A note on cat bites...

Every once in a while I will be surprised when a client asks me whether they should be concerned that their cat just sunk teeth deep into their arm.  Apparently they didn't have parents like mine. 

We have a small farm in Shiner, TX.  Story goes that there was this unfortunate fellow in Shiner 25 years ago that had some misfortune involving a fish hook, a cat, and his upper lip.  I don't remember the details, but horrible things ensued.  I seem to think he died.  I just know that I was really really freaked out, and that's how I learned to fear all the nasty stuff in cat mouths.  Due to this, I've always tried my best to play it safe around those teeth.

In retrospect, my understanding may have been influenced by my being a child and my fathers tendency for exaggeration...but an important lesson was passed on.  As I was able to escape the fear of my father's tales, I came to understand that nasty bacteria tends to live in feline mouths through my studies at vet school.  Cat bites can be bad!  Really bad.  I've known of colleagues to be hospitalized for days because of a bad bite.  A few of our clients have had surgeries on their hands because of a bite. 

Hospitalization...  Surgery... 

Bad, bad, bad.

I don't want to drum up fear about the cats we live with, but we need to respect some things as well.  Cat bites can be really nasty, and if you have broken skin because of an accident with any cat, don't take a chance and consult your physician.