Stormy's got an owie

A couple of days ago I was petting Storm and noticed she had a lump on her back. I checked it and of course it's an abscess that hasn't opened yet. I knew she wouldn't handle being around strangers much because she is the feral that will only let me near her.... normally .... so I couldn't get her to the vet. She's been pretty lovey dovey with hubby today though. I think she's trying to get him to open the door for her. :D
Course of action is keeping the cuts/bites open enough to start draining the abscess; polysporin after cleaning; and Clavaseptin 50mg twice a day for ten days.
I have a large dog crate set up in my porch for her which she hates. She is so used to coming and going whenever she wants to. She's been in it since yesterday morning. I am keeping her there to make double sure she doesn't have rabies. Not positive if the bite I see is from the grey cat that has been hanging around or a raccoon. The top sore is more of a scratch. The bottom one looks like a puncture wound. Any thoughts?
Just thought I'd post a couple of pics of her ouchie. She wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get a good shot of course. :frustrated:The third one is her looking suspiciously at the camera.

Poor Stormy....pretty stormy.
Owwie's are no fun...our Jack got his ear sliced by Gunnar the other night and had to go to get it stitched back up..had to be put under...you feel so bad for them when they are in pain!

Nope. No fun at all. Poor Jack!!!! Hope he heals fast!! :fingerscr:goodvibes:

What about warm, soft cloths to the area to help draw it out?
She is beautiful .... :lovestruck:

What about warm, soft cloths to the area to help draw it out?
She is beautiful .... :lovestruck:

:o Oops, missed that. That is how I am keeping the bites open. When I pill her I am putting a wet warm washcloth on her for about five minutes. :thumbs up

14+ I'm sorry she has been hurt. I hope it isn't rabies. :( Hope she gets better soon. Poor kitty.

Oh, owie!!! :(

I'm thinking that if it had been a raccoon, she'd be in much worse shape, 14+--coons are big, strong, and can be pretty nasty. They've taken out dogs around here much bigger than Stormy!

I hope the abcess bursts and heals up soon! :goodvibes: She's so lucky to have you!

14+ I'm sorry she has been hurt. I hope it isn't rabies. :( Hope she gets better soon. Poor kitty.

TQ, I am almost positive it is not rabies. We haven't had any around for quite some time. I'm just playing it safe.

Oh, owie!!! :(

I'm thinking that if it had been a raccoon, she'd be in much worse shape, 14+--coons are big, strong, and can be pretty nasty. They've taken out dogs around here much bigger than Stormy!

I hope the abcess bursts and heals up soon! :goodvibes: She's so lucky to have you!

I am thinking the same hazel. But I know there has been a raccoon hanging around because the pail I keep food in for strays in the greenhouse keeps getting tipped and the lid has been worked at trying to get it off. Cats don't do that with other food available. I guess I'm channeling madame hazel and her ummmm ... idiosyncrasies? :D Just want to be safe. Hubby is even thinking about building her her own enclosure. :D

We've got raccoons up the wazoo here, but we rarely see them. Chances are you gots more than jus' one, ma'am. :D

I came home from a meeting one evening at about sunset, just happened to look over at the feeders and there were 4 kits hanging off one of them! :eek: Cute as the dickens, but thank dawg we had a sturdy enough feeder and pole system to support the weight of several pounds of raccoon! :laughing:

We've got raccoons up the wazoo here, but we rarely see them. Chances are you gots more than jus' one, ma'am. :D

I came home from a meeting one evening at about sunset, just happened to look over at the feeders and there were 4 kits hanging off one of them! :eek: Cute as the dickens, but thank dawg we had a sturdy enough feeder and pole system to support the weight of several pounds of raccoon! :laughing:

Yeah. We've trapped a few lately. I need to find a way to feed kitties and not feed them but that is almost impossible!! The joys of living close to a bush. Hubby says we need to put a camera out there to see what is coming in. Not a bad idea at all.

:goodvibes: speedy healing Stormy :goodvibes:

14+ have you had any luck with a poultice on a cat? I can give you some herbal recipes if you like. There are also more traditional mixes like epsom salts and betadine. I used them with my last grrrl who had ongoing issues with her skin at the base of her tail. Tricky to keep the gear on but worked a charm.

14+ have you had any luck with a poultice on a cat? I can give you some herbal recipes if you like. There are also more traditional mixes like epsom salts and betadine. I used them with my last grrrl who had ongoing issues with her skin at the base of her tail. Tricky to keep the gear on but worked a charm.

