Cat scratching til he draws blood?

[skygem]

Hey guys, I was petting my cat earlier and I noticed this scratch on the side of his neck, and it worried me. Every once in a while I notice him scratching there, but I didn't know it was this bad. Is it something to be worried about? Is there anything I can do to help him?

Also, before anyone asks, the hairless patch isn't anything new. He had that, along with a bunch of other healed scars on the other side of his neck, when I adopted him. The rescue didn't know where he got them, but my best guess is a fight with another resident cat at his previous home

 

[skygem]

Edit: i might be a bit of an idiot, and this is probably just a false alarm. I didn't pay much mind to it at the time, but when I first noticed the scratch, it was just above where his (new) collar sat, so my obvious answer is that the collar is probably just itchy. I've taken it off now and will monitor to see if the scratch heals, or if he keeps scratching it. Sorry for the false alarm, folks

 

[FeebysOwner]

While you wait to see if the collar caused the issue, you can try a home remedy to help heal/soothe the area. Buy chamomile tea bags - any standard grocery store variety, as they are almost always German (you don't want English, or any additives/flavorings). Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp, and then dab it on the area with cotton balls or a soft cloth a few times a day. The tea has both soothing and healing properties, and is an anti-bacterial/anti-fungal agent. It is also safe should your cat ingest any of it.

If it doesn't start to look as if it is healing within the next couple of days, you might want to take a pic of it to share with your vet to see if they think it needs to be looked at.

 

[skygem]

While you wait to see if the collar caused the issue, you can try a home remedy to help heal/soothe the area. Buy chamomile tea bags - any standard grocery store variety, as they are almost always German (you don't want English, or any additives/flavorings). Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp, and then dab it on the area with cotton balls or a soft cloth a few times a day. The tea has both soothing and healing properties, and is an anti-bacterial/anti-fungal agent. It is also safe should your cat ingest any of it.

If it doesn't start to look as if it is healing within the next couple of days, you might want to take a pic of it to share with your vet to see if they think it needs to be looked at.

Thanks so much for the suggestion! I'll be sure to try that