Why does my cat have mysterious scratches on its head?
Cats frequently develop head wounds from outdoor altercations or self-inflicted scratching that worsens existing marks. These injuries make it difficult to determine whether the damage stems from rough outdoor play or the cat persistently reopening a healing sore.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1taking the cat to the vetDid this help you?
- 2keeping an eye on the cats' interactionsDid this help you?
- 3treating it as an allergy or infectionDid this help you?
- 4Taking the pet to the vet for a checkupDid this help you?
- 5Applying topical antiseptics or first aidDid this help you?
- 6Speculating about potential wildlife or sharp objects in the areaDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Yesterday my car had some scrapes on her head and today she opened them up, I can’t tell if they’re getting worse or if she’s scratching them open.”source ↗
“Just noticed this on my little guy, skin seems flat, not bleeding or anything but looks like it's hair torn out (?) - doesn't seem to hurt him either when touched there. Anyone seen similar?”source ↗
“My cat has the same marks. He got them from playing outside and I saw them when he came back in the evening. I’m not sure where he got his either.”source ↗