New cat lover

Hello everyone!! I've been an animal lover my entire life, and I've had several doggie babies through the years. About 2 years ago, a little gray  cat began hanging around my house. I gave him some scraps and tuna,at first. I even named "her" Chloe, One day I was out in the garden with the kitty and, to my surprise, I discovered that Chloe was a Cleo!! I started buying the fancy cat food and even put a litter box on the patio for him. As he matured and the female strays in the neighborhood were in heat, Cleo began disappearing for days at a time. He would always return and I would notice some scrapes and cuts on him. Finally, I made the commitment to bring him inside the house and get him neutered and all his kitty shots. He's now a content house cat. Two weeks ago, Cleo went on an adventure in the neighborhood. He must have gotten in a fight with a dog or opossum?? I saw a cut on his face and his eye lid. I took him to the vet and was given an antibiotic and some eye drops. Cleo seemed to be recovering until this past Monday. He started to limp on his left front leg. I took him to the vet this morning and it turns out he has an abscess on his leg. I was so afraid that he was really sick but the vet says he should be feeling better in a few days. I was in tears when I saw him  this morning and he could barely walk. Has anybody had an experience with a cat with an abscess?  Any replies will be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!

Hi, welcome to TCS!  Cleo looks so cute and comfy in your avatar pic.  I am glad he is on the road to recovery after his adventure.  I do have experience with cats who have abscesses.  The cats from my original crew, who have now all crossed the Bridge, weren't always on good political terms with each other.  My Redman once sustained a horrible abscess with green drainage...the result of a fight with Fuzzy.  It looked awful, smelled worse, but did clear after antibiotics.  I hope Cleo continues to get better; don't hesitate to call the vet if you have any concerns.

Thanks for the reply I really appreciate you letting me know that it's not as big of a deal I thought. It isn't draining and I don't see where the bite is....it's just swollen. Do you think it would  help if I put a heating pad on it? The doctor prescribed buprenex for the pain. I looked it up online and found out that it's a synthetic opiate 30x more powerful than morphine. That explains his weird behavior LOL

Welcome, new cat lover! I am even a more recent cat convert than you. I hope Cleo is feeling better. See you around!