Cat Bites And How To Treat Them

Cats are pretty gentle creatures most of the time. But that is not always the case. Strays and feral cats that are not used to human contact will on occasion react violently toward a person that tries to make contact, pick them up or tries to pet them. And before you know you it, your wrestling with a screeching cat, trying to scratch your eyes out. With some rather nasty bite marks to show for it.

Most cat bites are from cats you are familiar with. Perhaps your cat doesn't feel like taking a bath. Or isn't in the mood to be petted and takes a swipe at you. Or one of the kids is playing to rough and the cat takes a nasty bite out of little Pippy's  face. It is  estimated that one million people are bitten each year by cats. And  cats have a really hard bite.

Listed below you will find tips to follow if you have been bitten by a cat. You should contact a medical facility if you are not comfortable taking care of the bite yourself, or if it is deep and the wound is bleeding badly and might require stitches. Cat bites can become easily infected. They usually are deeper than they appear and can rapidly lead to infection. You may need to get a tetanus shot if you haven't had one in 5-10 years. Because it is another viral disease that must be avoided because it is fatal.

Tips For Taking Care Of A Cat Bite

• Wash and rinse the bite throughly  with a mild soap and hot water. Completely clean the wound area to make sure all the saliva and blood is washed away. Rinse sparingly with peroxide solution.
• Apply pressure  with a clean wash cloth to the bite area to stop the wound from bleeding.
• Put a bandage or apply a sterile piece of gauze to the wound.
• Keep the wound area elevated if possible. Keep it above heart level to slow the swelling and prevent any infection that may occur.
• Apply a good triple antibiotic ointment at least twice a day.

Report the incident to an animal control office or police if the cat was a stray. It may have been infected with the rabies virus. It is extremely rare for domestic animals to have rabies, but if animal control can't find the animal and you show signs of rabies you may need to have a series of rabies shots as soon as possible. Every precaution should be taken with a stray animal.

If for some reason the cat bite becomes infected you should call your doctor as soon as possible. Signs of infection may include redness, hotness in the bite area, tenderness, swelling, oozing, or bleeding.

Cats are loving creatures. But once bitten, it is a good idea to take precautions.