Cat wound wont heal

Question
I have a nearly 2 year old neutered DSH (vaccinated, strictly indoor cat) who got a bite or scratch just behind the shoulder blade from my other healthy indoor cat . . . in October.  It has not healed.  He also has a couple nicks inside his ear since about the same time.  They have not healed.  I've tried antibiotic ointment but it has had no effect.  I am unemployed and just moved and money is very tight so I hate to spend the vet bill if it's likely nothing to worry about.  My horse vet looked at it in November and did not seem concerned.  But it's been so long now that I'm getting scared this might be a sign of leukemia or cancer or something.  The cat is healthy and active (a holy terror much of the time, just ask my other cat) and does not act sick in any way.

I know you can't tell me what it is, but can you tell me some of the possible reasons why a young, healthy, well-fed (but not overweight) cat wouldn't be able to heal a minor nick in his skin?  There is no sign of abscess or pus, it just seeps and keeps forming scabs.  These are the only wounds I've ever seen on him at all and none have healed.

And if this CAN be a sign of some serious chronic disease, I'll have him at the vet tomorrow.  I just don't want to waste the money if all he needs is some Vitamin K or something.

Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Debra!
I can definitely understand your concern.  Although this is a very long time for a wound to not heal completely, you would definitely being seeing an abcess or pus coming from the wound if infection was present.  This is a bit concerning, but definitely nothing to panic about at this time.  Your cat is appearing healthy in every other way, is eating/ drinking and behaving completely normally, so I would not be suspicious that something else is going on with him.  I would, however, be more suspicious that these wounds are somehow re-opening.  It is definitely common for a cat to scratch their ear when there is an infection or wound present.  When we get a wound, and it is healing, it itches.  The same thing goes for animals.  Before anything else, I would have to assume that he is scratching at these wounds during the healing process, causing them to be unable to heal properly.  I definitely would not be concerned of leukemia or cancer.  If this were the case, after all these months, you would definitely be picking up on some more symptoms.  I would suggest keeping an eye on these wounds.  You may even want to clean them out with hydrogen peroxide twice per day, for a week.  The peroxide will help them dry out faster, which will hopefully quicken the "itchy" stage, allowing the wounds to fully heal before your kitty gets scratch happy. After cleaning with peroxide, continue to put the antibiotic ointment on the wounds, to deter any potential infection.  You may also put a cool damp compress on the wounds for 5 minutes every night, which may also alleviate itching.  
Some signs that there is an infection present, making a veterinary visit necessary:
swelling around the wounds
redness around the wounds
pus coming from wounds
foul smell
With the above symptoms, indicating infection, a veterinary visit would be beneficial, in which your cat would be prescribed some oral antibiotics to clear the infection up and to promote healing.
I hope this helps!
Hilary