First experience of injured cat / lost collar- looking for experienced perspectives :)

[Firsttimecatlady]

Hello!
We’ve had out cat (a little 2yr female rescue) since September, and she’s our first ever cat. She’s been going in and out of the cat flap happily for a couple of months and exploring the neighbourhood.
Tonight is the first time she’s come back in quite a state- soaking and muddy, very skittish and upset, she’s lost her collar and tag somewhere and she’s got a nasty gash on her back paw (on the bed of her paw- between two ‘toes’ by the looks of it) - she can’t bear weight on it.

We’ll keep an eye- but just after a little experienced perspective really- as I feel like a new parent, absolutely shaken up! 😂

Is this common- should we expect these kind of scrapes? The thought that she’s had to struggle out of her collar is upsetting, but is this common too?

Will see how her paw is tomorrow- do you usually whip off to the vets, or wait and see for a day or two?

I’m sorry- I’m aware of what a novice I am / sound! It’s just so strange knowing she’s got in a bit of bother and we’ve no idea where or what- I guess we’re going to have to get used to that with a cat?!!

Thanks in advance :)

We’ve had our similar age rescue cat for a year and not (so far) had anything like this. I can see why you’re shaken!

I would lock her in for a day or two (weather looks awful anyway) to avoid infection in the gash and keep a close eye while it heals. If it’s not improving and she won’t let you near it them vet.

Are there any aggressive cats around do you know? Or anything like new building works she wouldn’t be used to?

But yes the not knowing is definitely a thing with cats! Unless you get a teeny GoPro

They are very resilient and get into all sorts of scrapes. I'd keep her in too and keep an eye out for signs of infection. Cats heal quickly in my experience. If she's overwashing it don't be concerned their saliva contains enzymes that act as natural antibiotics. It's upsetting to think they have been in a dangerous situation and become injured but I'm sure she will be fine.

I've had several cays throughout my life and ine came back eith a broken leg and another broke her spine after being hit by a car, ibe was kicked in a garage fur a few days snd came hine dusty and hungry. But none had ever been in any fights as far as I could tell.
Cats can roam much further than you think possible. There may be a territorial cats nearby who she ran into or possibly even a dog or fox (though I've never seen this personally). She will learn from this though and hopefully avoid further confrontations.

Poor thing 💐

Broken skin I'd take to the vets, and there's going to be a high infection risk in a paw.

There's no need for cats to wear collars, and the risks of collar injuries are not worth it.

I've had this sort of thing quite a lot with my cat. With her, it's usually a fight in which the collar gets ripped off. I've handled some issues myself but have also had quite a few vet bills.

I would check her over thoroughly as wounds can be hidden and there may be more than one. If it seems minor, I would bathe the wound with cotton wool soaked in salt water. Keep her in for a bit. Monitor her. Watch for over-licking, inflammation, infection, depression etc. I'm sure you'll know if she needs vet care. If you're worried, you could always call the out-of-hours vet and see what they say.

Hope she feels better very soon.

I wouldn’t put a collar on a cat, the vets on here always advise against it and they know what they’re talking about.

I would bathe the paw in warm saltwater and get her to the vets too, paws go septic easily. They do get shook up by fights ime.

Thank you so much for all the advice and support :) We’ve had a chat over video call with a vet this morning and we’ll take her in to be seen. She’s very sorry for herself today but she’s eating and drinking if we take it to her and hopefully she’ll perk up soon. This worry is actually worse than when my child goes out alone! 😂
And a big thank you for the advice re: collars. She’s chipped, so we definitely won’t be putting one on her again.

😃 I’d imagine the photos on your phone are now mostly the cat in a variety of cute poses too with a couple of the kids every few weeks.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared their advice and experience.
Unfortunately Luna has to wear a collar- and quite a big one!- until her foot heals fully, and she absolutely can’t stand it. She’s not adapting at all- is still in flight mode and just keeps freezing / hiding and then bolting round the house in an attempt to escape (I imagine) but with the cone on, she’s getting stuck and I’m worried she’ll hurt herself. She will let me stroke her and feed her bits, but she’s in serious trauma!!

Any experience of cones out there? Do they adapt eventually; she can’t carry on like this!

Thanks!

When I say a collar I mean a cone of course- a vet issued clear Perspex cone thing- not a regular cat collar (sorry- mistyped!)

Yes, they do adjust to the cone collars in time. It just takes them a few days to recalibrate their balance. You will probably see her trying to wash herself, but only able to lick the inside of the cone, which is upsetting to watch. When one of mine had been in a collar, she sat and washed herself for two hours solid when it was taken off. But once it's off they forget it was ever on.

@Fluffycloudland77

😃 I’d imagine the photos on your phone are now mostly the cat in a variety of cute poses too with a couple of the kids every few weeks.

This is SO true

I think I’ve got two of dh on my phone, everything else was the Bengal.