BeeJay's abscess burst through the skin, leaving a small hole to the left of her tail base. The wound was cleansed and the placement of a drain was unnecessary. "It was kinda gross looking, but she felt much better afterward," Pastor said. Indeed, once an abscess is opened up so the pus can drain, most cats feel better immediately.

Antibiotic treatment, therefore, is an important part of abscess therapy "because oral bacteria are literally injected below the skin during the biting process," and nearly all of these wounds are infected, Norsworthy said. Penicillin derivatives are often used.

"Antibiotics are given for 5 to 10 days," Norsworthy said. Occasionally, some bite-wound infections do not respond to initial antibiotic therapy, and a bacterial culture and sensitivity test may be required to determine which bacteria are infecting the wound and which antibiotics are most effective.

Properly treated abscesses have excellent prognosis. However, the best prevention is to keep your cats indoors. Also, get your cats fixed, to reduce hormone-induced roaming and aggressive tendencies.

"BeeJay is an indoor cat now," Pastor said. "I love her too much to take chances."

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