Cat bites can cause potentially fatal injuries! In their mouths, all cats carry a bunch of bacteria which can become very serious if medical help isn't sought out! One 7 year old found out how fatal cat bites really can be!

According to vcahospitals.com:

"In their mouths, all cats carry a large number of bacteria that are capable of causing tissue infections in bite wounds. One of the more common is highly pathogenic bacterium known as Pasteurella multocida. ...the infection can spread through the surrounding tissues, causing a condition called cellulitis, or through the blood to other areas of the body, causing a condition called septicemia (often called "blood poisoning"). Children, the elderly, ill and immunosuppressed individuals are particularly vulnerable to developing severe infections if bitten by a cat."

 

An infected cat bite will become very red, swollen and very painful and could also spread through out the area from the initial bite. If Infected, you could suffer from fever and flu-like symptoms and, although rare, it is possible for death if proper medical treatment is not sought out.

Taylor in hospital sleeping
Courtesy of Kat Lewis
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Sadly, this poor 7 year old, Taylor from Little Falls found out the hard way how scary a cat bite can be! A 6 year old feral cat showed up a few months prior to the incident. Mother of taylor, Kat said:

"[The cat] was the sweetest thing you ever met, got his shots, vet checked, etc. never had one problem with him, lazy, sweet, loved the kids."

 

Until one night when it all happened! Taylor was playing with the cat along with their two other cats who had also had kittens. She decided she would put the cats "to bed" which to her was putting the cats in dresser drawers. However the cats didn't think that was a very good bed and they kept jumping out! Taylor, not understanding why the cats didn't like their new beds, decided to close the drawer just a little bit in hopes to keep them in their "beds". That's when this feral cat just lost it and went crazy!

Cat bite
Courtesy of Kat Lewis
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Taylor tried helping the cat out, which is when the cat bit her. Her mother, Kat, flushed it out and put triple antibiotic on it. However, by morning it was swollen and infected along with the start of blood poisoning. Kat took her to the doctors immediately. The doctor then marked the hand to keep track of the swelling and poisoning, gave them antibiotics, and said if it climbed out of the lines he had marked, to take her to the hospital right away. Only a mere hour later, it was climbing her arm!

Bite with marks
Courtesy of Kat Lewis
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Right away, the ER had her admitted. They took a sample, however the samples typically take 48 to 52 hours to come back, so the doctors and nurses had to guess on what antibiotics to give her IV. They tried 3 different ones until finally one worked! She could have actually lost her arm if they didn't guess correctly!They gave them directions on what to do and after 48 hours, they sent them home. However they also informed Kat and Taylor to watch her hand because there was still the chance the bacteria had eaten into the tissue and she would still potentially have to have part of her hand removed. Luckily she made a full recovery, and the cat was quarantined for 10 days!

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