OT: Cat Bite: don't screw around with it. See a doc right away.

[Tom]

First, let me preface this by reminding you all that I know I am an idiot.

I have a very fat cat that can not groom herself. We are trying to get her to lose weight slowly but in the meantime when she begins to smell really bad we give her a bath.

Normally there are no problems. This Sunday, however, I ignored her warning that she had just about lost patience with the procedure.

So, to reinforce her point, she bit me on the hand, both top fangs went all the way in. It hurt but I thought what the hell. Karen said I should see the doc but I figured I'd been bitten by a dog a lot worse than this when I was a kid and immediately went back to playing in the manure pile like always and never had a problem.

Monday my hand had swollen up and turned kind of red and throbbed some.

Tuesday when I went to the doc they yelled at me, shot me in the butt with powerful antibiotics, gave me more powerful antibiotics to eat and drew lines on my hand and said that if there was redness outside those lines the next day they were going to admit me and get me on IV antibiotics. They asked me if I had any shaking chills and I said no but after I left I remembered I bagged the trainer after 15 minutes on Monday with powerful shaking and a feeling of floating away.

Apparently cats are domesticated versions of the Komodo Dragon. Who knew?

At any rate, if your cat bites you and gets you good, go see the doc.

And yes, I am a complete idiot.

[JohnS]

Another reason why dogs are better than cats. :D
Hope you heal quickly!

[dirtdigger88]

been there done that-

doc drew the lines on my arm-

cat bites ARE the worse-

I had all of mine de- toothed for just that reason

Jason

[CNY rider]

As a committed dog - lover (and a bit of a cat hater), I would insert kitty face down in the tub for the next bath. When that's done go to a shelter or breeder and get one of man's best friend as a companion. :)

[RABikes2]

Fat Cat= 1
Fat Hand Tom= 0

Hope it heals quick, Tom. Feel better.
RA

[spiderman]

80% + of cat bites get infected...
...i like augmentin best for coverage...
(for pasteurella multocida and staph
for those of you budding i.d. types)
cat scratches, especially from kittens
can seem innocuous
but can be equally, if not more, serious...
...especially for immunocompromised hosts...
(Bartonella heselae is a pretty bad actor)

[Ray]

I'm wickedly allergic to cats, so, when in polite company, I tend to claim that as my excuse for not being able to stand the critters. But this ain't polite company and I'll just admit to not being able to stand the critters. Never met one I liked. Dogs I love. Somewhere along the way, someone got mixed up when designating the B!TCH label on female dogs. Cats EARN IT.

-Ray

[William]

Mrs William got bit last year by a neighbors cat. The critter was allowed to roam the woods, and would occasionally come by the house. It seemed to like Mrs William and would only let her close to her. One day Mrs W. was coming up out of the basement and Tiger Kitty was waiting for her. When she closed the bulkhead, it slipped out of her fingers and slammed down. The slam scared Tiger kitty who then lunged and sank her top and bottom teeth into mrs William's calf, a scream and a of shaking her leg got TK off who then took off into the woods. It was one nasty bite.

We went to the neighbors to see if the cat was up to date on her shots. The neighbor lady was obviously nervous and claimed that the cat was up to date but said she didn't know where the paper work was. The local animal officer was called who then asked the women for proof, which she couldn't produce so the cat was put into quarantine at the local shelter until it could be determined if she had rabies or not. Turns out she didn't but with all the critters running around in the woods, we wanted to be sure. After Tiger Kitty was back for her stay at the shelter she was back in the woods and playing kitty roulette on the fairly busy road near by.


William

[weisan]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/image.php?u=226&dateline=1072887436
Use the shaver next time.

[Kevan]

working for a vet during high school, I was removing a drugged cat off the operating table after it had just been fixed. Rightly upset, the cat in its drugged stupor managed to spin around on itself and chomp down seriously on one of my fingers. I seem to recall some minor infection, but nothing to the scale mentioned here.

I own dogs, but I love cats too. At least the friendly ones I do.

[Grant McLean]

Sure, it's easy to love a dog, but there is something cool about cats.

They live an admirable lifestyle of being completely aloof, roaming,
independant, and untrainable. I like the fact that cats take no BS,
even from their owners. Who says it's not ok to bite the hand that
feeds you?

-g
(totally allergic to cats..)

[pjm]

Yeah, get a dog. Dogs never bite. :confused:

[dirtdigger88]

Sure, it's easy to love a dog, but there is something cool about cats.
-g
(totally allergic to cats..)


I like cats- I have 5 of them :crap:

I have 3 dogs too-

and thats my inside pets- Im not even counting to outside ones

Jason

[mwos]

In the spring of 1990 someone dumped a little orange tabby at my school. He was on his way to the local SPCA when I saw him. I couldn't resist him, he purred and purred as if to say, "I want to come home with you". I took him straight to the vet, who deemed him healthy and well taken care of.

That little 3lb guy grew up to be 17lbs, an eating machine and the most loveable little guy. He snuggled close at night, always had to be in the middle of things, accepted life as it was. Using a "clicker" and food I trained him to sit and stand. My cat sitter called him "Mr. Personality". It was hard to think of him as a "wild animal".

