Cats are one of the most popular pets. They are considered family members and are allowed to live in the yard, or even in a house or apartment, and even sleep in the same bed with the owners. But, despite such mutual love, there are also “disagreements” between pets and owners. The result of this is most often a cat bite or long scratches that cause a lot of worries to the owners, especially if children are injured. What you need to know about cat bites and complications after them? The following information will help to understand this and other issues.
Furry and purring
Domestic cats are very wayward animals. They are completely dependent on the person, but with their whole appearance and behavior they always prove the opposite and allow themselves to love. Those who start furry beauties do it with pleasure, because purring creatures bring a lot of joy.
The advantages of cats over other pets are obvious:
- They are well trained - cats perfectly remember the "internal rules" of an apartment or house, they know what is possible and what is not.
- Do not require walks on the street. Cats can go to the toilet on the litter box, and special fillers can completely get rid of unpleasant odors.
- They are not difficult to feed. Most tailed pets are unpretentious in food and eat dry food, which is sold in any store. They also perfectly tolerate products from the diet of the owners.
- Give positive emotions. It is scientifically proven that stroking a cat to the sound of her purring calms the nerves and normalizes the heart rate. In addition, even with an adult beauty, you can always play and watch how she frolics, charging with positive.
Why can a cat bite?
At first glance, it may seem that living with a furry darling is one plus. But do not forget that the cat is an animal that is very independent and has a character, and also a descendant of experienced predators.
If she does not like something or causes her fear, she can defend herself or prevent the danger. For this, nature awarded the purr with sharp claws and strong thin teeth. In what situations do they use them?
In fairness, it is worth noting that a normal healthy cat, especially a domestic cat, will never bite or scratch for no reason.
Most often, such a problem as a cat bite affects children: they mercilessly "play" with the animal, often ignoring their desires and moods. Also, a pet can bite if:
- affection is imposed on him;
- the cat they want to pick up in the hands of people whom he does not know;
- he is hurt or uncomfortable;
- encroach on his food.
Yard cats are less predictable, but they can attack and bite a person for the same reasons. The exception is sick animals, which in case of rabies can bite without irritating factors.
Features of Cat Bites
Physiologically, a cat cannot use its teeth to inflict dangerous wounds, as another, larger pet can do. But this does not make the cat’s bite more enjoyable.
The cat family has very thin, but quite sharp teeth. Therefore, if the cat bites, then the wound immediately becomes not extensive, but rather deep.
Another feature of cats is a large number of microbes and bacteria living in the oral cavity of the animal and its saliva. From here the features distinguishing a cat bite follow: its consequences are much harder than the injury itself. Various microorganisms penetrate into a deep wound from teeth along with cat's saliva. As a result, in more than half of cases, cat bites are accompanied by complications - inflammation of the wound of varying severity.
But serious consequences can be avoided if you know what to do if a cat has bitten.
Proper wound treatment
The key to the fact that the consequences will be minimal and swelling from a bite does not develop is the correct treatment of the injured place.
First of all, the wound should be washed with running cool water and soap, preferably household. After that, carefully treat with a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide, and the procedure must be repeated several times. After some time, it is necessary to wash the wound again with running water and soap, and then grease the edges with a drying alcohol solution: iodine, fucorcin, diamond greens.
You do not need to pour alcohol solutions into the wound - it will not bring any benefit, but only will burn the already damaged tissue.
Depending on how deep the cat’s bite was, the consequences can vary from redness and swelling to an extensive inflammatory process.
What does traditional medicine offer?
Traditional medicine can offer natural antiseptics to ardent opponents of traditional disinfectants if a person received such an injury as a cat bite. Treatment in this situation should be under the constant supervision of a specialist, and at the first sign of deterioration, you should immediately consult a doctor.
For the initial treatment of the wound, you can use alcoholic infusion of medicinal herbs. An excellent antiseptic and wound healing effect is possessed by tincture of calendula.
Also, in order to disinfect the site of the bite, tincture of chlorophyllipt is perfect - this remedy perfectly fights with a large number of staphylococcal bacteria, which can easily penetrate the wound with the saliva of the animal.
In order to remove swelling from the bite, you can apply warm compresses or baths from infusion of chamomile, calendula, oak bark. These herbs have a healing and calming effect.
What are the possible complications?
The danger of injuries of this kind most often depends on their source - a cat. If there was a bite of a domestic cat, which is subjected to regular visits by a veterinarian, clean and healthy, then the consequences of the incident will be minimal. In this case, a complication of the injury may be a slight inflammation and a long, and sometimes debilitating wound healing process.
If a cat bite happened in an unfamiliar environment - away or on the street, then things can be much more serious. Street animals are carriers of various germs and infectious diseases, the most serious of which is rabies.
If you have experienced such a nuisance, you need not to panic and remember what to do if the cat has bitten.
When is medical assistance needed?
After the cat has bitten, it is necessary to conduct an independent treatment of the wounds and keep an eye on them. Emergency medical care should be sought in the following situations:
- It is not possible to independently stop the bleeding at the site of the bite.
- Large vessels, muscles or ligaments are injured. A characteristic sign of this can be severe pain when moving in the affected area.
- Significant swelling, cyanosis at the site of the bite.
- An increase in body temperature and a deterioration in general condition against a background of a non-healing wound.
If over time the wound does not heal, and the pain and inflammation only progress, signs of purulent inflammation appear, then the infection is highly likely. What to do with this development? How to treat a cat bite? Treatment in this case should also be prescribed by a doctor. For our part, we note that in such situations it is rarely possible to avoid the appointment of a course of antibiotics.
Is it possible to get rabies?
In a situation where a pet is simply showing character and bites its owners "for the sake of order", you can not worry about rabies.
But if on the street for no reason a cat attacked, bit or scratched you, you need to be alarmed. Aggressive individuals who rush at people cannot focus their eyes, do not control salivation, are very similar to those with rabies. This disease is rare, only animals act as carriers, but its danger to humans cannot be minimized.
Rabies after a cat bite cannot be diagnosed instantly. The task of a person after the attack of a stray animal, especially one that looks unhealthy, is to immediately consult a doctor.
The specialist will not only properly treat the wound, but also offer a rabies serum, which is injected with a course of three vaccines with an interval of a month. Such a precaution will avoid a serious ailment.
Do I need to examine a cat?
Usually, after an attack by an animal, a person is concerned about his own state of health and does not think about the source of his problems. But in vain!
A cat that is aggressive and attacks a person must be isolated and safely taken to the nearest veterinarian. It is this specialist who must examine the animal for rabies and decide its further fate. The vet has ten days to do this, during which the cat is quarantined.
After this time, the specialist decides whether a healthy animal or not. In the latter case, the cat has to be euthanized to protect others.
Is it possible to avoid cat bites?
Any danger can always be prevented with less effort and health. In order not to suffer from cat's teeth and claws, you need to follow simple rules, and especially teach them children.
- Do not touch, pet, tease stray animals. Unfamiliar cats and dogs need to be avoided.
- Do not take food from the cat.
- Do not tug or pull the animal beyond measure.
Domestic cats usually do not show aggression without an objective reason. And most often, small children become such a cause, and later a victim of a bite and scratch. Kids do not understand that the pet does not want to indulge, dress up, play with the tail. The task of the parents is to convey to the children that the animal cannot be tortured and forced to play, no matter how furry and cute it may look.
Injuries from pets are not uncommon. Usually they are not dangerous. The injuries received from homeless animals look much more serious.
Man is stronger than cats and dogs. But he must not forget that animals also have their own character, feelings, experiences. Due respect must be paid to them, and then the problem of bites and scratches will disappear by itself.