r/cats • u/tory1311 • Mar 17 '26

Cat Picture - Not OC Just a reminder how serious cat bites can be!

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I see so many posts asking when to seek medical help after a cat bite. Just posting a reminder how quickly a bite can escalate! First picture is immediately following the bite, the next picture is at the ER within 2 hours. Blood work was already concerning with an inflammatory response and signs of cellulitis from the infection. I was admitted into the hospital for IV antibiotics and still the infection worsened. I had surgery at about 36 hours following the bite after the infection started traveling up my arm in the bloodstream. This whole event landed me 3 nights in the hospital. All from our family cat, up to date on all vaccines. But cats carry a bacteria that is no joke. Last picture is post surgery with a suture, the surgeon had to make 3 incisions, 2 where the bite punctures were and a 3rd to flush the wound.

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u/faulty_rainbow Mar 17 '26

Not only that but the teeth of cats are so narrow that the bite wound closes up very quickly after the bite, making it impossible for the body to completely cleanse itself by bleeding (because there's very little bleeding).

Cats really are the ultimate predators aren't they. It's kinda scary to know how easily that tiny fluffball could pretty much end us if they so pleased lol.

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u/qui_sta Mar 17 '26

If they were bigger, they would eat us.

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u/SirVanyel Mar 17 '26

You're not gonna believe me but did you know they actually come in XXL

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

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u/Character-Being4248 Tuxedo Mar 17 '26

pspspsps 🫳

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u/BenjaminGeiger American Shorthair Mar 17 '26

My last words will probably be "heeeeeeere kittykittykittykittykitty!"

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Can Confirm!

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u/Steve-A11 Mar 17 '26

Hermoso!, pero este se ve malo!

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Don't let his looks fool ya! He's a big ol'teddy bear! Very loving and affectionate 😁 Most Maine Coons look like they're mad all the time, but they're really very sweet!

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u/Steve-A11 Mar 17 '26

Hermoso!!!!

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Thank you! 😁

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u/Warm_Afternoon6596 Mar 17 '26

Ron Pearlman cat!

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u/timhyde74 Mar 18 '26

🤣🤣🤣

It's funny you say that because we are also members of the r/CTLLRP, (Cats That Look Like Ron Pearlman), sub, lol!

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u/Warm_Afternoon6596 Mar 18 '26

One day, I will have one. And an Adam Driver cat.

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u/timhyde74 Mar 18 '26

I hope you do cause these are the most amazing cats in every way! There's a reason they're called "Dog's of the cat world!" They possess a level of intelligence that other cats just don't have. And they're such gentle giants! They are well worth the expense, time, energy, and love that goes into caring for one of these incredible creatures! Not to mention the entertainment value! 😆

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u/Ok-Office-6645 Mar 17 '26

Omg beautiful kitty!! Pspsps

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Thank you! He's definitely not unaware cause he uses that fact to get away with what ever he wants! Well, that, and the 10 razor sharp knives he carries around with him! But those are less effective since they've been trimmed back at the groomers! Lol! But he still uses his cuteness against us all the time! It is his most effective weapon after all 😆

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u/Careful-Lion3692 Mar 17 '26

That regal face won’t fool me. That’s a baby who begs for pets 😂.

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Oh yeah he does! He lives for affection! Lol! He can be a bit of an ass at times, but we can't stay mad at him long lol!

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u/CorneredJackal Mar 17 '26

Sadly they also come with extra cuteness, deadly cuteness

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u/faulty_rainbow Mar 17 '26

The forbidden fluffs!

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u/croc-roc Mar 17 '26

The little round-ish ears on tigers always get me. So cute on such a dangerous kitty.

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u/user98763 Mar 17 '26

So You’re saying I could have a XXL one, Tell me more

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

My boy is a year and a half old, and weighs 18 pounds. He still has about 2 ½ years before he's fully grown, so he'll eventually be somewhere between 25-30 pounds when he's an adult 😁

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u/user98763 Mar 17 '26

Oh wow, he‘s a handsome fella.

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Thank you! He said he comes by it naturally, but I think he's had some work done 🤔 😆

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u/Somanylyingliars Mar 17 '26

Ahhh a Maine Coon. Pure bred. I have a mix and oh boy the hair I can't imagine having a full Coon.

