How to Treat Abscesses on Your Cat

Abscesses are infections under the skin and occur most often in cats that go outdoors and get into fights with other cats. Cats are prone to abscesses because their skin heals quickly and can trap bacteria from puncture wounds under the skin where it continues to grow and produce infection. Abscesses can open and drain, but can be diagnosed and treated before they reach that stage.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Examine your cat regularly. Look for any new swelling or surface wounds that might be concealed under the fur. Abscesses occur most frequently on the face, neck, forelegs and hindquarters. An abscess feels like a soft swelling rather than a hard knot because there is fluid trapped under the skin.

2. Start the cat on an antibiotic. This will require prescription by a veterinarian who will probably want to examine the cat before prescribing medicine. Abscesses are bacterial infections that can spread rapidly, and almost always require an oral antibiotic to cure.

3. Apply a warm compress to an open draining abscess several times a day. Do this using a washcloth soaked in very warm water and squeezed out.

4. Prevent future abscesses by limiting your cat's outdoor activity. Keep your cat indoors at night, when other cats are most likely to be prowling.

Tips & Warnings

• Grooming your cat regularly is a good way to familiarize yourself with his body and will help you detect abscesses more quickly. Many cats do like to be brushed or combed.
• Use a towel to wrap a cat that is likely to bite a scratch while you are treating a wound or applying a warm compress.

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