A feral cat I take care of was attacked, please help!?

I am very worried about a feral cat I take care of. I have been taking care of the generations of this cat "pride" since I moved to my house here five years ago. Sometimes they aren't so wild, and the cat I am writing about is sweet and lets me pet him. Yesterday I noticed that he has been attacked by some other, larger animal by his tail. It looks like where his tail meets the rest of his body is just raw and painful from the wound. Skin and hair has been ripped off in about an inch diameter all around the tail, and there are deep puncture fang marks as well. I got close enough to see it is in fact, infected. Its also been about 100 degrees outside and I am really worried for this guy.

Should I try to cut the fut away from the wound, and if I do, what next? I know I need to sanatize the wound, but I am afraid hydrogen peroxide would sting and hurt him really bad, this wound is pretty fierce. I can't afford to take him to the vet right now, but I want to do what I can to help him.

I forgot to mention I have to indoor cats who are very teritorial, so I can't bring him inside. Even if I shut him in the bathroom, they would smell him. Last time I did that with a feral kitten we got infested with fleas.

I did use some peroxide on him and he didn't seem to mind a bit. I really appreciate being told it wouldn't sting him, I really thought it would. I am going to keep doing that and then slather some triple antibiotic cream on him.

If anyone else has any more suggestions, please feel free to leave them here, Lionel (the kitty) thanks you in advance.

I just went through the same thing with a stray almost a month ago. Peroxide won't sting him. The cat I took in licked his wounds after I applied it. If you use oral bentonite or LL's detox clay in very small amounts on his wound, it can also help draw out the infection.

Give him a shaded sheltered area (even a unused dog house will work) with fresh water to beat the heat. If he's infected, he will have a fever that will kill him in 100+ degrees outdoors. If you have a litter box and can bring him indoors until he's recovered it would help him even more. Or just use this link to find a no-kill shelter.

http://www.aspca.org

If he's been attacked, he is at risk of repeated attacks again if released into same surroundings.

Best wishes, I would have tried to help too...

Good luck! Hope your stray is doing well...........The cat I took care of actually had maggots not an infection....... Our family cat ran away during a move so we had just enough room and equipment anyway...... Report It

If you can't take him to the vet, take him to a shelter. Alot of shelters (and vets) have a catch-fix-release program where they spay/neuter feral cats (and other necessary medical care, of course) & then put them right back where they came from.

I understand not being able to take him to the vet--I'm in that situation when it comes to the feral colony I care for as well. Whenever one of my ferals has a wound and will let me take care of it, I use Neosporin. It's good for disinfection a wound. I would not cut the fur away from the wound. That could pose an extra risk. It could also hurt the cat further and cause him to lash out at you in pain. Since it is so hot outside, bring him inside, even if it's just in the bathroom.