He did "hate the vet" and once chomped on me good at her office. She had a fit and insisted I clean the wound thoughly and get to the dr. if I had any kind of a reaction. Fortunately, I did not. She said cats teeth harbor a lot of germs that can cause infection in humans.

He passed away last year from cancer. :(

My other cat, who was adopted as a 2-3 yr. old a few months before I got Schnapps, was totally the opposite. Independent, aloof, very set in her ways. We think Schnapps mellowed her.

Now that Scnapps is gone, Koko is becoming closer to us. While she doesn't have the loving personality he had but she does demand more attention, has begun to sit in my lap and sleep closer at night, etc. As an 18 - 19 year old she deserves all the love and attention she wants. We think she is thriving being the "only child". With hyperthyroidism and kidney failure we thought her more fragile than Schnapps and thought we'd lose her first. She's a little "fighter" and has overcome the health crisises in her life.

I grew up with dogs but cats are my favorites. I'm fascinated by their individualistic nature, intelligence and ability to communicate.

BTW, I'm allergic to cats too!

Kathi

[Roy E. Munson]

Cat Bite: don't screw around with it.

I don't get it. Why were you screwing around with your cat? And does your wife know about this?

[gasman]

Have you read the bokk "1001 uses for a dead cat." ? :D
It's killer.


Hope you heal well Tom.

[jerk]

the jerk has a pillow case and some bricks you can borrow. do you know where the river is? (support you local mspca and stuff disclaimer.)
jerk

[William]

I like cats- I have 5 of them :crap:

I have 3 dogs too-

and thats my inside pets- Im not even counting to outside ones

Jason
http://www.dargate.com/219_auction/all_images/1141.jpg

[Sandy]

Be sure that your cat is up to date with rabies shots, since rabies is a fatal viral disease for mammals. I would suggest monitoring your cat for 10 days to see if it starts to exhibit any symptons of being sick or unusual behavior characteristics. If there are any signs of the above, I would contact your vet and immediately go to a physician.

Cat bites can be much worse than dog bites, from what I have been told. In addition, catch scratches can also be very dangerous (I guess because they lick their feet (paws)).

Do cats have paws?


Sandy

[bcm119]

The top ten lies cat owners tell about their cats:

10. Awww, she missed us!

9. My cat loves my husband.

8. Shes just the happiest little kitten!

7. Shes a very clean cat.

6. She loves using the litter box... and it never stinks!

5. She would never scratch anyone.

4. She loves us.

3. She cares about us.

2. She acknowledges us.

1. She gives a rats *** about us.

Heal quick, Tom.

[Bill Bove]

Tom, one of my home cats is also so fat that she can't clean herself. I'm cutting back on her food a little at a time and changing where I put everyday so she has to hunt for it. Rather than bathe her I clean her "privates" with a solution of witches hazel and aloe vera. She deals with it much better than a bath and it makes her smell much better.

CATS RULE!!!!

[MartyE]

we have 2 cats and a German Shepard, well actually one cat and one
lesser demon from the third circle of hell who terrorizes the house, chases
the dog and growls if you move and it happens to be sleeping on your lap.

I sympathize with ya Tom.

Marty

[Dr. Doofus]

.

[67-59]

Unless you've had an unfortunate run-in with a mountain lion, I'm betting none of you have ever been chased down the road by a growling, snarling, drooling cat that wanted nothing more than to sink its teeth in your calf. True?

[William]

....cat that wanted nothing more than to sink its teeth in your calf. True?


Wife, true.

William

[rphetteplace]

get a Siamese if you want to know evil

[Sandy]

A recent 250 page research report was released in which the usefulness of domesticated cats was being examined.

The conclusion of the report was that the sole use of domesticated cats is to be eaten by dogs. :)


Bow Wow Sandy

[BigDaddySmooth]

When I was a pre-teen, I was bit by a stray cat that had wandered into our garage. Fortunately some kids caught it and gave it to the cops so it could be quarantined. I told my mother and she freaked...told me I could get rabies, the abdominal shots, etc...scarred me for life. Anyway, all that worry for nothing but I keep my eye out for cats. Dogs? Been bit a few times. On one occasion I'm riding my Bianchi minding my own business and this shepherd mix has the angle on me. I stopped, yelled at him and he sucker-bites me in the shin...and a wimpy bite at that. The dog hadn't been vaccinated for rabies and lived in an area over-populated w/raccoons. The dog warden picked him up and quarantined him and good thing he was clean too. Fortunately I did not get an infection in either case. :beer:

[Kevan]

get a Siamese if you want to know evil

when I visited my cousins as a kid I witnessed much blood letting as a result of those beasts. Those animals scared me from cats for many years.

[Kevan]

pretty much the same thing. Furry... likes to pounce.

[rphetteplace]

I have a Siamese alarm clock that wakes me up in the morning because it wants to be fed, screams at me when I get home from work because it wants to be fed, and at bedtime because it wants to be fed. She's scarily consistent with time and can't be shut her other than sending the dogs after her.

