WoW Petopia Community

Apparently word has gotten out on the kitty street that kitties in need should apply for help at my back door. Sunday a tabby appeared on my back porch, and I went out to see if he wanted any food. I'd seen him in the area before, and I'm pretty sure he is a neutered male. Given his super sweet temperament, he is either owned/lost or abandoned. When I petted him, I bent to pick him up because he was being so sweet and cuddly. As I put my hands around him, something felt off. I discovered he had a three inch gash under his arm, all the way to the muscle, and given the look of the wound, it was 24+hours old (I guesstimated this because I've previously treated a similar wound in our neighbors cat when they declined to treat him). I cleaned it, brought him into our laundry room, and he's been there ever since. I clean/maintain the wound several times a day, and so far, everything looks good. There are no signs of infection, and have been following the advice of my vet as far as his care, but lemme tell you, seeing that type of injury gives me a serious case of the heebie jeebies!

Anyway, please send healing thoughts for this little guy (or girl, if my neutered male thing is way off )

And I'd be interested in your thoughts as to how he could have gotten such a wound. I checked him over thoroughly, and there are no puncture marks that might indicate a dog got him or anything. The fur around the wound is missing/skin looks kind of abraded.

First off, God bless you for opening your home & heart to this kitty. Anyone who helps strays is a saint in my book (and I'm especially partial to cats).

As for the cut, if it's a single cut (e.g. no parallel cuts), then it may not be from an animal, possibly it could have been from him trying to escape or pass through a constricted space?

Thanks again for giving your little guy the best Thanksgiving ever!

you get a heart of gold award here so sweet and caring to those lost injured little critters its heart warming and inspiring

I will never tell a stray no to a meal. If they need medical help, they receive it. Last year this time I successfully tamed and re-homed a feral kitten. His family named him Mr. jingles.

And yes, it's a single cut, but it goes in towards the muscle diagonally, if that makes sense. It's not a straight down cut, but rather, goes into the muscle at an angle, and the skin is almost like a torn flap. <Edit> if that's too graphic, I'll remove it. I'm just trying to give you an idea of what it is so I can figure out what happened to him.

probably got stuck in something sharp and it cut him when he finally got free he can also have had a collar on that ripped him but if its a clean cut id say he probably crawled over something sharp and cut him self

Keep us updated on how he's doing. He must be a very sweet kitty to let you pet him and all with a wound like that - it sounds painful!

He is VERY sweet. He lets me roll him over onto his back and clean the wound. He's even purred while I do it. I have to keep his neck scruffed to keep him on his back, but he's perfectly content letting me do what I need to do.

The neighbor's cat Logan, who had a similar wound in the past, only on his leg rather than under his arm, also let me minister him.

Their cat Teddy before him, who is sadly now gone, I treated for puncture/bite wounds, and he let me drain them.

Maybe I have gentle hands? I've never had a problem treating stray's/neighbors cats wounds. Now if I have to med one of my own...that's another story, .

He's being kept separate in the laundry room for now. I'm sure they know he's in there, but they haven't reacted much, if at all.

I've seen a lot of "hit by car" wounds that are surprisingly sharp, clean and "direct." The fur around the area is sometimes roadburned, though.

Those kitties are seriously lucky to find you, I do hope this one recovers quickly <3

Didn't clear a jump over barbwire, perhaps?

Update, he's fully healed and back to terrorizing.

Good to know ^^ (been reading your posts on the strays you help - you're a wonderful person for doing it, and those kitties are lucky <3 )