Please Help - Repeated Abscesses From Rough Play

[lanerich]

Both of my two boys are around the same age (1-1.5yrs) and indoor only cats. They are good friends and love to chase and wrestle each other every morning and night. It is good exercise for them and keeps them from being so clingy with us.

I posted in here earlier this year about how my larger orange boy was sick with fever of unknown origin for approx. 2 weeks. The vet suspected an abscess that hadn't come out yet and prescribed antibiotics which resolved the issue. The abscess did eventually appear on his leg as a small nodular bubble while he was on the second week of antibiotics. His health remained fine at that point and the node went away after a few days. The vet thought that he was just bitten too hard while they were playing.

Since then we have paid more attention and noticed that our smaller younger cat loves to constantly bite and nip at the orange cat's legs while they are playing and wrestling. The orange cat does not bite nearly as much. 99% of the time it is fine and not too hard, just play and they do take turns.

Well about a week ago I witnessed the younger cat really clamp down on orange cat's leg while playing, enough to make him cry out in pain. A few days later he had all those same fever symptoms like the last time. I took him to the vet right away and he is on antibiotics again and feeling better, but the abscess hasn't popped up yet.

The cats are running around and playing again like crazy now and I'm worried this is going to keep happening every few months. I need a way to keep the younger cat from biting while ideally still letting them chase and play together. It is tough to chase after them multiple times a day trying to spray him with water or separate them. Please help!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Are your boys neutered?

 

[lanerich]

Yes they are both neutered. We don't have any issues with them spraying or being aggressive and biting us. They are both really sweet and friendly overall. The two cats are not related but they sleep together, eat together, etc.

The only thing I can think of is that the younger cat just likes to play bite when he wrestles and he never learned otherwise. He must not be biting that hard normally because it's only been these two occasions where orange cat got sick, and I see him nipping and biting at the orange cat almost every day. Maybe he shouldn't be biting at all during regular cat play and this isn't normal? He is also much smaller than the orange cat if that matters.

They don't go outside so there is no chance this is happening from another cat. When I google how to prevent cat abscesses, I can't find anything except advice on not letting the cat outdoors where it could fight with a strange cat. Nothing about abscesses caused by rough play.