sore/cut on leg still swelled

Hi, this is my first post.
i have a problem with my cat.
my cat is only a little over a year old.
a week ago yesturday i noticed he had a cut on his front left paw, just up past the claws where the leg bends. the cut was only about 1/2 a cm so it wasnt that big. my dad said it was likely from fighting with another cat in the area, but i dont know for sure. my dad didnt want to take him to the vet because the cat hasnt had his needles up to date this year and he didnt want to have to pay for them now.
i called the vet to get some advice from them. the cat at the time was licking the sore, but the vet told me it would not be harmful to him. i was able to put some salve on the cut, but he would just lick most of it off. i was told to keep an eye on the cut and to keep him inside while it heals so that it didnt get infected. i was in and out through the weekend and i know there were a few times where he did get outside, but he has not been outside since monday.
the cut has since closed up over the last 3 days, but the area is still a little swelled up. its hard to tell exactly how much its swelled up because he wont let me touch the area. if i try to touch it he claws or bites, im assuming because its still painful.
i called the vet today to ask if this swelling was normal, but they said it is not really normal. they dont have any available appointments until into the week because this is a long weekend in Canada. my dad still said he doesnt really want to take him to the vet and have to pay for multiple needles, but i told my dad i would be willing to pay with money i have saved up but that wont be an option until tuesday at the earliest.
some of the questions i have..
is this swelling normal after a cut has closed up?
will this swelling likely go down on its own?
if he did go to the vet would he have to have his needles up to date before they would give him any type of antibiotics if thats what he needs?
is that likely what he needs, antibiotics for the swelling?

any other information needed just ask.
any help is appreciated.

The cut may have closed up before the underneath had a chance to heal. That is very common with cats. The swelling may not go down by itself and I would take the cat to the Vet.

The reason the Vet wants your cat to be up to date on his vaccinations is so that he doesn't infect any other cats in the Vet's care (this is very typical of a Vet's office and totally understandable).

The vaccinations take a toll on the cat's immune system at the time that they are injected....which in this case, would compromise the healing of the wound. If you can convince the Vet to give antibiotics without the vaccinations at this time..that would be great. Perhaps you could prepay for the vaccinations...then bring the cat back once the wound has healed and then have the Vet give the vaccinations. Vaccinations are certainly recommended for an outdoor cat.

I would say that if the cat is biting and clawing you when you try to feel the sore spot....then he is suffering and in pain. Cats can put up with alot of pain before they show it....so that tells you what he must be feeling.

Good luck and I hope your kitty feels better soon!

Unfortunately, when cats get an open cut/bite, the wound closes up quickly on the outside trapping all the bacteria inside which then wreaks havoc. The wound will need to be lacerated by a vet and kept open in order to heal from the inside out.

Recently Bijou got bitten (we think) on his back which turned into a large abscess. The vet had to anaesthesize him to open and drain the abscess, then insert a tube stitched at both sides for about 1 week to allow the wound to drain and heal. We then took him back to have the tube removed.

I think it is highly likely your cat has an abscess on his leg and needs medical attention. The abscess can, and likely will, get larger and can cause serious other problems if the poisons start going through the bloodstream.

Please don't wait - get him to your local vet today before they close for the long weekend or find a vet that is open tomorrow. Most vets in our area have Saturday hours and we live in a small town. Insist that they see your cat now - don't let them make you wait until next week please.

Please get your cat to the vet ASAP.

My cat was recently pts because she had an abscess that got into her blood stream. I didn't have any of the warning signs you have had with the biting/scratching when you touched the area- hers was in an odd spot.

Please let us know how it goes.

Good luck.

i would like to thank those for their help.
i ended up having to take the cat to vet anyway.
when i made the first post it was sometime Friday morning. by late afternoon my cat somehow had gotten the cut reopened. it was then leaking a liquid with blood and something clear. i called the vet and they said it was good that it was open and it would be good to bring him in. my dad then ended up taking the cat into the vet that night around 6pm to get looked at. he didnt get any vaccinations. he got a shot of antibiotics which is good for 2 weeks. he got a a syringe with a little bit of liquid that was a pain killer (its given into the mouth). we also got 2 more syringes to bring home. he had another one Saturday night, and the last one Sunday night. the vet shaved a small area by the cut as much as she could, but did not wrap it. she said it would be better to leave it open, but to try and not let the cat lick it too often. they also said to continue to keep him inside until it has healed. the cat has been good through the weekend and hopefully he will be all better soon.
thanks again for all the help.

I'm so glad to hear your kitty is on the mend. Keep us posted on his progress.

Yes, the blood and puss was a sign of the infection. I'm guessing you suspected this yourself. Good of you to notice.