Kitten Has Massive Swelling On Neck

[matt1991]

ill take a pic and post here so u can somewhat see i cant afford a vet atm curious if u guys think i should shave the area and cut it open with a razor blade to drain it then clean the surface and bandage her its fll of puss im sure

 

[matt1991]

i think lancing it might be the best option right now for me just make sure to use a good sharp razor ad clean the area with alcohol or peroxide after right? then bandage the area so nothing gets inside it to get infected?

 

[SiameseMummy]

You must get your cat to a vet.

Do not under any circumstances try and perform this kind of procedure on your cat! It doesn't look like lancing (even if it's fluids) would solve the issue as that swelling is massive and must be checked out.

There are options if money is an issue. Here in the UK there is a charity called PDSA that provides funds when an owner really can't afford it.

Where do you live?

 

[matt1991]

meridian ms trust me there is no funding here this is the poorest state in usa nobody cares for animals here every single animal shelter is a kill shelter in my county

im trying to find home for the kitten too im staying n a hotel right now and luckly the general manager saw her a minute ago and said shes gonna bring her boy cat here in 2 days and see how they get along if they do she will take her i hope her cat will get along with her

she says she thins the kitten probably kept scratching herself and it got infected i can see a little scab where the swelling part is luckily it isnt very painful for her iv toughed on it and she didnt jerk or try to move

 

[jen]

Cats don't readily show their pain and discomfort, so stop tugging on it, it probably hurts and she isn't letting you know. That is what cats do.

What state and county are you in? Maybe we can try to help you figure something out. Rehoming the kitten is not really in her best interest right now and I would not introduce her to a male (is he even neutered?) or any other cat right now while she is in such a serious condition.

Also I urge you to read about introducing cats to each other. You don't bring a cat out of its environment to meet a strange cat in a strange place. I guarantee there will be hissing and growling and a mess of stress that this poor sick little kitten doesn't need right now.

 

[Kieka]

I agree with a vet is needed, hopefully things work out with the manager. As long as she keeps them separate while healing it would be a good solution. Otherwise you can try calling around for no kill shelters or a vet willing to help.

Do not shave and lance it. There is too much risk of hurting healthy tissue or cutting too deep. Plus if it isn't a abcess you could end up on a worse situation quickly. Since there is a scab you can try holding a warm compress to the area then cleaning the scab itself with warm water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. The warm compress should loosen things up a little and hopefully bring any puss closer to the scab. The hydrogen peroxide in the warm water will help lift off the scab. Apply gentle pressure with the warm compress once the scab is off. You want puss to come out. Clean up any that does and maintain gentle pressure as long as she will tolerate it or until there is no puss. Once it's open, keep it clean and encourgaing it to stay open so it continues to drain by cleaning the area and removing the scab until there is no puss and just clean blood for a day. If no puss comes out at all in the first place you can try again in a day or two but if it still doesn't then you may not have an abcess situation. I highly encourage a vet though and this is not recommended.

 

[jen]

I see you are in Union, MS. There is a low cost vet clinic (which will neuter wild cats btw for $10 or pet cats for $50-60) about an hour from you. There is also a transport program for people living 45 min from Meridian to help transport your animal to the vet to get neutered.

Mississippi Spay and Neuter

Big Fix Clinic- 601-420-2438

Big Fix Clinic Transport Program- for clients who live within 45 minutes of Meridian. 601-420-2438

MARL Voucher Program- 601-969-1631

You may qualify for this program if you receive any of the following:
Medicaid, Medicare
VA Disability
Social Security Disability
Current Unemployment Benefits
Social Security Retirement
Food Stamps
Aid to dependent Children

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

If you are trying to find a home for the kitten anyway, I have heard that many vet clinics can try to take in an animal (e.g. you surrender it to the vets), and then they can actually take the kitten under their care and provide for it medically... and then maybe also find a good, eventual home for it. Could you do that? I would definitely not perform any cutting on the kitten's neck, or try to give medical care -- unless you know exactly what you are doing and the best people for that are vets.

