February 26th, 2010 → 6:18 am @ admin // 8 Comments
He is 9 years old and we’ve had him about a week and a half.
We got him from the RSPCA and he is really the sweetest and silliest old man cat! When we went to look at him they said he was hand-shy which I now think is because he has large scabs above his eyes from rubbing. They didn’t mention them when we took him and we hadn’t noticed (he’s a dark grey tabby – kinda camouflaged!) Since we’ve had him they seem to have got worse and are now bleeding and weeping occasionally.
How can we stop him rubbing so much?? Is there anything we can put on it?
We will be taking him to the vets as soon as the insurance becomes valid (Friday).
Tags: Everything, From, Head, Rubbing, Stop
Café Mocha Valencia
1 year ago
Don’t put anything on it – just get him to the vet. If he’s 9 years old insurance might not even cover him. Did you check to make sure they would? Insurance is a big waste of money. Best to put money into a savings account and use that money when you need it for vet bills.
Do you really not have enough money to pay for a simple vet visit (under $50) and whatever ointment meds they would prescribe (probably under $20)? If so then I’m not sure why you adopted this cat.
darlingd
1 year ago
It sounds like your cat is scent marking everything he sees. He might be doing this so much because he’s in a new place, and nothing smells familiar to him. Or it could be because he is trying to establish ownership – HIS ownership of YOUR things. Either way, I would suggest cleaning up the weepy scabs whenever you can, to prevent infection, using a cotton ball, and then put a SMALL dab of Neosporin on the wounds.
Tilly☮☮
1 year ago
hellooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The reason why your cat rubs its head on everything is because it loves you and did you know when a cat rubs its face against things it is actually leaving a mark on the thing it rubbed on! you can not stop it loving everything! it must have a nice home!!
?
1 year ago
you can put neosporine on it. as for the rubbing his face they have sent glands that are comforting to them. you could try feliway for cats. it has the comforting pheremones that they have in their face. you can buy it at WalMart.
Anonymous
1 year ago
Cat’s do that to leave their scent around the place, perfectly normal. He may stop or lessen his rubbing when your place starts to smell like home.
He’s being a bit excessive though and may just have an irritation which he needs to rub, poor thing. Perhaps you could ring the place you got him from and ask what they were doing for him, just until you can see your VET that is.
Koiryu
1 year ago
awww. Good on you for adopting and old-man-cat!
You get a cookie jsut for that! 
he sounds like gold in feline form! Let us know what the vet says!
1) vet–oh, wait, you already said that…
Hmm.. maybe am allergy… skin irritation or something. Or maybe it’s a stress reaction and he’s trying to mark everything… If the latter, maybe some feliway, or some other ‘happy calm kitty’ spray… or kitty prozak. ;p In the mean time.. maybe making sure he’s got his own ‘safe’ place away from other animals where he can go to be left alone and safe and unstressed?
I wonder if an E-collar might help? Probably not.
Perhaps you could… call the vet and say “we’re bring him in on friday, but this is what he’s doing, and we were wondering what we could do to try and make sure it doesn’t get any worse!”
Maybe they’ll have a suggestion like.. bandaging or something.
I wish you the best of luck with your old man kitty
catkeypu
1 year ago
He’s got something going on if he’s rubbing himself raw. One possibility is ear mites. If that’s what it is his ears will look dirty inside. The other possibility is a plain old ear infection. Either way your vet will get it taken care of.
It won’t do you any good to put anything on it- he’ll just rub it off. Also, if he rubs it off with his paws it’ll get ingested. Take a clean cloth with warm water & wipe the area off a couple of times a day.
I appreciate that you adopted an older cat. They’re so hard to find homes for but as far as I’m concerned, they make the best pets. Thanks!
april_co
1 year ago
Advice I have for all sores. Get an antimicrobial soap – NOT antibacterial, it’s not the same thing – and wash the sores two or three times a day with a warm washcloth. This will prevent infection extremely well without the need for creams the cat will ultimately rub off, and it can be rinsed away. The right kind of soap, ,such as what might be sold to wash bed sores or piercings, will encourage faster healing and prevent not only bacterial, but possible fungal infections from cropping up. I actually buy mine from the same shop where I got some of my piercings, and it is very effective. I use it for my two cats and my two dogs, as well as a quick cleaning of any questionably dirty injuries on the kids. It really does speed the healing process.
Also consider adding some fish oil to your cat’s chow. A dry skin condition can be easily remedied with regular use. It helps their digestion, skin, coat, breath, and heart. i buy capsules since they’re inexpensive if you take time to shop around, and puncture a hole in one end to squeeze the oil out. Your cat will love it. The smell takes getting used to, but it doesn’t linger.