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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

If your cat bit you

111 replies

MollyWantsACracker · 22/01/2018 23:26

AIBU to wonder what you’d do. Proper bite, puncture x 4, (one quite deep) blood.
She’s been vet checked recently, no problems. Bite happened whilst sitting on lap, me mnetting, random grooming. No signs she was irritated.

It’s quite painful 😣

OP posts:

LineyS · 23/01/2018 01:29

I scrub with hot salty water. Pour on tcp or raw alcohol / surgical spirits. Scream a bit. When dry, add thin layer of savlon or adult bonjela. Cover with sterile dressing and plaster or a clean thing.

Look disappointedly at cat.

LolaTheDarkdestroyer · 23/01/2018 01:30

This is why cats are vile. I have a rescue cat and she is unpredictable she has bitten once or twice but never drew blood, and I was devastated as she scratched baby's face a few months back.
I could never see her go as she is part of the family and had her 5 years!

BananaInPyjama · 23/01/2018 01:47

I was bitten by a cat - went to drs and they gave me antibiotics for cellulitis. A very common reaction from a cat bite and can lead to nasty complications.

Call your GP surgery and tell them what happened.

CheshireChat · 23/01/2018 02:20

Good luck at your appointment tomorrow, odds are it'll have gone down by then. If not, decide tomorrow.

As a side note, I've had cats since I was little and me and my mum had tons of scratches (mostly accidents) and the only one that got infected was when the cat scratched my mum under one of her nails .

theForeigner · 23/01/2018 02:36

Get rid of it. It's testing you. Now it's shown you who's boss, it'll pounce on your face when you least expect it (or are sleeping). It'll go for your eyes.

Cats haven't been / can't be domesticated. They have evolved to understand how to thrive in a parasitic lifestyle but when the host isn't needed, they'll get rid of you.

justilou1 · 23/01/2018 02:49

Irrigate the wound - definitely don't "milk" it. If you are pregnant (or think you could be) go to the doctor asap. Cats are germy little buggers, and there are some nasty diseases you can catch that could affect your baby's development.)

AfterSchoolWorry · 23/01/2018 04:17

Tetanus

sashh · 23/01/2018 04:53

When did you last de flea?

One of my foster cats was nicknamed 'violent violet' but she had a flea allergy, once that was sorted and her skin was better she was a lovely cat.

HistoriaTrixie · 23/01/2018 05:02

I know you're kind of limited in doctor-availability but do try to get seen as soon as you can tomorrow. This pic was taken fifteen hours after my sweet quiet kitty took a scare off the dog as I was holding her and chomped down on my hand. The other side had a big green area building under the skin. I was in the hospital for three days on IV antibiotics (although the bite was painful, what really hurt was the tetanus shot, I couldn't lift that arm without yelping for days!). Not to say this kind of infection always happens, but if it takes hold it moves FAST, especially if it's on or near a knuckle where the tendon sheaths are closer to the skin.

mogulfield · 23/01/2018 05:02

I’d get rid of it, the same as if my dog bit me.
But I have a 3 year old and baby on the way, so wouldn’t want the risk. It would be difficult always making sure I was in the same room as the cat/it couldn’t jump in a Moses basket etc.
I had a HV say the same on a home visit.

HistoriaTrixie · 23/01/2018 05:02

Well, duh, suppose I could attach the pic, couldn't I?

theaveragewife · 23/01/2018 05:06

and I was devastated as she scratched baby's face a few months back.
I could never see her go as she is part of the family and had her 5 years

Ugh, if that was a dog it would be put down and you’d be flamed on here for allowing it to happen. What’s the difference?

OP YABU not to listen to all of these stories, don’t keep an eye on it - call the dr first thing.

Addy2 · 23/01/2018 05:18

Mine is generally such a docile baby, but I listen for purring. Sometimes she just wants to be sitting on me without fuss. If she purrs during fuss she's OK to be fussed. If she stops purring, I stop fussing though- she sometimes goes for me if I don't! I'd call 111 and see what they say you ought to do.

Chirpychop · 23/01/2018 05:21

The current recommendation is that all penetrating cat bites should receive prophylactic (just in case) oral antibiotics. cks.nice.org.uk/bites-human-and-animal#!scenario:2

thelastredwinegum · 23/01/2018 05:28

Well hopefully that 1 antibiotic you've taken just happens to be the right one and will work just as well as a full on course you might need

falang · 23/01/2018 06:07

My cat used to bite all the time. Only because she wanted me to stop doing something like stroking her. Or if I was trying to get her to do something she didn't want to do. Nothing the matter with her. Just hard. Lots of people were terrified of her.

Chaby · 23/01/2018 06:23

I got bitten by my cat a couple of week ago in a similar situation. I cleaned it and kept putting on savlon for a couple of days and kept a close eye on it but it healed fine

TornadoOfToys · 23/01/2018 06:34

Why on earth do you have antibiotics at home? How do you know its the right one? Are you planning to finish the course or take just enough to contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance?

Clean it properly and dress it. Get it checked today if it seems worse.

BertieBotts · 23/01/2018 06:42

Cats will normally give a softer warning bite which doesn't break the skin, so I think she must be in pain poor thing - you'll need to take her to be checked by a vet. And yes get medical attention straight after your DD's appointment!

Tornado, I assume she's planning to take them until she can see a doctor.

It's not remotely the same as a dog bite, dog bites can kill just with the force of the bite alone.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 23/01/2018 06:59

How are you this morning Molly ?
Cat bites really shouldn't be underestimated.
Hope all goes well with today's appointment.🌸

ZoopDragon · 23/01/2018 07:11

Hope it gets better soon. Which antibiotics are you taking? Do you have a full course or just a few?

In your situation I'd probably do the same as you if I had a course of broad spectrum antibiotics in the cupboard. If I started feeling sick, feverish, had increased pain/swelling or a tracking line I'd go to a walk in/emergency GP.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 23/01/2018 07:12

The only time my cat has ever bitten me was when he was in pain and otherwise hiding it. Get both of you checked out! Cat bites can be nasty.

Justsaynonow · 23/01/2018 07:17

My cat bites frequently. We immediately wash with soap, clean with alcohol, and apply antibiotic ointment, and watch for infection. None of us has had an infection in the 14 years we've had her. My neighbour ended up on IV antibiotics after an encounter with her - she didn't clean it right away.
It was either put her down or figure her out - so this book helped us figure out that she has status oriented aggression and we've used behavioural modification quite successfully to decrease the behaviour.
I remember it talked about stroking a cat and to be careful - too long a session and the cat goes into a trance. When it "wakes" it startles and bites or scratches. That wasn't my cat's issue. Sometimes she's just in a really crappy mood, other times we take too long to read her mind.

TornadoOfToys · 23/01/2018 07:24

Which would be today. It is so irresponsible to take antibiotics just because you feel like it.
OP hasn't been tested for a bacterial infection.
So therefore she doesn't know what antibiotics she needs (if she needs any) or at what dose and how long for.
All she is doing is making herself more likely to create abtibiotic resistant bacteria which could then cause her an untreatable infection or spread it to other people.

Read this for a start.

Devilishpyjamas · 23/01/2018 07:28

How’s the bite?

Hope today’s meeting goes well.

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