Kitty Abscesses?

Hello,

Both of may cats have developed abscesses in the last month. (We just moved) The first kitty's was on her back and popped and healed well but the other now has one on his face. It popped and drained today but there are 2 holes on the side of his face. I tried to clean it but is there something I should do specifically for an abscess? I would like to try and avoid a costly vet bill. Will he need antibiotics?? Any ideas on what could cause 2 indoor cats to develop abscesses for the first time within a few weeks of each other?  Both look very similar and drained blood/purulent drainage. My poor kitty has not the best temperament and cleaning it is just torture for him. I did look in his mouth, teeth look ok as far as I can tell.

Thanks for any advice in advance!

Abcesses are caused by cat bites.

Are they strictly indoors without access to outside or other cats?

Are they fixed?

Do they fight with each other?

Abcesses will usually swell up and fill with fluid, which is when they are the most painful, then burst and drain fluid and blood, as long as the drain hole stays open so the fluid can drain out, they will heal fine.

It's a good idea to use warm compresses a few times a day to keep it from scabbing over.

catwoman707 said:

Abcesses are caused by cat bites.
Are they strictly indoors without access to outside or other cats?
Are they fixed?

Do they fight with each other?

Abcesses will usually swell up and fill with fluid, which is when they are the most painful, then burst and drain fluid and blood, as long as the drain hole stays open so the fluid can drain out, they will heal fine.

It's a good idea to use warm compresses a few times a day to keep it from scabbing over.

Click to expand...

They both are fixed and tend to leave each other alone. I used to let them outside but haven't since we moved. They both got abscesses after the move??

Are you sure they have had no contact with other cats since you moved?

Yup I'm sure. I've let them out since the abscesses but they both were away from all other cats when they got them. I think we have mice in the basement, can you get them from a mouse?

Hmmm....now that I have no answer for, hopefully someone with some knowledge on this will come around soon.

One of my indoor cats once had an abscess on her back - it was causing her discomfort so I took her to the vet. He insisted that it was caused by a bite or scratch that had become infected. My cats were never fighting cats. It could have been caused by being caught by a claw but I was not convinced. She often developed skin problems: little spots which appeared around her ears and, in the worst case, would spread towards her tail. Of course, as the vet couldn't`t be bothered to look at her skin, he dismissed my theory that this abscess was one of these spots that had become infected. He was annoyed anyway because the abscess had burst on the way to the vets so he had to simply clean up the wound whereas he would have preferred to operate! I wonder why?

Later I found that these spots could be avoided by feeding cat food for sensitive cats. So although I got rid of the tiresome allergy, my poor kitty eventually suffered kidney failure and had to be euthanized. I still blame myself for not feeding a more balanced diet though the vet (another one, not the money-grabber) is still telling me it wasn't my fault.

 I think we have mice in the basement, can you get them from a mouse?

Click to expand...

I don't know where you live, but cat pox is an infectious disease (I don't think it's found in USA). It is caused by bites from infected rodents or foxes. Here in Germany the cat protection group, which I support, is looking after a group of feral kittens, 2 of which are suspected of having this illness. The bad news; it produces abscesses and can be transmitted to humans. The good news: unless the cats have a weak immune system it will clear up on its own. Medication to strengthen the immune system and antibiotics may be prescribed.

Anyway, I hope your kitties are just suffering from the stress of moving home and will recover quickly. As a child I developed abscesses on my legs after moving house. I was told it was the water!!!! I now believe I was allergic to the dreadful rubber boots I was continuously made to wear because of the bad London weather .