Any cat bite must be tended to ASAP. The infection starts fast and if you don’t get on the right antibiotics the first day you can be in for major pain and surgery. I’ve worked with feral cats many years and the bites start hurting bad within a few hours. So for those that don’t know, get to a dr. Within the first 12 hours. There is a bacteria in their mouth that at least in my case caused infection every time. Sorry I laughed if she was trying to help the cat. I have been able to turn big old toms into sweethearts, but there was a cat I named bad kitty that cost us over $1500 in vet bills when we moved that didn’t belong to anyone. We relocated him by a water source and away from homes. I feel this cat had been treated badly at some point just like the one in this story. I’ve worked with dozens of them and each time I was bitten it was trying to catch one to get it to a vet or their first vet visit when the thermometer was being stuck up their bottom! That’s pretty scary for anyone!
I got a bite on my right hand on New Year’s Eve 12/31/1999. I was at a party at my friend’s house, and I picked up his cat (I had lived with him for a while, and had spent many hours with the cat, holding him on my lap and such, so it wasn’t as if I just picked up a stranger’s cat...I wouldn’t do that)
The cat turned and nipped my right hand after I had been scratching his head. It seemed to barely break the skin, so I put him down and washed my hand with antibacterial soap. It didn’t really hurt...likely had something to do with all those margaritas I had been drinking!
Anyway, I went to bed, and when I woke up at six the next morning, my hand was blown up to twice its normal size. I spent all day in the ER, getting IV antibiotics. Apparently, the “nip” had been deep enough to penetrate my tendon sheath in the back of my hand, and the infection had traveled up to my forearm.
I took oral antibiotics for a week, but when I went in to get it checked, it was clear the infection was getting much worse. I got admitted to the hospital, had surgery on my hand, and spent a week in the hospital on IV antibiotics and demerol.
But it didn’t clear it. I ended up going back in and having a second surgery on my hand. I was concerned I was going to lose my hand, it was that bad. Now, I have a big scar from my knuckle to my wrist that is about a quarter of an inch wide. Great looking scar, and my hand was still 95% functional.
This all happened because cats have a nasty staph-like bacteria living in their mouths called Pasteurella.
This was such a small bite, didn’t even look like it did more than break the skin, but caused me a lot of grief. Now, if I even get a small scratch from my own cat, I am not taking any chances.
I know a man here in town that works for the school. He feeds the feral cats and does what he can for them. They are kind of like homeless people, in a way. They are often over looked or not noticed at all until they get themselves in the wrong place or cause some trouble. You’re a special kind of person to look after the lost.
For the record, I am not insulting homeless people. It’s an observation. My husband and I, along with our church, work with a homeless ministry in Phoenix. We’ve come to know and love many people who live on the streets. It’s not an easy life. I’d help with the cats, too, but I’m allergic to them. I can buy some cat food, though.