My apartment was broken into on Wednesday night, and aside from my electronics getting stolen, one of my cats escaped. He's an indoor-only cat and has never been outdoors. The weather has been cold and rainy, so I've been freaking out quite a bit. But last night, the police were in the complex on a call for another break-in, and found him hiding in a bush by the building they were investigating.
I brought him back inside. He smelled terrible, and was VERY hungry. I washed him off a bit as best as I good in my bathtub, and the smell is pretty much gone. Wheezy's brother, Mr. Jigglesworth, keeps hissing at him though, I assume it's because of the smell?
Anyway, my main concern is that Wheezy was limping on his front right leg. It doesn't seem to be broken or sprained; he doesn't cry or anything when I touch his leg. Also, he was able to jump up to my bathroom counter just fine. He just doesn't want to put any pressure on the particular paw in question. The problem seems to be the bottom of his paw/pad. It looks a little rough, like it was scraped on concrete or something. It's not oozing or anything, but I feel like I should clean it up somehow.
How should I go about doing this? Is it safe to use antibacterial soap? I have medicated shampoo that I use for my dog (that is also cat-safe), but I'm concerned about it getting infected. Also, is it safe to use Polysporin?
Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm so thankful he was returned to me in one piece.
And here's my precious catpile, from a few months ago. That's Wheezy on the left, and Mr. Jigglesworth on the right.
I brought him back inside. He smelled terrible, and was VERY hungry. I washed him off a bit as best as I good in my bathtub, and the smell is pretty much gone. Wheezy's brother, Mr. Jigglesworth, keeps hissing at him though, I assume it's because of the smell?
Anyway, my main concern is that Wheezy was limping on his front right leg. It doesn't seem to be broken or sprained; he doesn't cry or anything when I touch his leg. Also, he was able to jump up to my bathroom counter just fine. He just doesn't want to put any pressure on the particular paw in question. The problem seems to be the bottom of his paw/pad. It looks a little rough, like it was scraped on concrete or something. It's not oozing or anything, but I feel like I should clean it up somehow.
How should I go about doing this? Is it safe to use antibacterial soap? I have medicated shampoo that I use for my dog (that is also cat-safe), but I'm concerned about it getting infected. Also, is it safe to use Polysporin?
Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm so thankful he was returned to me in one piece.
And here's my precious catpile, from a few months ago. That's Wheezy on the left, and Mr. Jigglesworth on the right.