I'd appreciate that MX! I don't know how much luck I'd have with Stormy keeping anything on but with the rest of my gang there is always one or two that have something happening. :rolleyes: Stormy is usually an absolute angel with me but I know how far I can push her before she gets owly. I get a warning meow or two and if I ignore that I get a small nip for my troubles. Never enough to break skin though. :cloud9:
Thank you!!

I use gauze pads (or makeup remover pads if that's what I got in the cupboard!) topped with cling wrap and then bound with an elastic bandage. Give the wound a quick swipe with hydrogen peroxide before applying the poultice. If there's any chance of holding Stormy :o, a hot water bottle can be used to keep the area warm. Try to keep it in place for as long as Stormy will tolerate it but 1-2 hours at a time a few times a day until it's fully open and drained is best for all poultices.


1. In a small container add Epsom salts to hot water until no more salt will dissolve. Soak your gauze and apply to wound.

or

2. Use a gauze pad saturated with Betadine. Alternatively you can buy sponges pre-saturated with Animalintex. I haven't used these for awhile ~ you might have to go looking for Animalintex ~ I think I got mine from the Greenwood Racetrack. :laughing: ~ it's been awhile!

or

3. With herb poultices there's a little more work involved and it can get messy. If you are using dried herbs, I like a mortar and pestle but you can also "cheat" with a coffee bean grinder. With your powder or crunched up seeds in a bowl add just enough hot water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste in a 1/4 inch-ish layer on your gauze. If you are using fresh (I've never noticed a benefit of one over the other), you will need to cook your herbs first. (2 oz of herb to 1/2 cup water ratio for cooking) by simmering them on the stove for a few minutes then pour the mixture (herbs and all) over your gauze.

Herb mixtures:

1 part Lobelia to 1 part Slippery Elm to 1 part charcoal

1 part Flaxseed to 1 part Mullein to 1 part Goldenseal

I've never tried it but I know others who swear by finely chopped onions or boiled leeks (use a clean flannel between the doctored pad and the skin though) .

After the pus has drained a comfrey root (or leaves or powder) poultice is great for speedy healing.

Wonderful MX3! Thank you!! I will print these out and put with kitty meds. I'm sure it will be used a lot!! :thumbs up

You're most welcome 14+. I'd love to know end results if you do happen to try any of my :D hoo-doo.

ah poor stormy....hope it drains fast and heals up quick! :goodvibes:

Just out of curiosity :o, does an abcess like that ever heal without draining first? :o

In theory it could. If an animal's immune system is on-top-of-the-world, the infection fighters move in and the pus is moved away from the site by interstitial fluid, reabsorbing into the body but, generally the animal has the abscess because their immune system isn't able to fight the infection. Abscesses can be incredibly invasive, I've seen some craters where it's been better to lance them than to leave them.

I have no advice but just lots of :pray: :fingerscr :goodvibes: for Stormy and some :grouphug: for you.

How is he doing today? :fingerscr :goodvibes:

I have no advice but just lots of :pray: :fingerscr :goodvibes: for Stormy and some :grouphug: for you.

How is he doing today? :fingerscr :goodvibes:


Thanks rainbow. :grouphug: She is not a happy girl. I told hubby I was going to bring the crate into the kitchen. At least that way she could see the other kitties and not be on her own. :( She so hates being locked up. She is TT and Dayle's mommy. TT starts purring up a storm (no pun intended) when he sees her and starts bumping heads with her. :cloud9:
The abscess hasn't burst yet. It is getting redder so I am hoping soon. I put a warm cloth on it for quite a while this morning and will do it again when I get home from work tonight. The antibiotics she is on will hopefully be doing their work too. Haven't tried the poultice yet from MX3. I need to pick up a wrap. But I am using peroxide and polysporin on the wounds.

Oooops, sorry I called Stormy a "he" :o ....I had a friend with a cat named Stormy that was a male so hope your pretty girl isn't mad at me. :D

Are you keeping her isolated in the cage just in case it was a racoon that had rabies? I hope the abscess bursts soon so she'll be a bit more comfortable. :grouphug: :fingerscr

Could she have just gotten in a fight with one of the other kitties? I hope she's okay soon.

