following information and monitor the areas for any swelling, pain, discharge, loss of appetite, vomiting, and lethargy and have them evaluated by their veterinarian if you note any. Its rare that cats whom have been roommates for an long period of time develop inter-cat aggression. Factors that could contribute to this rare occurrence include moving to a new place, obtaining new furniture, a new pet, or even changing the fragrance of either cat. Other causes include if one of your cats was at a different location (for example the vets or groomers) then came home with a different smell. Most of the time, the aggression between cats is evident and constant. If you are not seeing any aggression or even hissing between them, and you did not witness a fight, then its likely that those areas are not from fighting. Hope this helps and best of luck.

The cat pulling out fur could have fleas, allergies, skin infection, mites, etc. He should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and best treatment. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, or other medications. Your other cat may have an upper respiratory infection and/or eye infection. She should also be seen by a vet for treatment as she may need an antibiotic and eye drops. Please have your vet take a look at both of them so treatment can be started.

Almost 100% of the time this is from the bite of another cat. Since this has been going on for weeks you need to get him to he vet. It’s swollen from infection and he will need (at the very least() antibiotics to clear this up. As a side note, if he’s not neutered and goes outdoors he is much more likely to fight (and make babies). You should really consider neutering him. They also get serious viruses like FeLV and FIV from bites of infected cats. ( https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/cat-spay-neuter.html )

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!

How lovely of you to bring him Cactus! Even though he's not showing behavioral signs now, it doesn't mean that he won't start spraying to mark his territory and want to go outside to roam. Also intact male cats tend to be poor groomers, causing them to become matted and scruffy-looking. On the other hand, neutered male cats tend to pay more attention to themselves and keep themselves clean. I think having him neutered would be a good idea. Best of luck.

That is unusual behavior so he may be irritable from being in pain. Outdoor unneutered male cats often fight and he may have an injury you can’t see which is painful. I recommend confining him to another room until he calms down so no one else gets injured, and see if he is eating normally. If this behavior continues please take him in for an exam to check for a wound or area of pain. In addition I would consider neutering him also. Neutered male cats seldom fight, they are more docile and less aggressive. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Timmy.