Thing on cats leg

Orla K

I think I may have figured out why the cat freaks out when I pick him up or go near his legs. He was sleeping and I noticed a bit of hair missing so I went for a closer look but he woke up, ran off and is now hiding. From what I saw it looked like a small scab but nothing has happened to him that would cause a scab.

So now I have two problems
1. What the hell is it?
2. How the hell do I get him into the box for the vet? He does backflips, summorsaults and everything else as soon as he even thinks he's going into the box (it's a proper plastic carrier) The only time I saw him go into the box was in the vets after his bowels were checked

or in other words vets finger and his bum

Paul91

garden gloves and a helper?

Mink

Yeah I find it very difficult to get my cat in the carrier, often need help from someone else. Wear thick long sleeved top too! Gently grab them by the scruff of the neck as well. That somewhat activates their reflex to chill out & stay still (from when their mothers would have carried them).

My cat got something exactly as you are describing on her side. It scabbed & then went away & hair grew back, we were watching it over the week to see if getting worse (ie; we would have gone to the vets then).

She has a similar thing on her inner leg. It looked a little red & raw a couple days ago. Checked it today & hair is already growing back. I've no idea what it is, but I guess always better to check with the vet ESPECIALLY if they are limping or seem to be out of sorts or in pain in any way.

joyce2009

if you can stand the carrier upright and wrap the cat in a towel enclosing his legs you might be able to lower him in without him seeing it of course,,you might have to do the quick drop and slam method though:D,,can be a tricky thing alright..

Orla K

joyce2009 wrote: »

if you can stand the carrier upright and wrap the cat in a towel enclosing his legs you might be able to lower him in without him seeing it of course,,you might have to do the quick drop and slam method though:D,,can be a tricky thing alright..

lol I fall at the first hurdle if he sees me holding a he runs and hides.

Brute strength and the element of surprise worked so far but probably not for much longer (he has a few visits to the vets)

Sigma Force

My previous cat used to know before I even got the carrier out I don't know how but perhaps if she saw me checking the garage to see where it was or something but she knew and would leg it. Although once I picked her up it took just a short time to get her into it. The wrapping in a towel might work or if you can get your hands on a metal crate like they use for dogs that might be easier to pop her into esp. if she's bundled in a towel.

All else fails hide the carrier in the bathroom and lure her or bring her in there and close the door, handy to have a smaller room so if she does escape once or twice she can't run off and hide anywhere.

Some cats really hate it not nice to see them getting upset and then crying the the carrier but sometimes we've to be cruel to be kind.

Hope her leg is better soon. In the mean time if she allows you to, wash it with some cool previously boiled water and salt.

planetX

I leave the carrier out for a few days so the cat gets immune to it. When you need to put him in have someone helping you. Get them to hold the carrier still so it can't slide around the floor, while you pick up the cat backwards and put him in that way round. It helps to have a carrier with a bigger door, my last one was tiny - got a bigger one recently and it's way easier.

The Sweeper

Leave the carrier out in the main part of the house where the cat likes to spend his time. Take the door off it if you can. Put something soft in there for a nice bed. Put some food in. Then completely ignore it for days, paying it attention only to change the food. Don't lift it, close the door or move it. Once he gets used to it, he may explore it himself.

I have to keep my carriers locked away, because they all get into them the minute they come out! I've often taken a carrier out and left it open on the floor while I go looking for the cat who has to go to the vet, only to come back and find another cat - or two cats - lying in the damned thing. They have only positive associations with carriers, as hidey holes that have either litter, a bed, or some nice food in them. Makes life a lot easier...

Doolie

Sounds like Ringworm. Get to a vet asap. Wash your hands after touching cat as humans can get it, especially children

Knuffel

If it's an outdoor cat it could be an abcess, my cat suffers from them alot due to fights he gets into with other cats. My advice would be to take him to the vet asap!

Edit; Missed the part about him freaking out when you go near his leg when i first read the thread but that makes me think it definitely could be an abcess as when my cat first got one any touching of his leg would be met with hissing and growling and this is from a normally very placid cat.