Cat Bites are Serious

Cat bites need to be considered seriously, for both humans and cats, since most cat bites become infected. The most common infection associated with cat bites is caused by a bacterium called Pasteurella, which normally resides in the nasal cavity, oral cavity, and tonsil region of cats. The canine (fang) teeth of cats are sharp and can cause deep punctures “injecting” bacteria, sometimes reaching into joints depending upon what body part was bitten. It is difficult to adequately clean puncture wounds to prevent infection from developing. Since they don’t bleed much, bacteria is not flushed out naturally by the body. The skin closes over the wound somewhat soon, trapping bacteria. There can be serious consequences for both cats and humans if infected bites are not treated by a doctor.

default