Aww little Stormy,I hope you can get it cleared up soon:pray:
She seemed to be a tough little girl,walking around the property like the Queen Bee:lovestruck:
Maybe a stray male tried to mount her and bit her on the back:confused:
I too believe a Raccoon would have done more damage,she is just a little girl-kitty,not very big at all.:pray:for Stormy

Oooops, sorry I called Stormy a "he" :o ....I had a friend with a cat named Stormy that was a male so hope your pretty girl isn't mad at me. :D

Are you keeping her isolated in the cage just in case it was a racoon that had rabies? I hope the abscess bursts soon so she'll be a bit more comfortable. :grouphug: :fingerscr

That's ok rainbow. I didn't tell her. :D I am keeping her there for that and to make sure I know where she is when it's time to clean her wounds and give her her pills. Most of the time she isn't far away but if she knew I was about to give her a pill she'd hide somewhere. She's a pretty smart gal.

Could she have just gotten in a fight with one of the other kitties? I hope she's okay soon.

There has been a grey cat hanging around lately. Probably he was the culprit. She does not back down from other cats which is why she would not make it in the catuary. She has to be boss.


Maybe a stray male tried to mount her and bit her on the back:confused:


I thought of that possibility too chico but the wound is only on one side. :shrug:

It still hasn't burst, 14+? Ouch! That's gotta hurt!!

Heal up soon, Stormy!! :goodvibes:

It still hasn't burst, 14+? Ouch! That's gotta hurt!!

Heal up soon, Stormy!! :goodvibes:

I think I found it fairly quickly hazel. They take a while to get to the point of bursting. If it hasn't by Monday I will be trying to figure out a way to get her to the vets. Possible a carrier and a strong harness may do it. :fingerscr I don't want it going too long.

Ember developed an abcess the last time he and Brier had a tiff--right on his shoulder. Luckily it was something I could drain just by softening up the scab and peeling it back. Still, as simple as it was, it made hazel woozy... :o

Once it bursts, what do you do to clean it out? Do you have to rinse it with something?

A good flush with saline solution. 14+, if you've never made your own, you can make a hydrolized solution with epsom salts in the same way I noted for the compress. You can also add diluted Betadine to it.

Hmmm... just a thought 14+. Instead of trying a hot water bottle what about putting one of those hand warmer thingies between the compress and whatever you are using to hold the compress in place?

Hmmm... just a thought 14+. Instead of trying a hot water bottle what about putting one of those hand warmer thingies between the compress and whatever you are using to hold the compress in place?

I wish! She is not cooperating with getting the wrap in place. It's on for a few minutes and she wriggles out of it. :rolleyes: I have a feeling she is going to the vets asap. The bottom wound is open and weeping. The top one keeps sealing over. That is where the worst swelling is. I'm off on Tues so will try to get her in then. :fingerscr

Sorry about Stormy 14+ :(

Poor Stormy .....I was hoping that the owies would have burst by now. :grouphug:

Well, Storm has a visit to the vets Wed afternoon. I think the infection is clearing up. The lump is now soft and squishy as opposed to hard and red. But I want to see if she can maybe help figure out when bit her and possibly lance the lump. :shrug: I found another puncture wound lower than the bottom one and closer to it. The area around the wounds is bruised. She gets pretty owly at me if I apply too much pressure. I have even thought maybe she startled a snake and it struck. :confused:
The antibiotics are helping for sure though. :thumbs up

Oh, poor Stormy :grouphug:. Sending lots of :goodvibes: for Wed's visit.

Thanks L4. She is getting pretty ticked with being in that crate all the time. :rolleyes: I do let her out to wander the porch when I know it's safe (no one coming) but then she gets put right back in the crate. Not a happy gal.

Aw, poor Stormy but I'm sure she knows that mommy is doing what's best for her. :grouphug:

I hope all goes well at the vet tomorrow. :fingerscr :goodvibes:

Me too:fingerscr:fingerscrhope there is no serious infection:pray:

Hope all went well for Stormy at the vet today. :fingerscr :goodvibes:

