Skin problem on stray cat

Ranjo

We have a stray cat who visits most days and we feed her and let the kids play with her, she's quite tame and friendly.

She has this on her front leg, so am worried it may be contagious. Any idea what it is? I was thinking ringworm, but not really sure.

aonb

are you sure its a stray?
if you are would you be prepared to bring it to a vet?
looks sore, and it is probably licking it
Im sure the cat-experts will be along to give advice, but at the very least if you cant bring it to a vet, I would pop down to your nearest pet shop or pharmacy (that stocks animal meds), get some sort of a medicated cream, and start putting it on every time the cat visits. Failing that, if you have Sudocrem, slather some on the wound? (and as always, wash your hands well after treating any open wound)

If you are sure its a stray, (and are feeding it?), maybe you could adopt it and have its paw seen to? Contact the local animal rescues, and check the online websites etc to see if someone is looking for it.

Ranjo

It's definitely a stray, but gets well looked after when visiting us. We've semi-adopted it I suppose. I started to put Savlon on the wound, but was worried that was not a good thing to do.

Would like to see if the wound is obvious so I can get the right cream from vet/pet store.

VonVix

I wouldn't be putting anything like that on the wound, taking into account that a cat is likely to lick it off and it could potentially be toxic. I wouldn't use any products designed for people on an animal without a vet saying it's fine to do so.

mymo

That looks to me a bit like a part healed abscess or other injury, if you can bring her to the vet, it's easy fix, and they can get quite I'll very quick from these type of things.

anniehoo

How long has she had it? Are there any other areas that look similar?

It could very well be ringworm (alopecia, raised red scaly areas, itchiness etc) and if it is, yes it is contagious, both to humans and other animals. Ringworm normally presents in cats with circular lesions though. But, the only way you're going to know for definite is by bringing her to the vet where they will do a skin scrape to check for fungal spores. It could be a superficial wound that she's simply irritated by constant licking, another skin infection,abscess,allergy, ringworm...the list goes on.

All we can tell you here is, yes ringworm is a possibility and yes it's contagious. We're limited to what else we can advise you really without a veterinary diagnosis.

Ranjo

OK thanks, that's fair enough. Was hoping for a known issue and cream to avoid the commitment of a vet trip. I'll have a word with the cat and see what she wants.

boomerang

Savlon and dettol are toxic to cats, OP.

How long has she been visiting? Are you not worried she'll bring you a litter of kittens? Maybe try and locate her owner in the neighbourhood to put your mind at rest that she's spayed?

Ranjo

100% stray, not owned by anyone. We're in a rural area and I know she wanders off to some place as yet unknown as her main place of residence. She had kittens recently. We planned on letting her have them here but we were away the exact time she had them. We came back and she had lost her belly and would grab her grub and scurry back down the rd to wherever she had them. It is heavily overgrown, so following is harder than you'd imagine.

I also suspect she's pregnant again. Not sure yet. The first litter was early April, so not much time in between.

boomerang

They can become pregnant again while still nursing kittens.

And even if she looks healthy, she may be a cat that had cat flu in the past, in which case her kittens will be born with it and suffer greatly. Most kittens born outdoors to strays and ferals will be dead by the age of five months.

Please find it in your heart to spay her, OP.

taytobreath

Or contact your local SPCA, they run trap neuter release schemes for feral cats. your cat would fall under that bracket, they will do it free for you but donations are always accepted.

boomerang

"She's quite tame and friendly"

Not feral then.

taytobreath

Sorry for the misinformation but ive been corrected by bomerangs curt reply.

if you cannot afford the vet costs of spaying and have proof of this, there are rescues that will give you a voucher towards getting the cat spayed.
By feeding the cat you are taking on the responsibility for her.
Good luck and well done

boomerang

Didn't intend to be curt, just brief. Sorry if it came across that way.