Who's leaving muddy paw prints on my cat door? What should I do?

If the flap isn't in use you can cut a piece of wood or cardboard to the size of the door and slide it into the ridges around the flap (it looks like there are inserts for this from your photos). Making sure to keep all food picked up and away from the entry and outside can also help deter curious critters from poking around any more and the light may help. I haven't heard of lavender, rosemary, or mint deterring raccoons, (peppermint sometimes works with rodents) so I would avoid that as it may just attract more curiosity.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear about your kitties. Most likely is actually other cats, though raccoons or other wild animals are possible. Insect bites/stings rarely cause wounds in cats (the exception being uncommon venomous spiders). Clean all the wounds with dilute iodine or hydrogen peroxide and keep them all indoors until they are fully healed. If any cat seems painful or has a wound that is hot to the touch, painful, or swollen, that cat needs to see the vet for a more thorough cleaning and probably antibiotics. Of course I also suggest that they remain indoor cats if possible to do so. Best of luck to you and the kitties!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Rabies is commonly spread through a bite wound. So there is very low risk of rabies transmission based on what you have described as making ocntact through a screen net. It isn't impossible because rabies is found in the saliva, just very unlikely in this scenario. Just keep an eye on your pet Kate for the next 7 days for any abnormal behavior (i.e. excessive vocalization, irrational behaivor, aggressive behavior, and if she is not up to date on her rabies vaccination, I would highly recommend getting her vaccinated asap. I hope that things work out well for your pet Kate moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

Hello. Daisy may have been bitten by a raccoon or another cat, but cats do not get coon fever as we know the disease to affect dogs. Without a picture, I can not evaluate the coloration on her nose, so the best would be to have her evaluated by your veterinarian in case she needs antibiotics or other treatment. I hope she is feeling better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Tipper. So yes, this can be worrying. Raccoons can carry serious diseases like rabies and distemper. You need to keep her away from the raccoon. Call your local animal control to come and trap this raccoon. Oftentimes, if the raccoon is visible during the day and lets animals approach it, that is a sign it's sick. Also make sure Tipper is up to date on her vaccines like her DHPPi combination shot and rabies. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would suspect that this could be from another cat, some other animal or a puncture wound from a sharp object. It sounds as though the lesion is infected with your description. I would recommend soaking the foot in a mixture of betadine and water until you have a light brown solution. Soak the foot with this solution twice daily for 10 minutes at a time. If the foot does not improve, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

They are probably nothing to be concerned about. Minor scratches can be cleaned with a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. Dry thoroughly afterwards. Monitor for redness, swelling, discharge, bleeding, fever or lethargy. If Pepper is current on her vaccines, rabies is not a concern either.