If you have an outdoorsy cat, it’s probable that at some point he or she has been in an argument with another neighbourhood wanderer and ended up with some cat bite wounds.

Cats tend to be territorial, especially males, and most especially males who are not neutered.

Whilst there are some cats who love a good brawl, even docile pets who keep to themselves are at risk of being assaulted by a tom cat.

Therefore, any pet cat who spends some time outside is at risk of developing bite abscesses and other skin lacerations. If you’ve ever been bitten by a cat, you will know how painful a bite can be. In addition, cat bite wounds almost always become infected, so pain relief and antibiotics are usually needed. Sometimes minor surgery is required for larger wounds.

It is essential that any cat who spends time outdoors, even on their own patch, be protected with a vaccination for Feline Leukaemia Virus (FELV) annually.This infection is carried by those roaming tomcats who transmit the virus in their saliva.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is another infection that can be transmitted in this way. Unfortunately, we do not yet have an effective vaccine for this disease.