My outdoor cat has a painful, hot, swollen chest. What is it?

Question

I recently moved to Houston and brought my Florida born cat here. He’s an outside cat and it got pretty cold here recently. He’s been sleeping a lot more but he still eats a lot and he’s about 4 years old. I’ve discovered a swollen part of his chest right between his front legs, and it seems like it hurts him when I press on it. It felt hot so I’m assuming it’s an infection and that he’ll be okay...

Destini R. Holloway, DVM · Accepted Answer

Poor guy. There are a lot of wildlife critters and probably a fair number of strays out and about, depending on your neighborhood. The swollen not to the touch area is likely an abscess (infected pocket caused by a puncture wound). You will need to see a vet to have this abscess drained and then have him placed on a short course of antibiotics to help this heal properly. I would consider keeping him indoors more often and fixed if he isn’t already, because intact males typically get into more fights and sustain more injuries. Best of luck with your cat. Take care.

My outdoor cat has a painful, hot, swollen chest. What is it?

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