I understand you have other cats, too. It would be good to set up a relationship with a low cost vet clinic for all of your cats' needs.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

She could end up dying if you try cutting it open. It’s best to get her to a vet or surrender her to a vet so she can get the proper treatment she needs.

 

[matt1991]

Cats don't readily show their pain and discomfort, so stop tugging on it, it probably hurts and she isn't letting you know. That is what cats do.

What state and county are you in? Maybe we can try to help you figure something out. Rehoming the kitten is not really in her best interest right now and I would not introduce her to a male (is he even neutered?) or any other cat right now while she is in such a serious condition.

Also I urge you to read about introducing cats to each other. You don't bring a cat out of its environment to meet a strange cat in a strange place. I guarantee there will be hissing and growling and a mess of stress that this poor sick little kitten doesn't need right now.

im in meridian misssisippi lauderdale county

well shes very good with all animals cats shes moved around quite a bit lately i moved 2 months ago and there are a bunch of cats outside my house she plays with she isnt scared or mean towards others


the woman said her cat is fixed and de clawed which im not a fan of but i know for sure it wouldnt harm her shes more concerned about her possibly wanting to fight him which i assured her she wouldnt

i really hope she takes her cause shes very well off financially and i know she could care for her more than i can right now all shelters here are kill shelters no volunteer laces like in bigger cities

 

[matt1991]

you guys seem to think this is super life threatening by itself u really think that it is that bad that without vet care she will most likely die?


now that i remember as a child i had a cat that had the same thing happen to him on his neck it was swollen for a week then it went back down

i know you wont know fully until you get a animal to the vet but in most cases why do animals usually swell up like that in places?

 

[Willowy]

You can't know for sure without a diagnosis. There are a lot of things it could be. But usually a swelling like that is caused by an infected bite. And yes, infections can kill, although most adult stray cats are tough (if they survive kittenhood) and might be able to fight it off. But not always; stray cats die from infections all the time. Plus it's painful and any cat who has a caretaker shouldn't have to put up with that kind of pain.

Maybe the lady who wants to adopt her would be willing to finance a vet trip? If it's an infection it should be easily treated with antibiotics, so it shouldn't be a very expensive trip.

 

[matt1991]

You can't know for sure without a diagnosis. There are a lot of things it could be. But usually a swelling like that is caused by an infected bite. And yes, infections can kill, although most adult stray cats are tough (if they survive kittenhood) and might be able to fight it off. But not always; stray cats die from infections all the time. Plus it's painful and any cat who has a caretaker shouldn't have to put up with that kind of pain.

Maybe the lady who wants to adopt her would be willing to finance a vet trip? If it's an infection it should be easily treated with antibiotics, so it shouldn't be a very expensive trip.

if she takes her then yes she def will i just met the lady today she saw my kitten and wanted t hold her and i told her im trying to find her a home and she said as long as her male cat will get along then she will take her

 

[jen]

Ok well it does sound like it would be better for her to take the kitten as long as she takes it right to the vet to drain that thing and get her on antibiotics. And yes, ignoring something like this could be life threatening. You got very lucky with your old cat by just ignoring a huge swelling like this. What if there is infection? What if it is a cancerous lump? Why risk it on a beloved family member anyway?

Hopefully this lady knows it will take slow introductions and likely a good amount of time for the cats to get along and that hissing and growling are perfectly ok and expected when introducing cats. I also would NOT introduce them at all until the kitten is seen and gets all her vaccines and FIV/FeLV tests done. That would be irresponsible on her part putting her cat at risk like that.

 

[SiameseMummy]

You don't take a cat to the vet just when you consider it possibly life threatening. You take a cat to the vet when they are poorly or when they have a swelling or when they might be hurting or just for an annual check up when nothing is wrong. But yes, this could be potentially life threatening - until you know the underlying cause its impossible to know.

To put it bluntly - no one here would ever think taking a razer blade to a cat is a good idea. Aside from the pain you would be inflicting on her you do not know what you are doing and you are likely to end up in a far worse position than you started. I hope the general manager can help with this situation or jen post provides some alternatives.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

...

