wrote
Our male indoor/outdoor, neutered cat came in yesterday evening with a
raw spot near his right armpit. He licks it quite a bit. No blood,
some plasma, looks like there are puncture marks from a plant, cactus?
(we're in Tucson AZ) These don't look like bite marks. It seems he is
making the puncture site holes (??) bigger as he keeps licking the
area. He's in good spirits, eating with a regular appetite.
Anyone have a way to cover the injured area with a polstice? some kind
of patching agent that is non-toxic so it wouldn't hurt him if he
licked the site? Any luck with one of those plastic neck collars to
keep him from licking? I'm extremely skeptical about this collar
idea--I mean, come on! It's a cat, not a dog!
This doesn't look very traumatic, but we'll take him in to a vet if he
makes things worse.
Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

I would start with cleansing with hydrogen peroxide several times a day. Then
try a product called "Biocaine." PetSmart (and perhaps other pet stores) sell it
for dogs and cats to help prevent licking and chewing. It also provides
"cleansing, debriding, and anti-bacterial action for minor cuts." It is 2%
Lidocaine and is non-prescription. About $6 a bottle.

My cat got bit on the rump a couple of weeks ago. I got on it with hydrogen
peroxide and sterile saline solution ("Wound Wash") religiously, attempting to
keep it open as I know the risk of infection with bites to cats is very high. I
considered anti-biotics but at least one web site I saw said they won't at all
necessarily help. My cat definitely improved after a day or so but then got much
worse. A swollen mass formed on his rump an inch or so from the visible bite
wound--he'd abscessed. He was feverish and very lethargic but maintained a
decent appetite and was using his litter box with the usual results. I
considered the vet but my cat is utterly unmanageable at the vet's. He and
everyone around him risks life and limb. I figured I could handle the lancing
procedure myself and that it would be less harmful to the cat then the hell of
going to a vet and probably having to go under general anesthesia. I
successfully and without too much difficulty lanced the abscess. It was a putrid
mess, but tolerable, and imagine the poor kitty having this vile stuff under his
skin. I flushed the abscess thoroughly, alternating with warm water and hydrogen
peroxide during each session, about four times over two days. The cat got fairly
used to the routine and fought less each time, or he understood this was helping
him feel better. No more pus was accumulating by day 2 (a few days ago), though
I continue to check for swelling and fevers and apply a bit of hydrogen peroxide
a couple of times a day (but don't pointedly try to flush under his skin). The
cat is back to his energetic happy self.

I understand the infection may still be present, so I am watching for signs of
returned swelling, lethargy, and fever.

I never got around to trying a neck collar. The Biocaine wasn't perfect but
seemed to help. The ingestion of small amounts of hydrogen peroxide is not
dangerous to the cat, from what I've read on the Internet.

Needless to say, I have learned from my stupidity. The cat will no longer be
going outside. I got lucky in that he has recovered so well (so far).

I hope your cat is feeling better soon. Updates are welcome. Good luck.