My unspayed cat has red scratch marks. What could be the cause?

Hello. Although it is not usually noticeable, you do indicate that Oreo has not been spayed. I would suspect then she is in heat. If you could post a picture, that might help, but if she seems to be comfortable, not licking or excessively grooming the area, & you are not seeing any discharge, then just watch the area. If the redness does not go down in a week, do have your veterinarian take a look. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

First of all i do not know if she is spayed, if she isn't it could be a first sign of mammary gland tumor and it needs to be checked by a vet. if she is spayed it's probably a skin issue, either an allergy, bacterial or fungal infection.

She may be licking excessively which could be contributing to the inflammation. Cats have rough tongues which can traumatize the skin leading to infection. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking and have her rechecked by your veterinarian. She may need antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory medications to resolve the issue.

If the male and the female were fighting with each other, especially if he was trying to have sex with her (she won't want that because she's spayed and has no desire for it), it is possible that he could have bitten her in the forehead. I would separate them for now, and if your older male isn't neutered, I would have him neutered to stop this behavior. As for Fred jr, keep her in her own room with her own litter box, food, and water so her wounds can heal. Gently clean them with warm water and antiseptic soap. Do not put any topical antibiotic ointment on them. Although quite safe on superficial wounds, cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. Keep an eye on the wounds, and if they become red, swollen, warm to the touch, or there's pus, the wounds are infected. I would then have her seen by a vet as she will need antibiotics to treat the infection. I would keep her in the room by herself until her wounds are completely healed.

Hello. I am so sorry for Minkah's run-in with the other cat. You are right on target watching for any redness, swelling or discharge from the scratches that might indicate some infection. You might just lightly dab the scratches with a little peroxide just to keep things clean. It is very unlikely that you have to worry about anything significant, especially rabies, since this was just a scratch & the other cat is primarily an indoor cat. So, if the scratches begin to look worrisome, or Minkah acts painful or uncomfortable ( which is pretty unlikely ), do contact your veterinarian for further treatment. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It think is a bug is pretty unlikely. I can't think of any that are that aggressive! It could be from her scratching herself. If she is not on a good-quality flea prevention, that may be the solution. Fleas are a common problem, even for indoor-exclusive kitties. Other causes of itching include allergies, infection, mites, etc. If you see Sugar itching, it may be best to having her examined by a vet.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately it is very hard to see exactly what is going on with the pictures you have posted. It does however look like there are little blood clots present, which suggests small little wounds or scratches present underneath. Possible causes of scratches/wounds on the skin would be fleas, fights with other cats/animals, mange and self-trauma scratching, tick bite craters, etc. I recommend you give her a bath and get it all cleaned up, and see if more are appearing or if they are healing up after a few days. They don't look infected so medications for the wounds themselves are likely not required. I would treat for fleas/mange if you are not already. Best of luck with Freckie!