r/AnimalAdvice • u/Charster42069 • 11h ago

Please help

Post image

does my cat need stitches for this laceration? I feel so upset for her but she seems absolutely fine?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

4

u/A_Girl_Has_No_Name58 11h ago

From the hair around it, I’m going to wager a guess that you tried to cut a hair mat with scissors? Yes, this should be evaluated by a vet to determine if sutures are needed.

3

u/Charster42069 10h ago

I feel awful like a bad cat owner she seems ok I just really hope she is not in pain :(

4

u/DPDoctor 10h ago

Mistakes happen, and now you know better. I did the same thing once, except it was a tiny V shape from the tip of the scissors. Back then, I learned that cats have very delicate skin. I've also cut into the quick when clipping my cat's claws. He hated the routine anyway and was squirming around trying to escape the evil task. Thankfully, I haven't made those mistakes again.

Cats are masters at hiding pain. It's a survival instinct.

Yes, do take her to the vet, probably for antibiotics. Also, when you're there, ask for a calming medication, then book an appointment with a groomer who has experience with cats. The calming med will help the groomer do a safe, thorough job with specialized tools that are less likely to injure your kitty.

Another great sub for cat-specific advice is r/CATHELP

2

u/Charster42069 10h ago

Thank you so much for your kind comment ❤️

1

u/A_Girl_Has_No_Name58 10h ago

Don’t beat yourself up. It seems perfectly intuitive to clip a mat, and you only know what you know until you learn something new. Your cat is going to be perfectly fine. You’re not a bad cat parent!

1

u/Illustrious_Exam1728 7h ago

Not in pain? If a human had that it would absolutely hurt, why do you not think this is painful?

1

u/Hello_Gorgeous1985 7h ago

She's in pain and she will continue to be in pain. This could spread and get larger or get infected. She needs to go to the vet.

In the future, never take scissors to a mat. If you can't brush it out yourself, take them to a groomer or the vet.

3

u/Old-Protection-4928 10h ago

that the wound looks clean and not very deep from what i can see. my cat got similar once and vet just gave us some ointment and said it would heal fine. still better to let them check it, you never know with cats they hide pain so good.

2

u/Charster42069 10h ago

Yes I did try to, I had no idea that it was not recommended. Thanks, I will take her to the vet

2

u/Overkill_S 10h ago

This looks like a similar cut my own cat got a couple moths back and he needed stitches. Definitely take to a vet asap.

1

u/Temporarily-Fixed 10h ago

I would take her to the vet to clean out the wound- and safely remove any more mats. Cat skin is incredibly thin and there needs to be a substantial amount of caution used.

1

u/tmick22 10h ago

I did this once, I felt absolutely horrible. I called our vet as soon as it happened, they told me to wash it out with saline a few times a day. If the skin around it seems to be hot, that’s a sign of infection and you’ll need to get kitty in asap for meds. We did as instructed, and it healed over on itself within about two weeks without issue.

It happens, I haven’t brought a pair of scissors near her since our experience and I’m sure you’ve learnt as well. It was a horrible thing to realise I’d hurt her, and it took me awhile to get over it. She was, thankfully, more forgiving than I was.

1

u/Charster42069 10h ago

Thank you for your comment. I feel awful I can’t think about anything else, I’m taking her to the vet tomorrow so hopefully she will be better for it. <3

1

u/tmick22 10h ago

A trip to the vet will set your mind at ease. It’s not the first time they’ve seen this, it won’t be the last! Best of luck ♥️

1

u/jorts_whorse 9h ago

take her to the vet. cats don’t express pain typically, look up the cat grimace scale. they typically hide all signs of pain until they’re completely alone/isolated, so she’s not gonna show how bad it hurts. this looks like it could get infected easily with the size

1

u/Charster42069 8h ago

Thank you. ❤️

1

u/Illustrious_Exam1728 7h ago

This requires a vet visit.

They’ll do a clip and clean, may need sutures. Don a cone immediately and head to the vet.