
Here’s a few signs your cat is suffering from an abscess: It’s times like this we wish our feline friends could talk and simply tell us what’s wrong and where it hurts.įortunately your cat has their own language-and they’ll tell you they have an abscess in their own way. Plus, since cats heal so quickly, you may never see a puncture wound in the first place. How to Recognize an AbscessĪn abscess can be hard to see in all that fur. 2 So if you see an abscess, or suspect your cat may have developed one, it’s important to notify your veterinarian right away. The infection can become internal instead of skin-deep and spread to other parts of the body, including organs. If left to run its course, cat abscesses can be dangerous. The abscess may eventually open on its own and release infected pus, which can make the cat’s wound more infectious. Eventually the infection under the skin fills with pus and puts pressure on the skin above it. The mouths and claws of wild cats and other neighborhood animals contain colonies of bacteria that are transferred by bite.īecause cats tend to recover quickly, the new skin traps that bacteria in and heals over it. 1 Why Do Abscesses Form?Īn abscess forms when bacteria gets into your cat’s wound. That said, your cat can also be injured by inanimate objects like sticks, fence posts, and thorns. That means run-ins with possums, raccoons, wild cats, and other animals, depending on where you live. Even if they’re spayed or neutered, they will try to fight for the area around their home as best they can. Cats are naturally territorial creatures, and they try to continually expand the boundaries of their territory. With cats, the most common cause of an abscess is the result of a backyard fight. This can occur inside or outside the body. What is a Cat Abscess, and How Do They Occur?Īn abscess is categorized as a pocket of skin filled with pus, usually as a reaction to an injury.

Read on to learn more about what causes an abscess, and what you can do if you suspect your cat has developed one.

And with scratches, scrapes, and cuts comes the possibility of infection-which can manifest as an abscess. If you have a cat that ventures outdoors (or even an adventurous indoor kitty), it’s likely they’ll experience some scratches in their lifetime. They can jump several feet in the air to catch birds and bugs, run at incredible speeds to chase critters through the yard, and land on their feet no matter how high the fall.īut despite seeming invincible, our kitties are susceptible to the occasional illness. Cats are fearsome little creatures in their own right.
