Cat bite wounds are highly prone to abscess formation due to the deep puncture nature of cat bites, requiring prompt veterinary treatment and prevention through neutering and indoor management.
Cat bite wounds cause significant acute pain and the distress of developing abscess infection. The initial bite is painful, but the development of abscess within days creates swelling, throbbing pain, and systemic fever that makes the cat clearly unwell. Abscesses that develop in inaccessible locations or are undetected can become very large before diagnosis. The risk of FIV and FeLV transmission through bites adds serious long-term welfare implications to individual bite events. Prevention through neutering (which reduces fighting in most cats) and indoor management eliminates the majority of bite wound welfare events.