Please, help me determine the origin of these wounds.

kido

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I've been spotting this little guy near my house for a few days in a row. Actually it was Yoda, the only cat of mine with the privilege to go outside (on a leash), who tracked him down in a pipe that is a part of the irrigation system. Mr. Mustache (temporary nickname) would just hide and sit there at random times of the day. Was a bit shy, so I left him to his business. Since he was wearing a collar that looked almost brand new, I assumed that he was yet another cat visiting from the nearby housing estate and that he will easily find his way home.

 

On the third day I thought that maybe there was something not quite right with the lad after all. I lured him out with some food and noticed wounds on his forepaws. I took a quick snapshot to be able to have a closer look. He turned out to be difficult subject since he was constantly hiding inside the tube. Here is what I got:

 



Not a very clean photo but  clear enough for me to decide to take him off the street (look at his paw).

Given his unknown health status and the lack of cat-free rooms inside the house, the only quick solution I had was to accommodate the space in the back of a box van I have. Not perfect, but at least safe and clean. I put some cardboard and blankets on the floor, a cat carrier padded with blankets, litter box, bowls with food and water plus a few toys. Second time I went to lure him out with food, I realized he already became my friend, purring and brushing against my legs. When presented with the carrier, he entered and simply lied down. That was unexpected :)

I released him inside the car, petted him for a while and left him for the time being so he could explore his new environment. Than came the time for inspection. He turned out to be a real darling, very friendly and trustful, letting examine his paws with no scandals. The only obstacle in the process was his constant pursue of more caresses.

 

His overall condition seems pretty good. His fur is more or less clean (some mud here and there) so even if he got lost, he wasn't wandering for long. He's young, I would say he's 5-6 months old. His ear is tipped so I guess he's been castrated. The biggest concern are his paws, especially the front ones. It looks as if most of the claws were torn off. Look for yourself:

 









First I thought that he got declawed by some butcher, but upon closer examination I'm not that sure anymore. Have you ever seen wounds like these? Is it possible that he ended like that after a fight or a stunt that went wrong? Or were they human inflicted?

Since taking the above photos I cleaned the wounds the best I could, disinfected them with Rivanol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethacridine_lactate) and rubbed it with amoxicillin suspension. Walking was obviously causing him pain, so he also got a pill of Vetprofen that must have helped, judging from his behavior.

We're in the middle of the Independence Days celebration, no one is working, and I won't be able to take him to the vet (not to the one I know and trust) till Monday. That's why I'd really appreciate if you could share your views on what I'm dealing with.







 
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quiet

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Hi

He is a beautiful little cat. The tipped ear would lead me to believe that he was neutered by either Ally Cat Allies or Feral Cat Coalition, depending on what part of the country you are in. Are you in the USA?

The ear could have also been the result of an accident.

It is hard to say with the paws. Does he have any claws left or are they all gone? I cannot think of anything that would do that only to his paws other than declawing or HBC but I would think that there would be much more damage to other parts of him. The claws look literally ripped out from the paws on the ones that are missing. Usually with a fight or a being dragged off a tree type incident you will see shredding of the claws even down to where they will bleed but there will be the classic shredding. There is also usually abrasions on the paw pads but it doesn't look like that to me. Are you in an area of extreme heat or extreme cold? Are there any chemical type plants around you? Although once again it doesn't really look like a burn.

The fact that he is so friendly makes me think it could have been human inflicted trauma. Abused animals are usually so nice. Don't ask me why. Really sucks.

He should see a vet. I would not use kitty litter if I was you because it is getting stuck up in the toes and open holes on the paw. Try using shredded paper or a product called yesterday's news. No cat litter for now. Having the blankets etc in the van is a good idea. I am shocked as you are that he went into the carrier. He is or was obviously some one's cat. I love it, they can put a bell on him but not an ID tag. I don't know how I would feel about giving him back if he was someone's cat after how mangled he is. I would skip the vetaprofin for now as you do not know his history or if he wound up being dehydrated and already has stressed his renal system. An anti-inflammatory could push him over the edge into renal failure.

Looking at the ear tip again I do not think it was done by one of those organizations. They do the other ear I think. And they just do the tip. That looks like a hatchet job. No offense. I would be very suspicious of human cruelty in this case. It is disgusting what people will do to sweet little cats. I think that you are great to try to help this little cat and he sure does appear to really worship you from those photos. That is true adoration in his eyes.

Let us know what the vet thinks. And I think it is wise you keep him separate from your cats for now. At least until you have him tested for felv and fiv. I hope you are able to keep him. He sure wants you to.
 

caralian

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It doesn't like he has actually been declawed. His toes are still there. As Quiet says, it looks like someone ripped his claws out of the joints and I honestly cannot think of anything (animals, accidents or otherwise) that would do this to a cat, except some butcher human.

To be honest, I almost suspect his owners did it and the poor thing managed to get away. Perhaps they didn't have the money to get him declawed, or they lacked the brains to think before they mutilated him to protect their precious couch or something. It makes me sick to my stomach to see those pictures, he must have suffered a tremendous amount of pain, as I don't expect someone who does this to a cat to care enough to use any kind of pain medication. He probaby still is suffering, so like Quiet said, litter might be a very bad idea.

