Cat attack!

Hannah

New Member
Hi everyone,

I have a male veiled approx. 4-5 months, who was attacked by my cats today. :( I'm home for the weekend from school, and the door to my room got left open (as it is also the office, people come and go, though his weekend cage is situated in a relatively private spot between a cabinet and the window) and I came in from breakfast to find his cage door broken open, and my cats batting behind the printer (where he apparently fled after being taken from his home :( ). He seems to have escaped the whole thing relatively unscathed and is basking happily (light green) now, but he has about 6-7 little spots in his skin from what I'm guessing were cat teeth. :mad:

The little spots are black, but not actually bleeding (perhaps bleeding under the skin or bruised?), but I don't want them to become infected. I've seen on the forum that some people use neosporin or polysporin on burns and irritation, is this safe to do in this case? How much do I use, and does anyone have any other advice for making sure he stays happy and healthy (besides making a big fat "keep door shut" sign and disciplining the cats (as if this were possible...)? Please note that I usually don't put him at risk of cat attacks, nor do i subject him to the stress of travelling (about 1 hr drive), but my friend who usually keeps him at school for me when I come home was unavailable, and on such short notice this was my only option. Any help is appreciated, Thanks!
 
Watch out

If these are cat bites, this is a big deal.

Cat bites are puncture wounds, as to the slashing wounds of other animals. The real difference is that cats mouths are loaded with bacteria (Pasteurella (sp?) being one of the most significant. The bite injects the bacteria into the skin but then closes up. This allows for a great anaerobic (no oxygen) environment in which to grow. Abscesses may soon follow if not dealt with by injectible or oral antibiotics.

Topical will not get down to the area that may be infected. Abscesses may take a few days to a week to show and by that time may need to be surgically debrided. The easiest thing is to get to the vet as soon as you can.

If you think that these are claw marks, it probably is not as serious and topical may do the trick. If you are not sure, I don't think you want to wait to find out.

Good luck,
Matthew
 
The little black marks you see on him are most likely claw pokes. I've been a lizard keeper most my life. The one thing I have learned is that once a cat knows the "toy" is in the house, they are relentless. AND eventually, they will always "get
the game." I had a curious collard that I loved dearly. So tame and wonderful. I had to leave and closed the door. I shoved clothing under the crack of the door she was range free. The curious collard must have heard the cats and made noise at the door. The cats must have heard the collard and clawed the clothes out from the door and the lizard (so tame) came out. There were so many little black poke holes the poor thing was a goner. :{
Having my heart broken, I put my other lizard way high up in a tank on top of multiple things. One night I was awaken to the most hideous crashing and rolling crashing that just kept going and going. When I finally stopped screaming and pulled the covers off my head, turned on the light, there was my lizard flipping like a fish out of water and glass and wood everywhere. :{ real nightmare
From that day on, I knew, that no matter what you do, where you put them, how secure you think they are, lizards are not safe from cats.
I am sure that somewhere, there is a cool cat that is more cerebral and can override the natural instinct, but I'll never be trying to find out. I love lizards too much.
 
IF there are no punctures that is a good sign the spots are just brused it will go away keep an eye on your cham for any signs of additional underlying issues. But it sounds like you were very lucky that the cham was not more seriously injured that cat will most likly be more intent on getting the cham now that its had a taste keep him safe.
 
the black spots are probably teeth punctures, i hope for the chameleon's sake it didn't damage any organs, you can use hydrogen peroxide, just pour it over the wounds until it bubbles and then put a topical jelly. it will probably get infected under the skin, if that is the case you need to go to the vet and get an antibiotic.
drew
 
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