Little bite from a stray.

pxxiegirl

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We have taken in a stray pregnant cat. She's isolated in the quite the "Queen" suite but she wants to get out or have someone be with her. Anyway, she bit my husband's hand as he was leaving the room. Should we be concerned about anything contagious from the cat? We've only had her 2 days so she hasn't seen a vet yet and I only know a little about where she came from. (The cat was an indoor/outdoor pet who had been with the owners her whole 1 year of life. She looks pretty healthy and clean too.)

Wondering why I called her a stray? Her owners moved out of the house and left her there!
 

jen

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Depends on how deep the cut is. BUT do know that it can swell up and get infected super fast so then go right to the emergency room. They will ask you about the cat that bit you though and there could be issues with that, they may want to take the cat, qualentine the cat at a vet clinic or somewhere or may want you to get rabies shots. So be aware of both things.

I got bit once and I wasn't asked anything at the doctors office but then they called and called and wanted to know about the cat. I never called back and eventually they gave up. Not that I recommend that. But that is what I did. I was all prepared if they asked me to just say I was playing really rough with my own cat and she had enough but she has all her shots and rabies so that was okay. I don't know what you should do.

You should put hydrogen peroxide on it and scrub it hard with iodine. That is what I was told when shelter cats bit me.
 

lucinda

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There are very few 'Zoonetic" diseases (diseases transferable from one species to another) that we can get from cats, but bites can become infected so need to be treated right away.
I have been bitten many times and never went to the doctor and as you can tell, I am still here to greet another day. :-)
Thank you for taking in this girl. She must be scared and heartbroken loseing her famly ESPECIALLY since she is pregnant. She is lucky she found you!
 

StefanZ

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Risk for strange diseases is practically null, especielly as she is a homecat.

But the wound may still be bad infected, especielly if the bite was deep. (they often are deep, it is tremendous force in a real bite).
and take double care if the bite was near the joints.

You must be careful about all cat bites, homecats or strays. When I was biten by our othewise very kind Vagis, the doctor didnt hesitate one second to give me antibiotics and extra rabies shot. EDIT: Tethanus shot! not rabies, we dont have own rabies in Sweden, but sometimes imported...

(you MAY be lucky and dont get anything serious, but the bacterias in cats mouth may be nasty, also the indoor homecats).


If only scratched in the skin, it may be enough with iodine and hydrogen peroxide.
 

april31

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also how long has it been since hes had a tetnus shot?
 

jen

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you mean the poster, not the cat right? It sounds like you meant when did the CAT have a tetanus shot


But yes I was going to ask that too. when was the last time that YOU had a tetanus shot?
 
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