STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

My Cat Bit Me? Now What?

joy0302 · Kate Spade

As long as he has all of his shots you should not have a problem, but ask your dr. just to be on the safe side. Our dog has bit my hubby a lot of times, but since he has his shots he has never gotten an infection from it. HTH!

Elle · Hermes

As long as he's had his shots I wouldn't worry too much! Just keep it clean and head to the doctor's if it gets swollen, more painful, and/or red since that could indicate an infection. Sounds like you've taken care of it well though. I'd probably only go to the doctor if it hadn't been my cat, just because you never know ...

Drew · Gucci

You really only need to worry about a deep puncture wound, because Tetanus thrives in a anaerobic environment (no oxygen). If it's just on the surface, and you have cleaned it well and treated it with Neosporine, then you should be just fine.

luckylily · Gucci

How deep is the wound? Is it a puncture or a scratch?

Cat bites can be quite dangerous even if it is you own cat and has its shots. Because of their teeth, the way they bite, and the bacteria in their mouths, a cat bite has a far higher chance of becoming infected than a bite from a dog.

I'm not trying to scare you. You did an excellent job of cleaning, but cat bites, particularly puncture wounds, should be taken seriously. I would definitely mention it to your doctor tomorrow. And, if you experiece swelling, throbbing pain, or red streaking, call the doctor sooner.

Suasoria · Chanel

Well, whatever you did to him, I'm sure you learned your lesson.

I don't know if this just applies to scratches, but sometimes an allergic reaction will resemble an infection because of its redness and swelling. Even if you aren't technically allergic to cats, when you get some of their saliva or dander under your skin you can still have a strong reaction. If you think that might be happening, try a sudafed or other antihistamine to calm it down.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

My doctor looked at it and said it looked fine, but prescribed me antibiotics for a week to be on the safe side. She said they can quickly go from okay to invected, and often times people are hospitalized because of the bacteria in cats mouths and the deepness of a puncture wound. Luckily, mine wasn't deep, it was more scratchy, so I think I'll be fine, but I'm glad she is being precautious. I'd hate to call into work and report I had been hospitalized because of a cat bite!

-gd