He does look like he trusts and adores you very much. If I were you I really wouldn't let him go again. Whoever did this to him has completely given up the right "own" him. I would be scared they would do even more harm to him and he's most probably too traumatized to even be near them.

Get him to a vet and get him checked out. He's beautiful and apparently adores you. If you are able to, I would certainly want you to keep him.
 
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beeofthewoods

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What an adorable boy. Bless you for taking him in.  I have seen injuries to the paws caused by thin string cutting through the skin of the paw.  People do not realize that thin thread-like string or rope can act like a knife when the kitty is playing with it, and will slice right through their paws, causing wounds similar to what you are showing.  And these wounds are tough to heal b/c of all the use a cat's paw is put through: walking, running, climbing, scraping in the dirt or cat litter.  It's difficult to have the cat keep a bandage on to allow the wound to heal.  It looks like your boy is cooperating though.  Lots of antibiotic ointment.  Will not hurt him if he ingests some.  Best to you and Mr. Kitty.
 

beeofthewoods

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Also, he could have ripped his nails if he was scrabbling on rocks or a tree branch ( maybe he missed, but ripped the claws) if he was being attacked by another animal...
 
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kido

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Thanks for all your suggestions. We'll try to see the vet on Monday and maybe she'll have some definitive answers.

 

I'm in Chile right now. The ear tipping procedure seems not to be consistent across the US, not to mention the planet. I looked it up on Ally Cat Allies web page and this is what I've found:

 

“Some areas of the country may use another type of eartipping protocol (like eartipping the right ear, or ear-notching). While we still promote eartipping as it is described above because of its universal acceptance, you may want to research and use your local standard for the best outcome for the cats.”

 

Have no idea what is the protocol in Chile, if any. Will see what the vet says. But you're right, on the aforementioned page, they write about 3/8 inch or 1cm. Mr. Mustache is missing more than that, that's for sure.

 

Regarding the paws, just as Quiet says, in case of a tree related accident, one would expect abrasions. In case of HBC or fight: more damage on the body. It's neither very cold nor very hot here at the moment and there are no industrial plants in the vicinity. There are a few small building sites nearby, but not in the direction he most probably came from.

 

A string related accident, as suggested by BeeoftheWoods, seems feasible since, for some reason, the kite flying is very popular during the national holidays. We live in the suburbs, so usually at this time of the year, I get to untangle a string or two dragged a kite that landed in the orchard. Not this year though, haven't seen a single kite eaten by a tree in the area this cat was probably exploring.

He's missing most of the claws on his forepaws and a few on his hind paws. All the damage looks inconsistent and yet some cuts appear to be quite straight, almost as if they were made with a tool.

I really don't know what happened. It sickens me just as it sickens Caralian, but I really want to believe that these wounds were not inflicted intentionally by a human being. I really want to believe that no person would tear out claws from his pet's paws. Although, should the “owner” ever show up, I would probably forget my manners even if he was to claim his innocence.

Mr. Mustache is healing nicely. We're cleaning the wounds several times a day. He eats, he drinks, he pees, he poops, he's certainly bored but lots of sleep will make him nothing but good. I've removed the collar and put harness instead. Personally I can't stand the collars with bells. If someone doesn't want his feline to kill birds, he should keep him close to the home instead of torturing his ears and turning a predator into an easy target.

 

The car is a box van – i.e. has no windows. This concerns me but I really have no other space to put this guy in. During the day I'm always leaving him with a LED lamp (lasts for many hours on one charge) and today I set a small tent up for him to enjoy some sun and fresh air :) In other words, he went camping:





He got a bit excited at first, with all the nature-action and scents, but eventually he relaxed and spent a nice day, alternately napping and staring at birds.

There is one more thing. Shortly after I started this thread, I went to tuck him to sleep and noticed something on his chest. It looked like a large abscess that burst. It was already dark but I've noticed some fur missing (probably he licked it off) and some pus leaking. As you can see on the photos I posted, it wasn't there before. I mean, I felt something hard in this place while holding him, but I thought it was a bone.

 

Anyhow I cleaned it the best I could, cleaned it some more the next day and tried to cut off even more fur to keep this place sanitized. I think we've discovered the limits of this cat's patience during that procedure. Nevertheless, he's the most cooperative cat I've ever met.

 

This is how it looked like on Friday, it'll probably have to be cut and cleaned by the vet:

 



Let's hope that this little fellow has no more surprises up his sleeve.

When I took the very first photo of Mr. Mustache, I immediately printed a few posters with the idea of looking for his human parents. However, after seeing his paws, I really couldn't force myself to proceed with the quest. Independently of the origins of his mishap, no one came looking for his cat, even though he must have been missing from home for more than week. They simply don't deserve this guy.

 

It's obvious I'm not going to release him and for the moment he'll probably have to stay with us. The problem is, I already have cats... and lots of them :)

 

I have 4 cats (all rescues from this area) that I consider “mine”. Apart from that, earlier this year I decided to dismantle a cat colony that settled near my house. Long story short, I ended up with 11 additional cats in the house, 1 cat lost by an irresponsible foster lady, and (up to date) with 0 cats given into adoption.