Stormy's abscess finally opened this morning. It got rid of a lot of the infection that was pocketed in it. I almost cancelled the appt with the vet but figured I would keep it and she could check out the wound and Storm could get her shots too. Good thing I did. The vet told me where the wound is it would never have drained properly. The infection could have gone into Storm's backbone literally paralyzing her. :eek:
I had shaved Stormy here because I wasn't sure how she was going to react at the vets. It made her job a little easier. She flushed out the wound and then did it again with anitibiotics added. She showed me how to do it so I can flush it for the next few days until the puss and crap is gone. Poor baby had a huge pocket of infection and lots of bruising. Whatever got her got her good. :( She is on a low dosage of Metacam (I know) for five days. Her antibiotics got extended for another ten days. After that I will be taking her back in for a checkup and her needles.
The good news in all of this......... hubby is building her an enclosure!!! I told him I didn't want to go through this again. It would be much cheaper to build her a safe place. Gotta love him!!!! :cloud9:

I'm so glad she's okay and you kept the appointment. Your hubby is the best. Will she have the enclosure all to herself?

Poor Stormy :( but , it can only get better thanks to your care :thumbs up

your hubby is such a softie :thumbs up

Aw, big hugs to the poor girl. :grouphug:

She will no doubt get better with your wonderful care. :angel:

And, tell your crusty marshmallow how much we all appreciate him. :D

Speedy recovery Stormy. :fingerscr :goodvibes:

Oh, ouch! (insert :wincing smiley: here)

Glad it opened up and got a good cleaning at the vet! I'm glad the picture isn't too clear, I think, though. :o

Get better soon, Stormy! And I hope you enjoy your new digs! :goodvibes:

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: for a speedy recovery, Stormy.
:lovestruck:Awwww, what a softy that DH is of yours


Did the vet give any indication of what caused the infection?

I am amazed Stormy lets you shave her,but I suppose she knows she's in good hands:cat:
She is a perfect example of what can happen out there to little cats,had she had nobody to care for her,she probably would have suffered greatly.
I am sure she'll love her new safe spot,maybe eventually joining the others.
:grouphug:to hubbie..

I'm so glad she's okay and you kept the appointment. Your hubby is the best. Will she have the enclosure all to herself?

Yep, it will be all hers. She does not like other kitties which is why she has not been put in the catuary already.

Oh, ouch! (insert :wincing smiley: here)

Glad it opened up and got a good cleaning at the vet! I'm glad the picture isn't too clear, I think, though. :o

Get better soon, Stormy! And I hope you enjoy your new digs! :goodvibes:

Ha!! :laughing::laughing: Wimp!! ;) She moved just as I snapped the picture.

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: for a speedy recovery, Stormy.
:lovestruck:Awwww, what a softy that DH is of yours
Did the vet give any indication of what caused the infection?

She was confused too. She said normally they could tell what got them because of the spacing of teeth marks but she wasn't sure with Storm.

I am amazed Stormy lets you shave her,but I suppose she knows she's in good hands:cat:
She is a perfect example of what can happen out there to little cats,had she had nobody to care for her,she probably would have suffered greatly.
I am sure she'll love her new safe spot,maybe eventually joining the others.
:grouphug:to hubbie..

:D You and me both chico! She jumped a little when I first started but we took it slow and got her shaved. I let the trimmer run for a minute first before I touched her with it.

Consider all of your hugs and crusty marshmallow and all delivered to hubby. He doesn't want to admit it but I don't think he likes what she is going through either. There are a few of the kitties he has gotten close to. :cloud9:

Ouch! Storm did not like my tender ministrations to her back today!! She went after my hand a few times. I finally got hubby to come into the bathroom and hold her in the bottom of her carrier so I could clean out the abscess. :yuck: I can feel where she is starting to scar underneath. That is not great but hopefully the area can be kept fairly small.
Good thing I have a strong stomach. :sick:

Oh 14+ I just saw this thread. How lucky for Stormy that you have taken such good care of her. And hubby building her her own house - what a good man you have. My crusty old guy is like that too, he crabs about the dogs, but then when you peek at him watching them play he has a big grin on his face... I sure hope Stormy heals up fast (do you wear gloves when you work with her? I wear very thin leather gloves working with the bees.) Hugs to you for helping her out - as usual. I'm another wimp, I didn't look at the pics.

Oh 14+ I just saw this thread. How lucky for Stormy that you have taken such good care of her. And hubby building her her own house - what a good man you have. My crusty old guy is like that too, he crabs about the dogs, but then when you peek at him watching them play he has a big grin on his face... I sure hope Stormy heals up fast (do you wear gloves when you work with her? I wear very thin leather gloves working with the bees.) Hugs to you for helping her out - as usual. I'm another wimp, I didn't look at the pics.

