Young Cat With An Open Wound

rohg59 · May 15, 2017

A few months (8 or so) ago me and my fiancee moved into our new place and found a family of ferals (mom and 3 kittens) that we have since invited into our home and acclimated to us.

We live out in the middle of nowhere, and it's 3+ hours to the nearest vet, and about an hour ago one of the young cats (~10 months old) came into the house with a pretty nasty 3-inch gash wound near the base of his tail/his rear and rear leg - fairly deep and blood visibly still not coagulated. He then proceeded to sprint and hide under our couch after my attempt to more closely examine it. He is definatly the most skittish of the kittens, and is the only one we have a hard time approaching, so we will likely only have one go at first aid with him. Unfortunately, bringing him to the vet again (we brought them all together once when we first moved in to get their shots) isn't really an option with our remote location and rescources.

My question to you all is using the basic tools/grocery store items available, how should I go about treating him when I coax him out of his hiding spot? We have never owned cats before so our experience on the topic is pretty light, but I certainly want to make sure the wound doesn't get infected, and want to prevent long-term issues the best that I can for the little guy.

Sarthur2 · May 15, 2017

R rohg59

You can try coaxing him out with tuna or tuna water, or whatever will tempt him. Cat treats?

I think you should move the couch and throw a towel over him to contain him, then get him into a carrier so you can assess and treat the wound.

He needs to be contained in the carrier or in a bathroom for several days while the wound heals. If you let him outside it may get infected.

If the wound is deep - as much as you dread going 3 hours - you may need to if he needs stitches and antibiotics. He may also need pain medication.

Does the wound appear to be from an animal grabbing from behind with teeth or claws? If so, he will definitely need antibiotics.

Are the cat and kittens fixed?

Please keep us posted on the kitten!

di and bob · May 15, 2017

All need to be neutered and spayed, my wounds dropped 99% when this was all done. There is most likely a tom trying to run him off if he isn't fixed. You need an antibiotic wound spray specifically for cats since they lick everything applied. Keep some on hand in the fridge.No dressings, they will just rip them off. If you can wipe it with a mild soap and water or half peroxide with half water, taht would help. Research it on the internet to see what is safe. I keep an over the counter antibiotic for infections in the fridge, (powder that is mixed with water)I get it from my vet and give it in tuna juice. Cats are very tough and he should be fine, but if he gets lethargic or infected, you will need a vet. Good luck!