In this circumstances 16th cat doesn't really make much difference, but it's definitely not my plan to become a feline hoarder. Cats just seem to happen to me lately and I've had the hardest time finding them quality new homes. Something's gotta change! :)
 
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caralian

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I'm glad he's doing so much better. The fact that he's still eating, drinking, peeing and pooping the way he's supposed to is a really good indicator that he at least doesn't have issues that are absolutely serious right now and he seems to tolerate a lot, as you say. Especially since you're still relatively new to him.

I don't know what the make of the new wound, but I'm sure the vet can tell you what happened there. At least the flesh seems 'healthy' and it doesn't seem to have any dead tissue or anything, so you can be hopeful too.

As for the origin of his paw wounds. I really do understand that you don't want to assume it's inflicted by humans, I get it, really. But in all honesty I have seen too many animals brutally mutilated by humans to still believe in some kind of "goodness" in all humans. There are a lot of people out there (just look at this site alone!) who would walk through fire for animals, but there are also many, MANY sick monsters out there who really don't give a crap. I would be very surprised if there was a non-human reason for his paws.. Sad, but true. 

Please keep us updated, I really hope everything will be fine with Mr. Mustache (I love that name, it suits him perfectly :D).
 

Norachan

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He could have been hit by a car. Cats will put their claws out when attacked or in pain and if he had them out when  a car struck him he would have scrapped them down the road with the force of impact.

Good luck at the vets, he's a sweet little guy
 

stewball

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I's there any more news on Mr. Moustache? What a lovely boy. You certainly can't give him away. Your his family.
 
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kido

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Thank you for all your thoughts and suggestions. I'm sorry for the late update but at least I bring good news :) We finally made it to the vet on Thursday, instead of Monday (recently I'm so busy, I hardly have time for anything not work related).

 

Mr. Mustache showed a lot of dignity not only during the trip but also during his check-up. I've never seen anything like it, he wasn't scared, when it came to the examination he was simply cooperative. Even the doctor got surprised by this behavior and made a remark on how Mr. Mustache was an exemplary cat.

 

Anyway, despite of what I wrote earlier and as hard as it is to believe looking at the above photos, all the claws are there. Apart from the time I took these pictures, we've never examined his paws again. Just didn't want to upset him. With our limited expertise on the subject, there was no point in doing that anyway. We were just cleaning and keeping them sanitized regularly. I guess that by the time we finally got to see the vet, it healed enough for her to examine the paws thoroughly without causing pain.

 

Naturally she had more experience than we did, she knew immediately which part of the dried gunk she could remove without causing any harm. Finally she started pressing on his paws with her fingers and voila! the claws ejected. Ugly and broken, but claws, nevertheless!

 

She examined the other wound, praised us for the job we did with sanitizing :) and didn't really want to get into guessing what was the cause of all the misfortune. At this point it probably didn't matter anyway. She has found Mr. Mustache's general condition to be good. He turned out not to be castrated and given that this particular vet acts rapidly and decidedly, our feline rescue got fixed the same day.

 

Since then he spent some more time in the van and then one day I simply moved him into a separate room inside the house. We did some initial introductions to the other cats and it went as good as it gets. Anyhow, I want him to heal completely before I let him ravage the house freely, so he's been staying in 'his' room most of the time.

 

He's one of those honest and straightforward cats that are always happy to see you and express that in the most adorable manner. He really enjoys human company, loves to play, loves to cuddle and talks a lot. In fact, he's often so happy to have a human around, that it gets difficult to walk in his presence. He's using his tail as a fishing rod for legs :)

 

Obviously, no one ever showed up looking for him. 'For now' he's staying with us, we'll see how life goes... but who am I kidding? He's probably yet another foster fail.

 



 

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Awesome news! Glad to hear his claws are intact and he was so swiftly seen and cared for! What an absolute beauty.
He's so lucky you found him
 
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catwoman707

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This clearly looks like an abcess that has burst open to drain, which is a very good thing.

Likely from a cat bite. Unneutered males....
 
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kido

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Thanks for your kind words. Yes, he's as handsome as he is great companion. Did I mention he loves to sit on my laps purring and kneading? Lucky me!
 

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what a wonderful Cinderella story! Bless you for caring!!!
 

caralian

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I'm so happy everything turned out okay! He's a beautiful boy. 


He seems so in love with you, please don't give him away again. Here I am hoping nobody will ever claim him!

Thank you for taking care of him, you are awesome. 
 

stewball

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You are indeed awesome.
Lucky. Mr. Mustache. What did the vet say about th
 
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kido

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I'm so happy everything turned out okay! He's a beautiful boy. 

He seems so in love with you, please don't give him away again. Here I am hoping nobody will ever claim him!

Thank you for taking care of him, you are awesome. 
Thank you. After all the time that has passed, he's not to be claimed. If someone would show up, I wouldn't even admit we've found Mr. Mustache.
You are indeed awesome.
Lucky. Mr. Mustache. What did the vet say about the wound on his blank. Chest.
She said the same thing catwoman707 did, that it was most probably a cat bite.

 
 
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