No gloves needed. I have never worn gloves with any of the kitties. :o My hands show it too. :rolleyes:
Storm will let me do just about anything with her. She is really drawing the line at my flushing the wounds. I have to put the syringe right in the biggest one to try to get the infection under her skin. I don't blame the poor sweetie if she gets owly. I would too. She isn't crazy about hubby so when he's close she just kind of shuts down. I was able to do more with his help today. :thumbs up
And you are right. He says he does it for me but I am sure it makes him feel good too. :cloud9:

That's quite the opening - possum maybe?, I wonder if she just got nabbed by one side of the animals canines not the full set of teeth :shrug:

Glad to hear she's getting her own enclosure & is healing fairly well - if she's putting up a stink you know she's on her way to better :cat:

Make sure you clean those bites/scratches on your arm really good :grouphug:

Oh, ouch all around! :eek:

Speedy healing to both of you! :goodvibes:

oh my holy ouch!!!!!!

:pray: for quick healing. You and ure hubby are just awesome beyond description 14+

Oh, ouch all around! :eek:

Speedy healing to both of you! :goodvibes:

I'm fine hazel. I said she went after my hands. Never said she actually got them. :thumbs up:D I can move quick for an old gal sometimes. :laughing:

oh my holy ouch!!!!!!

:pray: for quick healing. You and ure hubby are just awesome beyond description 14+


:o Thanks onster. Hubby is going to start measuring for her new home tomorrow. Hopefully she will be in it as soon as she heals. She had another small hole open yesterday. Poor sweetie. :(

Will she need to go back to the vet for another cleaning, 14+? Or will the flushing you're doing do the trick? :goodvibes:

Glad to hear you weren't wounded in the forays on your hands. :D You really must move quick and have the reflexes of a cat!!! Something the kitties have taught you? :cat:

Will she need to go back to the vet for another cleaning, 14+? Or will the flushing you're doing do the trick? :goodvibes:

If she heals ok then no, she won't need to go back. But I am taking her in for her shots anyway once she is healed. The vet didn't want to give them to her the other day when she was fighting the infection. She said they would counteract each other and may cause more issues. Good vet! :thumbs up
I am hoping the flushing will do it. I have to put a warm wet cloth over her wound for about 20 minutes in the morning so it softens up enough I can get the syringe into it to flush it properly. It's no wonder Storm doesn't like me much right now. :(


Glad to hear you weren't wounded in the forays on your hands. :D You really must move quick and have the reflexes of a cat!!! Something the kitties have taught you? :cat:

:laugh::laugh::laugh: Well, you know what they say about familiarity. I have through necessity learned to watch for signs of aggression over the years. Sometimes I miss the signs. Other times they're right out there. :laughing:

I take it Stormy is making no secrets of her feelings? :o *sigh* She does appreciate it--it's just that she's a cat and has decided that actually showing appreciation is beneath her. :cat: :laughing:

She still shows me lots of love. She even purrs through the rather warm cloth on her side. It's just when Mommy shoves that stupid large syringe into her side she gets owly. :confused: :shrug:
I wonder why? :rolleyes:
I have had to do this before years ago. Didn't like it then. Don't like it now. I hate having to cause the kitties pain. :( Hopefully Storm starts healing soon.

:fingerscr that this most recent drain hole will be the last and she'll start healing now! :goodvibes:

I think Stormy is amazing to let you do all this to her:lovestruck:I don't know how my cats would react,probably not as nicely:cat:

When I had a 1/2 inch hole on my leg(courtesy of Rocky),I had to go and see a VON every day for two weeks to get the wound clean with some sort of solution and get antibiotic IV.
Do you think maybe a Coyote had her in his grasp??

I think Stormy is amazing to let you do all this to her:lovestruck:I don't know how my cats would react,probably not as nicely:cat:

When I had a 1/2 inch hole on my leg(courtesy of Rocky),I had to go and see a VON every day for two weeks to get the wound clean with some sort of solution and get antibiotic IV.
Do you think maybe a Coyote had her in his grasp??

No. A coyote would not have given up and the teeth marks would have been bigger. She most probably got into it with another cat. I have now seen three or four new ones in the area. I don't know if they are dumpees or if they are from the farms around. A couple of families who have moved into the area are actually farming. I would imagine they got the requisite "barn cats" too. :frustrated: I saw a new black one last night. Had a panic attack thinking it was mine that got out.