My 6-week-old kitten has scratches, and his mom bites. Is he okay?

Poor Rocky! Those areas do look quite sore. It was a good idea to bathe him and apply flea medication as a first step, since fleas can definitely cause skin issues like this. If the skin issues do not start to improve within the next 2-3 days, it would be best to go ahead and take him to the vet, as there may be something else going on - allergies, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, etc. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

This type of wounds must be considered always infected. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would clean the area daily with just some warm water, & perhaps comb out the hair with a very fine comb, such as a flea comb. I can not tell if she is causing trauma to the skin, but watch carefully if the area seems to be getting worse. You may have to separate the kitten from her mother once she starts to eat a bit on her own ( at about 4 weeks of age ) for periods of time to give the skin a chance to start to heal. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to know the most appropriate course of action without knowing the extent of his injuries. However, the best thing you can do is to keep him as quiet as possible for now until you can have him evaluated by a veterinarian. He likely has trauma in multiple places which is why he is so responsive to the touch. Often times after fights they have injuries beyond what you can see from the outside. They would be able to check the extent of the injuries and recommend the best course of action but for now, I recommend that you rest him as much as possible and keep an eye on him to make sure he is ok. Good luck and have a great day!

This sounds like normal kitten behavior actually but I understand your concerns with the children. If the kitten doesn't have other kittens to play with , this type of behavior is often exhibited. I recommend you put some Feliway diffusers in your house and do some environmental enrichment for him. Usually these two things help. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are likely describing teething which is basically a normal type of behavior when kittens are growing up and it is secondary to mouth discomfort as teeth are growing. I recommend that you get Callie teething type toys which you can get at your local pet store or online. Anytime that she tries to nibble at you, you say no and give her the toy. This is likely going to resolve the issue. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Pocky! I would be sure he doesn't have fleas or a skin infection. If he does treat the fleas as that will relieve the scratching. If the has red crusty bumps he may have an allergy to the food or environment or a skin infection. If that is the case it is best to see a vet. Otherwise I really like water-less shampoo to clean animals that can't be bathed. Have a good day!

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. She is very young still, so managing her scratching and biting will be crucial in this stages of life before she gets bigger and her scratching could become more damaging. Here are some tips you can follow to decrease the incidence of scratching. Hope this helps and best of luck. Why do cats scratch? Scratching is a normal behavior that aids cats in the marking of their territories in the form of scratch marks. Scent glands in their paws leave olfactory clues for other cats to alert them to their presence. Cats also find it pleasurable as a means of exercise and stretching. Scratching also allows cats to keep their claws healthy and shortened. Unlike dogs, a cats’ claws do not exfoliate evenly from the end; rather they peel off in layers like an onion. What is inappropriate scratching? Inappropriate scratching is ultimately determined by the owner, but is generally directed at furniture, screens, carpets and rugs and other items that the cats finds suitable. What can I do to prevent this? The easiest way to prevent severe damage is to trim your cats nails every 2-4 weeks. It is best to begin this process when the cat is very young, as they will become more accustomed to this procedure. However, older cats can learn to tolerate it as well. Another excellent method is to provide them with a suitable scratching substrate. As with nail trimming, this is also best started at an early age before the scratching behavior begins, but older cats will also generally accept such items as carpet or sisal fiber scratching posts or corrugated cardboard. For more options, you can visit your local pet store or make your own from their preferred scratching material and a supporting board of wood. My cat is ignoring the scratching post. How do I get him/her to use it? Place the item in the areas that your cat(s) enjoys scratching. You can entice the cat to use the item by rubbing or sprinkling with catnip. If your cat insists on using the wrong scratching surface, guide your cat to the correct site. Once at the post, you can start petting and scratching your cat while placing their feet on the surface for encouragement and stimulation of the natural kneading motion. Remember to reward your cat for its good behavior!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Koneko is very cute! I can't make out the scratch on the 2nd picture. Cat bites can be very dirty and commonly cause infections or abscesses. Koneko could have an abscess forming for could be painful after being attacked. She could also be a little traumatized. I would ask your neighbors who they use for Veterinary care. Some large animal (horse or cow) also are mixed animal Vets that also treat cats and dogs. Or I would call your local SPCA and see if they have a low cost Veterinary clinic built in. The best thing for Koneko is to have an exam done, that way we can bet her better. She also needs to start her vaccinations and be dewormed. Until she is better and had her shots I would keep her indoors. I hope this helps and I wish Koneko the best!

Fleas and allergies to fleas can set-up an environment for infection. It's possible that this is complicating the recovery process. The skin will often start to heal once the fleas are gone, but it's worth treating for infection by giving a bath with a medicated cat shampoo (can get this at the pet store). I recommend discontinuing the use of dawn, because this can be very irritating to the skin and actually delay healing or make the problem worse. Dawn will also not completely get rid of the fleas. In general, only products labeled for cats should be used, because their skin pH is different than peoples. It's best to just give a bath with the medicated shampoo once every 2-3 days, until the skin starts to look normal. It's expected that it will take a month or more until the kittens start to look normal again, so stick with it and they should get through this fine. Treating for fleas is not just restricted to the host, because fleas can reproduce and nest in the environment and continually cause an issue. Below is a link to a short article that explains treating the cats and environment for fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ If the skin problems are not getting better, or are getting worse in the next two weeks, then it's best to have your kittens evaluated by a vet, because they may need additional treatment.