My cat, Frisk - Unexplained wound in shoulder

This is Frisk, my black-colored housecat. I joined this forum to blog about Frisk's health and whereabouts and ask for advice regarding her occasional sniffles.

Frisk is a lone house-cat who has never been outside other than two incidents last year and a couple months ago where she escaped and ran away, only to return a couple days later. Her fur is usually shiny and healthy and she has emerald colored eyes. She recently got this light blue christmas tree as a present that she frequently plays with.

When I found a disembodied patch of fur on the ground I went to pick it up and it had some crust/dried blood on it that shined a bright red rather than the usual, maroon/brown-ish color of crust. I thought nothing of it at the time but I was petting Frisk on my lap just now when I saw an open wound in her shoulder. I brushed some of the fur away and took a picture. I needed to take it with a flash due to the poor lighting in my room, but it shines a bright red and glistens, like it's a very fresh injury. Yet the patch of fur was something I found a little while ago. Here are the pictures.

  
Since Frisk lives alone there's no way she could've been hurt by another animal. The only things I can think of is that she itched herself too hard or that she accidentally, somehow kicked herself while pulling herself around the middle scratching post of her cat-tree when she was playing with it. Is there anything I can do to treat Frisk's wound? If so, what and what should I watch out for? I'm afraid of this wound getting infected.

I agree, somehow she caught the hair and pulled a piece of hide right off. My cats have had many wounds like that, but theirs was from a fight. Go to the pet section of any store, a farm supply is the best, like Tractor Supply or Orschelns, and there should be a antimicrobial spray such as Vetericyn. Spray the area several times a day. If she won't let you and is afraid of the sound of spraying, spray a very small amount into a plastic med cup or other small container and pour it on. Cat's wounds usually heal very well by themselves, just keep an eye on it for signs of infection, swelling and  colored discharge.  Look around and see if there is any blood or hair caught anywhere, somehow she managed to find a bad spot to be in. Feel around the cat tree for any screws or nails protruding, she might have uncovered one in her play. Keep us posted!

Hey, here's an update on my Kitty-Cat, Frisk. Her wound has healed up without problems and she has been quite happy for the recent year. She plays, meows, and is even allowed outside to play and interact with other cats in our neighborhood. It sometimes ends up fights, but Frisk craves these fights to defend her home and our backyard.



Today Frisk has been acting strange though. She has been lazy all day which isn't anything new, but when I approached her to pet her for a while she was purring rather loudly with her mouth slightly open. I'm not used to her purring so loudly or having her mouth open while doing so. She is breathing deeply. I was able to pet her normally and even rub her tummy from the left side, though she didn't let me pet the right side and just kept laying down, curled up and purring loudly. She is neutered, so it's not possible for her to have kittens and I don't see any wounds on her. She was wearing a collar, but I took it off to give her some more air. Her purr is high-pitched and trilling. She almost sounds like a pidgeon. I once picked her up to check over her and she exhaled loudly.

I fear she might be in pain. Should I keep observing her behavior or should I bring her to a vet as soon as I can?