Mumsnet Talk

Hi, I'm 21 weeks pregnant and was bitten on the finger today by a kitten. It was a wild one I was trying to fish out of a barrel at my mil's house.
It really only punctured the skin but it did draw blood. A few hours later, my finger is still sore and (always a little paranoid after my mc last January) I'm starting to worry about tetanus and the like. I can't even remember if I've been vaccinated against tetanus. I did wash it and dab it with dettol and would probably not be thinking about it if I wasn't expecting.
Any thoughts out there? Should I be worried or just forget it?

I was savaged by my own cat (as in needing stitches savagery) and was given a tetanus shot at A&E and antibiotics because I started to show signs of infection within four hours. Cat bites are nasty! I would go to Casualty if I were you.

What were your signs of infection? I received the bite about 11 hours ago..

Given that pregnant ladies are supposed to be careful not to have contact with cat poo because of toxoplasmosis I'd say yes definitely get seen if you've been bitten.

Redness, soreness - after 24 hours slight cold symptoms

Thanks, ladies. I think I'm going to be ok as the finger is not as sore as yesterday but I have my big scan/check-up tommorrow so I think I'll mention it just to be on the safe side.

What was the poor kitten doing in a barrel? Is he OK?

The kitten was sheltering at the back of the barrel which was on it's side. It was a freezing cold day and my husband was convinced it would die if left - it had been there since the previous evening.
Once I got hold of it and calmed it down, it spent the rest of the day sitting in a small box in front of my mil's fire being fed milk from a syringe. (I suspect it's old enough to take from a saucer.) It will be spoilt rotten there.

Yes Yes - see a gp or midwife about this asap. cats mouths are full of the most awful bacteria and a bite is the perfect way to get them into your system - coupled with the fact that your natural immune system is lower when you are pregnant!!

im a vet nurse and not allowed to handle wild cats at work for this very reason. there is a specific syndrome you can get called "cat scratch fever" and it can make you seriously ill!!! even non pregnant healthy people can end upin hospital!.

i would argue for antibiotics as a precaution but if you see any swelling or reddening - esp. around the joints in your hand then get to a&e quick!

goodluck.x

omg I didn't know- i have 2 very affectionate cats at home. i thought toximawhatsit is only found in cat poo. it's not in cat saliva is it? I really hope someone can advise.. thank you...

DH is a GP and says if an animal bite has drawn blood you should have AB's. He was bitten by a dog once, small bite on the back of his hand, didn't follow his own advice and got a nasty infection, if you look closely you can still see where it was.

Go to GP! My cat was bitten on the bum by another cat recently and it turned into an abscess that was so bad she couldn't sit down (which was why I noticed it). As Horsiemummy said, the vet told me cats have bacteria-rich mouths and so bites more often than not turn infected. Mind you, if it is only on milk it may not be as bad, but get it checked to be on the safe side so you don't need heavier medication later.