Split pad - is it vet time? Photo included (blood too)

[Albadross]

My boy came in and miaowed at me, pawing my hand as I was building Lego (!) and I noticed he was leaving a trail of blood - he has split one of his toe pads and it looks very sore

I've stopped him going out so it doesn't get dirty but should I wash it and take him to the vet? He's licked it which made it pour with blood again and now he's lying on a bathmat to try and save the cream carpet but it looks very deep, bless him.

Oh poor little thing. Personally I would go to the vet as I think would probably need an antibiotic injection to ensure it doesn't get infected. It may need dressing too as it will keep splitting every time it is walked home. Also if I had some metacam I might give him some as it looks so sore, poor boy. Hope he is ok soon.

Waked on - not home!

I would bathe in salt water and bandage it and maybe take to the vet tomorrow morning if it didn't seem to be healing.

Oh that does look really sore. Yes you should take him to the vet, have it looked at, is the claw ok? He is probably licking it because it hurts.

Right well DH has sustained a puncture wound to the thigh but luckily I'm a skilled cat wrangler and we managed to get a non-stick dressing on it and a bit of Elastoplast - it's sticking for now but my god did he fight! Poor bugger, I think it'll be a trip to the vet tomorrow, infection was my main concern.

Claw looks fine, it's just a slice through the pad, maybe he caught it on a fence? It's so horrible having to hold them and knowing they don't understand why you're hurting them

Oh and yes it bleeds every time he walks on it and now the cream carpet looks like a murder scene!

Can you borrow a dog crate off someone to keep him confined until tomorrow?

Any way you could put a bandage on it? easier said that done I know.

There could possibly be something lodged inside it, e.g. a tiny shard of glass. So, yes, I'd take him to the vet and let the vet do the wrangling. To know for sure it's OK you need to see inside.

He's bandaged and sitting voluntarily in his carrier in the kitchen looking very sorry for himself. It's not going to be pleasant ripping that off him at the vets tomorrow but it's not worth the risk of infection as you've all said. Back legs are so much harder to get hold of without him being hurt - or one of us... I dipped his entire foot into salt water before we bandaged it and he didn't mind that at all weirdly.

Hoping this vet is better than the one we had for my old cat, who used to stand back and have nothing to do with the wrangling, whilst she was climbing the walls. I'm assuming they'll see him same day because it's a paw?

They can soak the bandage off. Poor kitty.

He pulled it off himself in the night but it looked much better. Took him to the vet (he'd saved up a huge poo so we arrived stinking and with him dodging poo rolling around in the carrier ) and she said it looks clean and just to keep him in for a few days and use salt water. He's very bored!

I am so happy his toe is getting better, bet he can't wait to go outside. He does not look amused

I know the vet said to keep it clean, but sticking your cat in the dishwasher is a bit extreme!

So glad he's getting better.

@KickAssAngel 😁

Tbf when I’m in a sulk I often go and sit in the dishwasher....

Glad he’s in the mend, @Albadross

Self-imposed jail. He's also been playing the piano quite a bit and digging up my six foot cheese plant 😬