I got her from the local humane society, her previous owner had to give her up as she used to attack her mother.

[vandeda]

Apparently cats are domesticated versions of the Komodo Dragon. Who knew?

At any rate, if your cat bites you and gets you good, go see the doc.

And yes, I am a complete idiot.

Interesting ... I must be immune :banana:

I love my cat ... she's a doll ... most of the time. But she does have a bit of a temper (she can make herself mad for no apparent reason periodically), so I've had many bite wounds. No infections yet after 8 years ... though if it's bad I sometimes wash it out and put some neosporin on it. Oh well ....

I hope your hand heals quickly Tom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a committed dog - lover (and a bit of a cat hater), I would insert kitty face down in the tub for the next bath. When that's done go to a shelter or breeder and get one of man's best friend as a companion. :)

Tehehe ... thats kind of what I always say about dogs ... well, no ... not fully. I usually just tell people "just kill it" :D I took care of from friends' dogs this weekend. I had to let them out 3 times a day. Ugh, I was soooooooooooo glad when my duties were over with on Monday. The most annoying creatures in the world!

But, to each his own!
Dan

[Skrawny]

FYI:
Human bites are worse...

[Sandy]

Especiallly for cats.

Sandy

[Ozz]

"Hear and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was, O, my Best Beloved, when the tame animals were wild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild---as wild as wild could be---and they walked in the wet wild woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him.....

Then the Man threw his two boots and his little stone axe (that makes three) at the Cat, and the Cat ran out of the cave and the Dog chased him up a tree, and from that day to this, Best Beloved, three proper Men out of five will always throw things at a Cat whenever they meet him, and all proper Dogs will chase him up a tree. But the Cat keeps his side of the bargain too. He will kill mice and he will be kind to Babies when he is in the house, as long as they do not pull his tail too hard. But when he has done that, and between times, he is the Cat that walks by himself and all places are alike to him, and if you look out at nights you can see him waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone---just the same as before."

http://www.petrescue.com/library/cat-walked.htm

;)

My older son enjoys this story....

[jeffg]

I had two lovely cats as a kid and was never bit though I should have been by cat standards. These were truly wonderful cats that played with the dog and guarded my mom like the best guard dog.

I will say, however, that one moment I will never forget is a few years ago when the neighborhood cat was taunting our Bouvier, who the vet had told us would not live much longer. She jumped and got her paws about 7' in the air to *itch slap that cat off the fence and it bounced through the garden on the other side for a good while. People who say cats always land on their feet are wrong!! :D

[GaryW]

Always be careful about cat bites; these have about a 50% chance of becoming infected because they tend to be deep puncture wounds, albeit appearing small. Cat (and dog) bites sometimes cause one particular bacterial infection called Pasteur Ella that causes rapid onset (during the first 24 to 28 hours) of redness, swelling, and severe pain that seem out of proportion to the initial injury. Always call your doctor if these signs occur.

I defense of cats (the poor creatures), a recent study has shown that dog attacks cause approximately 4.5 million injuries annually, 800,000 of which require medical attention, and an average of eighteen deaths. I haven’t seen statistics on cat attack injuries, but I suspect that the seriousness would be far less. Personally, I’ve been attacked by rogue dogs while cycling or when I approached their food, but never by a cat (knocking on wood).

I’ve owned several dogs and cats in the past, loved all of them, and was never attacked or bitten by any of them. Currently, I have a classic male Siamese (pre-wedge headed variety) who’s an extremely mellow feline…a true lap cat…quiet and super friendly. I can’t imagine he would attack unless he felt threatened with no retreat.

Sorry about your experience and be careful out there.

[Frankwurst]

the jerk has a pillow case and some bricks you can borrow. do you know where the river is? (support you local mspca and stuff disclaimer.)
jerk

Wassup Jerk, They don't sell bullets where you live?

[Sandy]

I would walk almost any dog at our local shelter, and not expect to be bitten by any. I feel confident that if I handled 10 cats, I would be bitten or scratched by at least one, probably by several. I believe I understand a dog's body language and what it is communicating (most of the time). Dogs normally let you know that it might bite you prior to doing it. I have no ability in reading the body language of a cat, and I believe that they will often bite or scratch with less provocation and with much less of a warning.

Cats and dogs (and Kevans) are wonderful. Some people prefer cats, some dogs, just like Vanilla and Chocolate ice cream.


Ice Cream Sandwich Sandy

[chrisroph]

Burlap bag, cat, brick, lake.


JK, we've got 2 in the house. The cat's life looks pretty good.

[Sandy]

Burlap bag, cat, brick, lake.


JK, we've got 2 in the house. The cat's life looks pretty good.

You will have to do it 9 times. :)


Siamese Sandy

[Korn Julio]

"Do I fit in the frame NOW?"

[Tony Edwards]

My mother ended up spending four days in the hospital when her cat bit her. The only reason she even knew to go to the doctor was that a lawyer appearing before her (she's a judge) told her that his client lost an arm to infection following a cat bite!

Fortunately my ginormous tomcat is well-behaved!