What Causes Scabby Necks in Cats?
I have a cat who bites all the other cats in our
home around the neck area (she is a sweetheart to
humans). This causes my other cats to get scabs
on their neck area. What kind of medicine would
you suggest to help their wounds heal more
quickly?
Cheryl
Troup, TX
Cats are diligent groomers. Any ointment or treatment that is placed on a cat’s skin has the potential to end up in its mouth. I rarely recommend topical medicines to help scabs heal in cats.
If the scabs are surrounded by red, irritated skin then oral antibiotics may help with healing. If they are not, it generally is best to let the scabs heal naturally.
No matter what, I recommend that you do some more investigation into the cause of the scabs. When cats bite each other around the neck, abscesses (areas of infection filled with pus) may develop. Hair may be pulled out. But cat bites almost never lead scabs.
In other words, I doubt that the biting cat is causing the scabs.
Scabs on the necks of cats most often are caused by allergies. Although there are millions (literally) of potential allergens in the environment, fleas are the prime offenders. Allergies to fleas cause a syndrome called miliary dermatitis. Miliary dermatitis is characterized by scabs on the neck. Most cats with miliary dermatitis will not have visible flea infestations.
I recommend that you tackle this problem with a high quality flea preventative. If that doesn’t do the trick, a trip to the vet is in order.
You have questions. 
Why do cats bite other cats on the back of the neck?
I have two boys, a siamese and an orange tabby who is the dominant one, but when the orange tabby seems to annoy the siamese he grabs him with his mouth on the back of the neck, is this a kind of dominant act or just a scolding?
Thank you for this straightforward and extremely logical advice. I have a multi-cat, mutli animal household>> in a town in Brazil where access to modern veterinary care is a dream. Sometimes I think that there is more unrest among my 10 cats (its OK, we have a large home, and a hectare of clean parklike landscaping) because I have more males than females. All were once abandoned, now neutured, with all annual vaccinations usual, but for this last year do not appear to have had problems with fleas as in the past. This last 2 months, following a 3 month drought, 3 of the cats have developed scabs around the neck, and one has powdery dandruff near the root of her tail, coming from a sensitive skin area. The local vet diagnosed dermatitis, and recommended a course of antibiotics for her and a shampoo. At the first attempt at bathing Annika, I was scratched on my shoulders, chest and arms but perserved! Next attempt, I wore a large plastic apron and securted the cat’s paws (the vet recommended sellotape but I couldn’t bear the thought of the repval process). Anyway, Annika’s itching seems better but her scabs not; the scabs on Junior and Kaká are multiplying and these 3 of my beloved friends all sleep on my bed. After reading this article, I am going to change the brand of anti flea drops, and go through the hassle of “Anti-flea Day” regardless of my dislike of this process and the fact I cannot find evidence of fleas. Wish me luck and courage! . .
Good luck, Marilyn, and bless you for taking in AND neutering all those cats.
Christina, in my experience the scruff-biting is a kind of dominance. Mama cats carry their kittens around by the scruff of the neck, so cats have an instinct to go limp when grabbed by the scruff. When adult cats do it to each other, it’s kind of the kitty equivalent of “knock it off.” Sounds like your boys are pretty good at working out their issues!