Cut/sore on my cat’s head?!

[tigermummy]

last night I noticed some blood on my cats head but couldn’t find the reason. This morning I can see there is a horrible sore/cut on his head! It looks really red! He is an indoor cat so can’t think how he could have scratched it like this. I called the vet hotline and am taking him in tomorrow (they said it wasn’t an emergency) but I am freaking out! Has anyone had anything similar to this? He seems happy enough, not in paid or anything, eating and drinking fine, but I can’t stop looking at the horrible wound!! Poor him

[fjm]

It looks as if it could be a small abscess that has burst - unpleasant but not dangerous, although it may need antibiotics to heal it up. Pippin had a whole string of them one year when he kept getting into squabbles with a neighbouring cat, some really big and nasty, but they all healed quickly once they had burst. You could try bathing it with tepid boiled water with a pinch of salt in it, but it may be best to leave it alone until the vet has seen it.

[Lilith]

Hi and welcome

As Fjm says, it does look like the result of an abscess; does he have a housemate who might have whopped him one - even in play they can bash each other.

However, some years back I had an old lad who nobody would hit. He too was a housecat. And he got an abscess. 'Oh,' they said at the vet's, 'he's been in a fight.' I swore he hadn't; he didn't roam etc. I can only conclude he scratted himself with a dirty toenail ... cats.

And they always do it at the weekend, don't they?

Again as Fjm says, the salt water is a brilliant home remedy.

Let us know how he goes on

[tigermummy]

Thanks guys, I took him to the vets this morning and it was a really deep cut! They said he must have caught himself on a screw or something sticking out somewhere. They are putting him in general anaesthetic and giving him stitches
Going to pick him up later this evening. Also need to go home and try to find this evil sharp object!!

[Lilith]

Oh poor chap!

No matter how safe we try to keep them, they manage to find something, don't they? Many commiserations and hope you manage to discover what it was ... silly boy, hope he's learned his lesson!

Cats can be so daft at times ...

[tigermummy]

Thanks for your lovely replies! It makes the whole ordeal much less frightening! Update, I have picked him up from vets and he’s now home recovering, a bit dopey and cross and with a big bald patch, but he’s ok. I looked under the bed for any sharp objects, I assumed that’s where it would be as he loves to hide under there, but nothing! Any idea what else he might have got caught on? I’d feel a lot better if I knew I could stop it from happening again!!!

[milesdavid]

Is there any possibility that he got into a fight with other cat?

[fjm]

Under the bed does seem a likely spot, or perhaps under a chair or other piece of furniture - a spring or screw or nail could do it, but be careful and don't cut yourself feeling for it! With luck he felt it enough when it cut him for him to avoid the spot in future, but you never know with cats...

[tigermummy]

It’s unlikely he got into a fight with another cat, as he doesn’t go out! Unless he somehow met the cat in the downstairs flat when he occasionally darts down the main stairs, but I doubt it, especially without me seeing.
The only thing I can think of is that he does sometimes get in the dishwasher, and I on occasion have v nearly got my own fingers with the salad slicer when it’s in the dishwasher (as it’s v small and hard to see!). So he might have just jumped in and out without me noticing and caught himself on that. Ouch!!! Must never leave the dishwasher open again. The vet did say it was a very clean cut so that would make sense then something more jagged. That’s the only thing I can think of!! Don’t think I can ever have a salad again!!

[Lilith]

Don't they manage to get themselves into some situations?

I used to breed Siamese and one day two kittens vanished. I knew they couldn't have got out and they were very very young ... I was at my wits' end! And ... they were ... in the back of the fridge

You know the oval vent at the back right at the bottom where the warm air discharges from the motor.

Cosy in there, they said, curled up. Woke us.

And a time I took another litter out into the (secure) garden one warm afternoon. Grass, foliage, sun ...

They all climbed into the drain trap to play, little guttersnipes ...

Cats!

Hope the lad is on the road to recovery now, all the best

[TailLove]

Hmmm.... is this a good time to mention that old adage , "curiosity killed the cat."

Cats love investigating places we would never even touch (my cats love to climb up into the ceiling of the basement ) and while they are normally so good and twisting and turning out of it, there could be any number of sharp things like nails, screws, or sharp edges that could cause a deep cut if your kitty cat was exploring and maybe became stunned and freaked out and leapt away to get an injury.

As long as he has a desire to eat and drink, and doesn't show you aggression when you try to approach the wound, your kitties magic healing powers are most likely going to take care of the issue! I would just monitor the kitty to make sure they aren't aggravating the wound as it heals.

All the best!