Can A Cat Abscess Be Treated At Home?

(I'll preface this by saying that I understand that no one can provide medical advice, etc on here, and that I will assuredly bring my cat to the vet if that is the best solution...I've just never seen a cat abscess)

My indoor-only cat had a minor scrape on his tail, and he didn't really want me prodding it, so I generally left it alone (it felt like a small scab, and I assumed it was healing under his fur). Last night I came home and a quarter-sized patch of fur was now gone from the area, and pus was draining pretty rapidly (it was kind of horrifying). I couldn't get him to stop licking the area. My mom insisted that I could treat it at home, but due to the time, the pet store was closed.

This morning the pus seems to have stopped draining, and he isn't licking the spot as much. My question is - can I treat his abscess at home, or should this be a vet ASAP situation? He is still eating, drinking, playing, and happy. My mom suggested buying a cone for his head (so he can't lick the area), and cleaning with peroxide and antibiotic ointment (and going to the vet if it doesn't get better, or gets worse).

Has anyone dealt with this at home, or have any suggestions? A lot of stuff online was specific to outdoor cats who were bit by another animal.

Our kitty Olive had an abscess from a scratch from our resident cat on her shoulder that burst (about the size of a quarter). We didn’t see any pus and she was also playing and active. We treated her at home and she healed up quite nicely. We had some pet-specific antibiotic leftover from having a BB removed from her head (I hate people) and we applied that once per day. I heard Neosporin can work as long as there is no painkiller in it.

But obviously any sign of lethargy or infection I would think a vet visit would be in order.

Can an abscess heal at home without vet intervention? Short answer, yes. Street cats heal up wounds all the time without any human intervention; they also can die from them or have lasting after effects without a vets care.

The bigger risk when it comes to abscesses is that without a vet cleaning it out or giving antibiotic you do run the risk of it reforming if the wound doesn't clear. There is also the risk of the infection traveling to a different location and spreading to more vital internal organs. When my boy had an abscess on his abdomen my vet insisted on a surgical cleaning, drain and medication because the infection could spread through his fat and into his internal organs quickly if not stopped right away. But the tail has less fat so it doesn't have an easy path to spread an infection. The bigger risk there would be the infection getting into the connective tissues and damaging his tail; relatively minor but with my current cat if it can go wrong, it will go wrong so I tend to think worst case.

While I do not advise for avoiding the vet; so long as you keep the wound open until the pus has cleared, clean it, and apply a thin layer of an antibiotic ointment (no pain reliever or numbing agents, just the ointment) you may be able to get away without a vet visit. If you notice the pus coming back, a lump forming, any behavior or appetite changes you do need to see a vet immediately because it may have spread.

Personally, I'd rather pay for a regular office visit and a quick antibiotic shot or medication now. It's under $100 to make sure it is healing right and doesn't spread versus a $500+ emergency visit and more aggressive care if it does. But this comes from a long history with a cat who frequently got abscesses and we learned very quickly it was cheaper to treat it from the start then the wait and see approach.

I would advise taking her to the vet. It can heal up at home, but no way to tell if it will, or if it will just get worse. The vet should clean the wound, and give antibiotics. I would rather do that now, than wait. If it gets worse again it will just be harder to treat, and the cat will have more pain for longer than necessary.

Best of luck, and do keep us updated on her.

My concern about treating this at home would be infection. If there was a lot of puss in there in there it could mean there was an infection. It could come back again. Abscesses can drain and re-form. If you can get a good look at the area and check for signs of infection. Is there redness or swelling? Does the area feel warm? If the answer is yes then please take your cat to the vet. The reason I am saying to take your baby to the vet is because the abscess may still need to be cleaned out or drained if all the puss did not come out. Your cat may also need antibiotics if there was an infection in the wound.

Also cats can hide pain very well. Acting normal does not mean there is no pain. When my 12 year old Starbuck was spayed as a kitten she got an infection once her stitches were removed. She was like a completely normal young kitten. I noticed the infection when she asked me to pet her belly. The vet had to drain it and clean it. She also had antibiotics and pain meds.

I am a human with a medical issue that produces boils which are similar to abscesses. They can be very painful and they do not always heal on their own once they burst. They can also still be painful after bursting. Yes I have treated myself at home for smaller ones. I personally would go to the doctor though for anything the size you described. Also for me if there is an infection that I do not get treated fast enough they reform instead of healing. Until you can get your baby to the vet see if you can get him to lay down on a heating pad on low. The heat will help calm pain and encourage draining if it did not drain fully.

Based on my experience please take your baby to the vet. You do not need an ER vet a regular vet appointment is fine.

You could try treating it at home. Peroxide and Neosporin on it maybe. Don't wait too long though. If you don't see signs of healing take the cat in.

I might be an outlier in this thread, but I personally would not use hydrogen peroxide on my own cat. I think it's painful to the cat, and might potentially slow down the tissue healing. The best thing, in my view, is to visit the vet, or at the least, call the vet or vet techs for advice as to how to clean the wound. Maybe email with photos.

Timmer said:

You could try treating it at home. Peroxide and Neosporin on it maybe. Don't wait too long though. If you don't see signs of healing take the cat in.

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I would not use hydrogen peroxide on a cat. That is not safe for them to lick off their fur. I would at least send a picture to the vet to have a look at. You could then ask the vet about using Neosporin without pain relief. I am suggesting this because you do not want to risk trapping any infection or puss in the wound as it heals.

I don't use hydrogen peroxide on humans or cats. When I say keep clean I tend to mean warm water and maybe some Betadine in the water.

Hi Heebeeweebee !

Peroxide (alcohol, too) should NOT be used either on a cat's wound - nor on yourself.........using peroxide on wounds comes out of 'old-wives-tales' or 'urban myths'. Peroxide actually damages cellular tissue - apart from causing acute pain. Look here: Wound Care True or False

Here's more to the point: Hydrogen peroxide can impede healing and lead to scarring because it destroys newly-formed skin cells - Wikipedia.org

If cleaning is needed, Betadine is safe.....and, Neosporin is fine.
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Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the responses! I called my vet and scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning. I would rather be sure that the area is all cleaned and drained, before any bigger problems could arise. If I had that amount of pus come out of my own body, I would see a doctor...and I don't want him to be in pain.

I haven't used the peroxide to clean the area yet, and I will definitely NOT use it, based on the feedback. I'll get him a cone and some safe ointment for tonight.