Cat suddenly has wound/hole in lower body

moreknow

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I try to stay on top of my 21 semiferal cats as much as I can while I work so I can provide for them, but every now and then I am reminded by health scares to pay more attention.

So my female 3 year old cat, Celsa, has had this habit of going outside to our backyard and shack during the day, just for me to bring her in when I can. I always make sure she stays inside throughout the night. But on some days she doesn't go outside at all. I took this as typical behavior. She eats normal and was playful on occasions with my 2 other indoor cats, and just yesterday she was giving me kisses (licking my nose) while sleeping on my bed, which from that I know for sure she's doing good.

But suddenly today I come home at 11pm to bring my indoor semiferals inside and I struggle to find her for over an hour (which NEVER happens), calling for her, checking every area I feel she could be at. Finally, I see that she's in our messy shack laying down, ignoring my calls. She was laying down and when I tried to pick her up, she growls at me; telling me to leave her alone. I leave to give her time and to see if she moves, but she doesn't. When she did move, I noticed that she had some sort of wound/hole on her rear right side. I feed my outdoor semiferals (ALMOST ALL OF THEM had ZERO health issues this year) and then go to her and give her wet food. This time she goes into an even more tight spot under a furniture. I give her canned wet food, and she eats just the surface, licking it for over a minute or two. I move a nearby piece of string to see if she is interested in playing. She moves her eyes to follow it and slowly puts her paw out. Along with that, Celsa's breathing was moderately fast. It's 2:52am CST and I couldn't bring her in, and I reluctantly wait for the morning to see if I can bring her inside then.

I'm not a cat health expert, so I am not entirely sure on how to feel about that wound I saw. I do not know what it is, but it looked like a hole from the brief moment I saw it. It could be ringworm or that botfly larva thing I heard about. I'm just trying to seek advice for this situation my Celsa is in. I called a 24/7 emergency hospital just to prepare but it seems that they're always backed up, and they're 30 minutes away. I apologize for all this text, but I'm trying to provide as much detail so I remember everything in the future.

Summary or TL;DR: Celsa, my 3y/o female semiferal cat that's-mostly-indoor-but-sometimes-outdoor-during-the-day, was suddenly hiding in our shack tonight, ate a little, briefly seemed like she was interested in playing with a string, had normal looking eyes, and ears weren't cold to the touch (but also weren't warm). BUT she was breathing moderately fast, was moving slowly and did not want to be picked up; softly growled at me. Had a 1/2 inch wound on her right rear side. Could have been a parasite or something else. I wasn't able to bring her inside and will wait till the morning. Just yesterday she appeared normal. I am not a cat health expert but I do not think she was in critical condition when I saw her, but I am really hoping that her health doesn't go south overnight.

Does this appear like a serious health issue, or does it seem like a wound that she's recovering from and just needs rest?

As always, I will be so truly grateful for any comments/feedback 🙏
 

Punxpunx

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Sounds like she got in a fight. Get it treated at the vets, as she will need antibiotics etc. Dont leave it too long as it may start to get infected and develop pus etc.
My cat has been thru same thing twice, same symptoms. She may develop fever and stop eating and hide away making it harder to catch her, so do it while shes still in your sights
 
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moreknow

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Update: I brought her in after forcing her out of her hiding spot with a broom. She got out of there fast and let me pick her up. Now she appears a bit uncomfortable indoors even though she's always used to it, and now she's hiding under our couch. It appeared she's not comfortable from one side and I can now confirm i see a hole/wound (can't tell exactly yet since she hisses at me when I feel that area) that's probably less than a centimeter wide that's hidden with her fur. She's not lethargic and sits in a loaf in our living room and allows herself to be pet. The breathing is still moderately fast but still doesn't seem that she's in critical condition. I just wonder what that small wound could be. It really looked like a tiny hole when I saw it from a distance in a specific angle. I am trying to conclude that it's a botfly related wound but i can't be so sure yet

My mom says this behavior started around yesterday afternoon/evening. She was hiding indoors and then ran out to hide in the shack
 

fionasmom

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I don't think that you can wait for this to resolve itself given that it is not clear what it is. It may be a fight wound or botfly, but neither one of those can be left to heal on their own. From my POV, I can't say that she is recovering or that rest will take care of it. It does not sound like you can get a good look at it to try to make any assumptions, so you probably need the vet.
 

Punxpunx

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Puncture wounds from cats fighting can be that size. There may be more holes under the fur that u cant see until you brush it back. Its good you managed to get her indoors. Keep her there until your vet apptment. If treated early, it should be easy to fix. If it gets infected you may have to give medicine for a week or so which can be a whole new headache.
 

Punxpunx

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Also, dont treat her using human meds/chemicals. Water to clean the wound is probably safe but Im not sure about alcohol etc. Definitely NO human antibiotics etc
 
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moreknow

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fionasmom fionasmom , furmonster mom furmonster mom , P Punxpunx , I have plans to call tomorrow at my vet (all are closed currently) and see what to do from there. But I will try to see if I can get a closer look and see how to clean it; definitely only water for now if needed. I work today and tomorrow 2-11pm, so I’ll keep doing my best to keep posted
 
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