I got bit by my cat

blazetheginger

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
4
Purraise
1
I got bit by my cat about a week ago. It wasn't really bit, it was like a scratch on my arm caused by his teeth.There was no blood. Nothing really happened until I saw a pimple sort of thing on my arm. It was red and had a little puss/water coming out of it. It was really tiny and didn't hurt.

Then, the swelling went down, it became flatter, and the puss was gone. Some dead skin was there. It was still tiny and red. Then, it patched up with brown skin taking its place with a red circle around it. It also got bigger. I swab it with alcohol and wash it daily. I havent went to the doctor yet, since my parents say its no big deal.

My cat has NOT had its rabies shot and thats what concerns me. Although me nor the cat has any symptoms for rabies. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. 

Overall, it has not hurt at all, unless I pinch it (duh). I wonder what it is, just a minor bacterial infection? Something else? Rabies? D: 

Please help, Im very concerned! 
 

JamesCalifornia

Mr.Mom to a house of cats 😇😼
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
4,034
Purraise
8,146
Location
Los Angeles
A lot of bacteria in kitty cat bites. Maybe that is why such a little scratch from teeth can cause all that reaction on your skin.
Good you are going to the M D. You may be given some antibiotics. Be sure to ask what to do in case of cat bite or scratch.
All the best ! [emoji]127806[/emoji]
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,547
Purraise
22,888
Location
Nebraska, USA
The cat bite itself is usually not anything to worry about. Rabies would be a one in a million diagnosis, especially this time of the year. It sounds to me you may have picked up a staph infection, especially with the 'pimple'. This usually happens from a secondary source, not the bite itself. The next time you break your skin barrier, wash it thouroughly with soap and water and apply an antibiotic salve, that will prevent things from happening. You need to get the infection stopped, you don't want it spreading, in this case I would see a Dr. 
 

jennyr

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
13,348
Purraise
593
Location
The Land of Cheese
Cat bites are actua;lly much more dangerous than dog bites as cats carry massive amounts of bacteria in their mouths. I had a serious infection for 6 weeks after a cat bit me a few years ago, and my doctor was very insistent that any bite that drew blood must be seen by a doctor. There are a lot of bacterial infections you can get from it, some of them serious. The risk of rabies is very small, but some infections can really be life threatening. Go to a doctor as soon as you can.
 

kirothecat

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 18, 2017
Messages
36
Purraise
15
Cat bites can carry alot of bacteria (and in some cases parasites but not usually) if you are really concerned go to a doctor. Im sure that its not rabies if your cat didnt have any symptoms (and she probably didnt bite you out of the blue like animals with rabies tend to do). Best thing to do is go to a doctor, they will probably clean it and give you a tetanus shot
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

blazetheginger

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
4
Purraise
1
Thank you so much for your advice! 

Hopefully it goes away soon, I really don't want to be hospitalized. Well actually, I feel bad for my cat. I don't even want to know what my mom will do to him if I have to go to the hospital, when it wasn't even the cats fault, he was just play fighting. :(

I also have a few more questions. 

Is what I have serious? Life threatening? I mean, it's really, really tiny. 

How fast will it spread? When is it too late to do something?

What should I do to help get rid of it? Besides go to the doctor and wash it daily of course. Oh, and I also swab it daily with alcohol pads and this weird, orange, liquid thing. 
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,885
Purraise
28,285
Location
South Dakota
You shouldn't have to be hospitalized; they'll just give you antibiotics. Going to a walk-in clinic should be fine.

The cat should be vaccinated against rabies though. If there's a bite/scratch incident involving someone outside the family, there could be legal trouble depending on the rabies laws in your area. Rabies is pretty rare in the US but the pet vaccination laws are strict to keep it that way.
 
Last edited:

plan

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
711
Purraise
486
Location
New York
Hold up...any bite that draws blood should result in a visit with a doctor? Is that just what your doctor advised for you, or is that advice that should be followed by everyone?
 

jennyr

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
13,348
Purraise
593
Location
The Land of Cheese
That is what my doctor advised me, though he meant it as general advice, because of all the bacteria in a cat's mouth.
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Hold up...any bite that draws blood should result in a visit with a doctor? Is that just what your doctor advised for you, or is that advice that should be followed by everyone?
It's what's advised by most doctors and ERs. After being bitten in the hand, I ended up in an arm cast, on massive doses of antibiotics and having the incision reopened and cleaned on a daily basis for an entire week, then every other day for another week. I didn't go to the ER until a couple of hours had passed, and infection set in very quickly. I was told then to try to get to an ER within 30 minutes of being bitten. The next two times it happened I went straight to the ER and was seen ahead of all the other people waiting. That's how seriously doctors take cat bites!

I saw a number of cat bites while working at a shelter, and they're something people don't mess with. They're much more dangerous than a dog bite because the wounds are so narrow and deep.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,885
Purraise
28,285
Location
South Dakota
They're much more dangerous than a dog bite because the wounds are so narrow and deep
:yeah: it's not that cats have worse bacteria in their mouths than dogs or humans, but their teeth are so long and sharp that it effectively injects the bacteria deep in the muscle.

Anyway, yes, the only responsible advice to give to others is to see a doctor. For myself, though, I never have :anon:. I just flush the wound well and keep it clean, and I've never gotten a bad infection. The OP is already showing signs of infection so probably they'll need antibiotics.
 

plan

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
711
Purraise
486
Location
New York
It's what's advised by most doctors and ERs. After being bitten in the hand, I ended up in an arm cast, on massive doses of antibiotics and having the incision reopened and cleaned on a daily basis for an entire week, then every other day for another week. I didn't go to the ER until a couple of hours had passed, and infection set in very quickly. I was told then to try to get to an ER within 30 minutes of being bitten. The next two times it happened I went straight to the ER and was seen ahead of all the other people waiting. That's how seriously doctors take cat bites!

I saw a number of cat bites while working at a shelter, and they're something people don't mess with. They're much more dangerous than a dog bite because the wounds are so narrow and deep.
Sheesh.

My cat is a biter. It doesn't happen often, maybe every month or two, but he bites when he doesn't get something he wants and throws a temper tantrum. Maybe I should work on that with him lol. So far I have not had any serious problems, but I'm glad I know now. Thanks
 

lazer

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 3, 2015
Messages
150
Purraise
35
I just got my first bite today at the shelter and am super glad I went to see a doctor before I even noticed anything off about the wound (I just went after Googling a bit about cat bites and getting kind of paranoid). They gave me a tetanus booster and antibiotics as one of the puncture wounds was already just starting to look a bit "off" as I got there (they just noticed some redness and gave me "just in case" antibiotics). Right now about 12 hours and two antibiotic doses later my right hand is swollen considerably and the pain around the wound seems disproportionate to the size of the puncture. If I hadn't gone to the doctor already before I even started seeing any clear signs I'd probably be on my way to the ER right now because this is not looking normal! 
 
Last edited:
Top