To put it bluntly - no one here would ever think taking a razer blade to a cat is a good idea. Aside from the pain you would be inflicting on her you do not know what you are doing and you are likely to end up in a far worse position than you started. ....

Yes, this ^^

 

[Kieka]

you guys seem to think this is super life threatening by itself u really think that it is that bad that without vet care she will most likely die?

None of us are vets and as such first advice is to see a vet. There could also be other symptoms or signs we can't see through the computer. A swelling like that can be a simple abcess and heal up on it's own given time. It could also be several other things. A simple abcess can also turn into a major problem if the infection spreads to other parts of the body. Since it's near her neck there is a risk of swelling impacting breathing or swallowing or blood supply to her brain or the infection getting into an artery then spreading.

Did you know that one of the frequent killers before modern times was tooth abcesses in human? Even in modern times a toothache can kill if the infection gets into the wrong place. We take it serious because it can become serious. My boy had an abcess on his abdomen and my vet rushed him into surgery to clean a flush it because infection spreads through fat quickly. She was worried about the infection spreading to his internal organs. In your case the worry is more spreading to an artery or the brain.

We don't want your case to be that time where a simple problems becomes a major problem or life threatening. It is incredibly hard to see people come on here with something that can be fixed but they delay because of money or time. Then we later find out the worst did happen and tragedy strikes. I know I tend to be aggressive on advice because sometimes it is life or death.

So is it so bad that without vet care she could die? Yes, infections can kill when they manage to spread. Is it likely? Maybe, maybe not. We do know infections hurt and cats hide pain. If a quick vet trip and under $100 of care speed up healing and shorten the pain it is worth it to 90% of the people here.

 

[matt1991]

Ok well it does sound like it would be better for her to take the kitten as long as she takes it right to the vet to drain that thing and get her on antibiotics. And yes, ignoring something like this could be life threatening. You got very lucky with your old cat by just ignoring a huge swelling like this. What if there is infection? What if it is a cancerous lump? Why risk it on a beloved family member anyway?

Hopefully this lady knows it will take slow introductions and likely a good amount of time for the cats to get along and that hissing and growling are perfectly ok and expected when introducing cats. I also would NOT introduce them at all until the kitten is seen and gets all her vaccines and FIV/FeLV tests done. That would be irresponsible on her part putting her cat at risk like that.

i didnt just ignore the old cat that had swelling that was when i was 12 trust me if i had the money id do it isnt like im heartless tbh only reason i have her is cause a mother had her kittens at my house and i felt bad so started to feedthem and play with them in hopes of finding them a home so they wouldnt be stray cats running around


the woman said she knows at first when they meet she knows thy will be nervous but can guage whether she thinks they will get along well

 

[FeebysOwner]

Well, for the cat's sake, and yours, I sure hope the meeting between these two cats goes VERY WELL. I take it if it does, she will take the cat and have it treated - yes?

If not, as PushPurrCatPaws suggested, find a local no-kill shelter nearby and take the cat there, please. Perhaps the general manager knows of one?

 

[SiameseMummy]

You aren't heartless. It's lovely that you took this kitten in and now you are aren't able to provide the care she needs you are looking for a home and avoiding those kill shelters. I can't imagine giving up my cats as they are part of my family - to do that for her benefit takes a lot of strength.

However, you asked for advice on what to do about the swelling. The swelling needs Vetinary care and not a home remedy and there really isn't any more to say on that.

I hope the general manager can help but I worry she is expecting them to just "get on" - your cat needs Vetinary care now and not after months of attempted introductions. With one cat sick and the other declawed it is going to need a very patient person to deal with it and it will need time - you can't tell if they will get on at a first meeting because they will always hiss, spit and act aggressive/defensive.

Did she declaw the boy she has? Is she going to declaw your cat if she adopts her?

You're in a tough situation because you have time pressure of needing a vet. You have a couple of days before the other cat is brought over - I would suggest using that time to look into the links jen provided, looking around for no kill shelters and alternative homes so your cat has the best chance of getting medical attention as soon as possible without rushing into a rehome.