How to Wash a Cat’s Wound

Buy an antiseptic solution that is safe for pets. There are many disinfectants on the market to wash pets’ wounds, the most common are povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine. Consult your veterinarian if you want to purchase one of these products in case your cat gets scratched.

• Don’t forget that not all antiseptics are safe for cats. Products containing phenp are toxic to feline animals. You need to carefully read the drug label to see if the product contains phenp to avoid use. Another sign that a product contains phenp is that the solution will become cloudy when water is added. If in doubt, you should avoid that product and look for another.
• With povidone-Iodine solution: dilute 1 ml of povidone-iodine with 100 ml of water. ^[3] Use the prepared solution to wash away impurities on the wound.
• With chlorhexidine solution: mix 2.5 ml of chlorhexidine with 100 ml of water to obtain the appropriate concentration for wound washing. ^[4] Chlorhexidine is the active ingredient in many surgical antiseptics, such as Hibiscrub. This is a pink soapy solution that must be diluted with water. Chlorhexidine is highly antibacterial and has a sustained effect, i.e. it still kills bacteria even after it dries.

Dilute hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is another common wound cleaning solution. However, this solution can be very damaging to tissues if not diluted. The bubbling when hydrogen peroxide comes into contact with the wound indicates that the bacteria are being killed off, but unfortunately it also damages tissues that must be healthy for the wound to heal.

• The correct way to mix it is to use 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with 3 parts water (eg 25 ml hydrogen peroxide to 75 ml water) to have a disinfectant solution suitable for wound washing. ^[5]

Choose the safest product available. The use of disinfectant solution depends on your preferences and what you have available. You should always follow the dilution instructions on the product, as too much of a solution can damage tissue. Note that many household disinfectant products and some disinfectant sprays contain benzalkonium chloride that is not formulated for use on living tissues. ^[6]

• If you’re not sure if an antiseptic product is appropriate for your cat, replace it with saline or saline solution, which is always a safe option.

Ask another person to help you hold the cat. Your cat may be in pain or shock after being injured and may scratch and bite when you touch his sore spot. This is true even for ordinary cats who are inherently docile. Therefore, you should try to get a friend or neighbor to help hold the cat so that you can focus on cleaning the wound.

• Try wrapping your cat in a large towel and leaving only the wound open. This is a great way to calm your cat and reduce the risk of being bitten by a scratched cat. ^[7]

Wash the wound with a syringe. Pour the selected wound wash solution into the bowl. Use a syringe to draw the solution and spray it on the wound to wash and clean the wound. Spray several times on the wound until you feel the wound is clean.

• New wounds must be washed and disinfected to reduce the risk of infection. ^[8]
• Scratches when your cat is hit by a car or falls from a tree can become contaminated with dirt and bacteria. Thorough washing of the wound to remove dirt will help reduce the risk of complications, such as infection or poor wound healing.

Use a cotton ball dipped in the solution to clean the wound if you don’t have a syringe. If you don’t have a syringe, you can dip a cotton ball in the solution and squeeze it to get the solution into the wound. If the wound is too dirty and this method cannot remove the dirt, you can dab a cotton ball on the wound to clean it.

• After each dabbing on the wound, you need to get a new cotton swab to avoid re-contamination. Continue washing the wound until you see that the cotton pad is no longer dirty, then pour the solution on the wound.
• If your cat has an abscess, the wound can ooze quite a bit of pus. Use cotton, gauze or blotting paper to wipe away the pus. Gently press around the abscessed wound, pressing in and toward the tooth mark from which the pus is draining. It is important to remove as much of the pus as possible, as this is a permanent source of infection.

Use disinfectant. You can use an antiseptic after you have washed away the dirt. Follow the instructions on the package for correct use.

• The goal here is to rinse the infected area until you can see healthy and uncontaminated tissue before applying an antiseptic.

Determine if a bandage is needed. Most wounds should be exposed to air, so don’t try to bandage or cover minor injuries that aren’t serious. However, if the cat keeps trying to lick or bite the wound, you need to bandage it. In these cases, the wound may take longer to heal. ^[9]

• Some people think that licking a wound is a good thing, but a rough cat tongue can actually damage tissues instead of healing.

Observe the cat for signs of injury. It is important for cat owners to understand their normal behavior. This will help you realize if something is wrong. Observe changes in your cat’s behavior, which include (but are not limited to) changes in eating, movement, and communication habits. ^[10]

• These changes can be a sign of many diseases, including trauma.
• If your cat’s behavior or behavior changes suddenly for no apparent reason, take your cat to the vet. These changes could be a symptom of a health problem.

Look for injuries if you see or hear cats fighting. If you hear a cat scuffle, or your cat limps when you get home, check the cat for signs of trauma. One sign of a fight is tufts of fur sticking together. Look for clumps of fur that look messy or stand up at an unusual angle. ^[11] Gently examine the cat by parting the cat’s coat and observing the underlying skin.

• In addition, you can find hairless spots caused by cats being pulled by opponents when fighting. These places may have wounds. You may also see blood stains or swelling. ^[12] White or light-haired cats are the easiest to find wounds. For a black cat, gently stroke the cat’s body and observe its response to pain or feel for wounds, bumps, or scabs.