*Fat lip* on Buddy

No doubt due to fighting

I noticed a small mark early yesterday morning but couldn't get a close look as he was reluctant to come in due to Pablo being here, but I managed to get a pic last night and it was a lot bigger. It's a strange place to get a injury, at least I've never seen this before, but the fact it's got bigger mens I'll be keeping a close eye on it in case infection sets in.



Ian

It looks more like a coldsore, rather than a fight mark, does seem a strange place for a wound mark. Poor Buddy, looks nippy.

Hi Kath,

It started with just a bit of fur missing and what looked like a puncture wound from a tooth or claw, but had got as it is in the pic by late evening. There's no blood and he's eating ok/asking me to go and play in the garden, so it's not bothering him.

Ian

It's another **I'll keep my eye on it** situations, if it's not bothering him, not much you can do.

He seems fine, and is presently *asking* me for the third time so far today to go out and play with him.

Ian

I have to say that I have seen this sort of injury quite often on Malo - from fights. As yet they have not developed into infections but it will be one of those 'keep an eye on it' situations. We have never been to the vets with a wound here as there has never been a need so I wouldn't know whether it is a common place for an injury or not. Vets have told us that an injury to the leg is not only common but also the most dangerous for a cat and happily we haven't had that scenario yet - touch wood. Poor Buddy - hope it heals soon.

Joanne

Hi Joanne,

As Buddy is a fighter by nature/preference, he's probably had numerous wounds that I've just not seen and not come to any harm, hopefully this will be the same.

Ian

The wound is now looking a little bigger and there's a distinct hole just above his lip, almost certainly from a tooth or claw. I say looking bigger, it's more the bald patch around it and this could well be due to a cats habit of licking their lips after eating. If his toungue can get to actual skin it'll have more purchase on any surrounding fur, especially if it's been weakened by pulling during the fight.

As I now know he doesn't go back to Donnas, it's time for a collar. I've got a spare of the same type as Bola now wears with my phone # on it, and if as I suspect, Buddy goes elsewhere they'll hopefully get in touch.

Ian

Oh wow, I would love to see his reaction when you put the collar on

I'm hoping, as he's used to my mauling him about when playing he won't bother, but these collars are awkward to fasten and he rarely sits still for longer than a few seconds. Even Bola raises hell when I alter/replace his, so getting one on Buddy might be tricky.

I'll probably get new collars for both while I'm buying dry food at the pet stall tomorrow. I've still got a custom printed one for Bola that's never been worn, but I begrudge using it at nearly £7 a go if he loses it like the last one. I'm going to have to find a way of making the quick release catch harder to open while still opening easily if he gets trapped by it.

Ian

I've just tried to put the spare collar on Buddy, and as expected, he didn't co-operate one bit It's the same size as Bolas, and while that's a comfortable fit on him, this one would have probably felt like Buddy was being strangled had I managed to fasten it.

He's got one hell of a thick neck for such a small-ish cat

Ian

set a video camera up so we can watch this in progress, should be good for a laugh.

Buddy is now sporting a brand new, bright green collar with a red plastic Id barrel on it as well. He's not keen and did a good 10 minute scratch at his neck soon after it was put on, maybe he really did itch that much, but I doubt it

Ian

He'll maybe do that often over the next few days until he gets used to it.

He's still having a manic scratch every now and then, but at least everything is still in place

I've gotta admit I feel a bit sorry for him, the plastic ID barrel is meant for small dogs and while it looked ok on Bola, it makes Buddy look like a cat version of a St Bernard, except in his case it looks more like a barrel of brandy, not just a flask

Ian

Oh poor Buddy, good image though.

Yeah, it just doesn't look right on him somehow

I've got a spare metal screw-up ID barrel that's meant for cats so is a lot smaller, I might put that on his collar later. The catch is I can't get as much info in due to it's size.

Ian

I think the most importrant thing is the phone number, oh I shouldn't laugh but I have an image of him lugging this barrel around while he's grumping about it.

Teddy wrote:I think the most importrant thing is the phone number, oh I shouldn't laugh but I have an image of him lugging this barrel around while he's grumping about it.

Not the best pic of this ID barrel, he needed to be stood with it dangling free to appreciate how big it looked on him



Ian

Teddy wrote:I think the most importrant thing is the phone number........

I was starting to think it might be needed as I was up at silly o'clock (4.30am today) because I hadn't seen him since 11am yesterday, and while he likes being outside, he likes a full belly even more.

He appeared in my garden at 5am but just as quickly vanished again, still without eating here He may have come in during the night of course, but he didn't wake me if he did and none of the dry food had been touched since I refilled both bowls at 7pm yesterday. He's either found something very interesting nearby that's better than food or he's getting fed elsewhere.

Ian

Hmmm, he didn't come back again till 5pm and he didn't show much interest in a bowl of wet food, tho' he had a nibble at some dry. He was very subdued, maybe he's just a bit off colour today.

Ian

Hope he gets back to normal soon. Maybe his collar was a shock to some other family who thought he was theirs - and they are keeping him in, or tempting him more with food.

Joanne

I found him asleep on a chair downstairs not long ago, but he woke and followed me outside when I went to check on Fudge. I managed to tempt him back in with food and left him eating in the livingroom, hoping he'd go back on the chair when he'd finished.

I've long suspected he goes elsewhere, that was the idea behind the collar and ID barrel, if he does I was hoping they'd ring me. When Donna tried keeping him in some time back, in a attempt to reinforce the fact he lived there and not with me. She kept him in for over a week IIRC, and once I'd spotted him back outside I kept my flap locked from 6am to 6pm for 2 weeks to stop him calling, and by all accounts he still didn't go back to Donnas house much.

It seems likely he found somewhere else and perhaps still calls there as I often don't see him for hours on end during the day, but he's never disappeared for this length of time before. Having said that, he's very much a outdoor cat and only seems to come here to recharge his batteries/ask me to play with him.

Ian

He finally came in at 5.30am today, filled his face on the dry food in my bedroom and was straight back out again. If he has found somewhere else it seems likely also have a open 24/7 flap and he's just using my house as a filling-station on his way back there atm. Mind you, the weather is wild and windy but dry and has been for the past 24+ hours, and we all know how much cats enjoy being outside when the wind is really blowing.

I'm wondering if Pablo turned up while I was out on Saturday afternoon and they had a fight, it seems unlikely but that could explain the sudden change in Buddy's behaviour.

'EDIT'

Buddy turned up asking for wet food and licked the plate clean (vanished again right after) so he's not getting fed *wherever* it is he's been.

Even Max stayed out all night enjoying the wind and Fudge is having a al fresco breakfast in my back garden atm, but it's blowing so hard she's needing to use her claws on the lawn to stop herself being blown away

Ian

What an image - especially with beautiful fluffy Fudge hanging on for dear life.

Joanne