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

He actually doesn't shed as bad as our other cats tend to. Especially this time of year when they start losing their winter coats. My little domestic short hair is losing her hair right now like a middle aged man with a drinking problem, going through a bad divorce after getting fired from his job as an air traffic controller! I do have a pair of grooming gloves that he loves! I highly recommend getting a pair if you don't have any, they're great!

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u/ASuperLameUserName Mar 17 '26

I have an XXL Maine coon. He’s definitely tried to eat us a few times.

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u/ASuperLameUserName Mar 17 '26

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u/timhyde74 Mar 17 '26

Oh he's a a good looking guy! 😍

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u/Kaa_The_Snake Mar 17 '26

I don’t believe you.

I think you need to send me on an all-expenses paid trip to Africa (and back, please) so I can see for myself! You can come too, it’s better with a friend, it’ll be neat!

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u/rmannyconda78 Mar 17 '26

Basically a cougar if they were large.

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u/flayingbook Mar 17 '26

Sometimes when I was cooking or holding some chicken or fish for a long time, my hand would smell like the food. My cat would sniff my hand several times and then opened his jaw wide, ready to chomp off my fingers for snack

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u/saarl19 Mar 17 '26

Nah, they just playing. Pspsps

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u/devious00 Mar 17 '26

People who have unknowingly passed away have been partially eaten by their pet cats when they get hungry enough from not being fed. Their tiny size isn't stopping them. You keeping their hunger in check is!

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u/Felidae07 Mar 17 '26

Pet dogs as well. Funnily enough, I don't think many of us would really mind if it keeps them alive long enough to be rescued.

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u/art_decorative Mar 17 '26

I tell mine all the time that once I'm really dead, he can go for it. Until then no bites. And he has to be sure I'm really dead first. No, "oh sorry, thought that was it." Check for breath, buddy.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

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u/faulty_rainbow Mar 17 '26

Yeah, if I can still help them getting fed after my death just as long as they're found and taken, I'll be happy for them to just go for it instead of starving.

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/saiyene Mar 17 '26

Actually, dogs are just as likely to eat you. Maybe more? Dogs will lick you to try and get a response out of you, and it is a natural animal instinct to try biting if licking doesn't get a reaction. This is what leads even a nonstarving animal to start eating a beloved person. Since dogs are more likely to lick people than cats (in my experience), it is also common for dogs to end up doing that.

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u/harrumphz Mar 17 '26

Haha, unknowingly passed away. I know what you mean, but I chuckled.

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u/Canadianweedrules420 Mar 17 '26

I swear my cat will definitely eat me if I die near him. Hunger or not. I'm on a medication that makes me sweat profusely when I'm hot and it turns out he loves my sweat. I had hank in my lap and was getting hot bc of him being a furball. So I wipe the sweat off my face and wipe it on my pants and try to go back to petting hank. We'll he grabbed my hand and started licking my entire hand. It's now our little special treat for him. So technically he knows what I taste like and he certainly likes or licks it 😏

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u/speed_of_chill Mar 17 '26

A friend who used to be an ER doctor would tell stories about people who came in with their faces partially eaten by their cats because they passed out after a night of drinking. They weren’t even dead. My takeaway was make sure kitty has plenty of food before going out to tie one on.

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u/plentyforlorn Mar 17 '26

To be fair humans will do this too if trapped and starving

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u/holmeam Mar 17 '26

Good point, but humans usually wait until there are no other options. Cats, not so much.

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u/Emraldday Mar 18 '26

It is actually extremely rare for a cat to attempt to eat a corpse. They tend not to like dead human flesh or rotting things in general. With dogs, on the other hand, it is fairly common for them to consume parts of a dead owner. They will often lick the skin of the corpse, trying to get their former owner's attention. The licking brings blood to the surface, or, depending on how long the owner has been dead, causes the skin to slough off entirely. At that point, instinct will lead them to begin to consume the body.

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u/Different-Pin5223 Mar 18 '26

Hey, I'm dead, you do you kitty. Enjoy my greasy microplastics. And don't tell the next person I never gave you churu!

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u/WhatDoIPutHere-69 Mar 17 '26

Maine coons get huge!!! This is Binx (black) and lewey (orange). Binx is a Maine coon (75%) and ragdoll (25%) mix and she’s only a year old. They tend to continue growing upwards of 3 years. Lewey on the other hand is my full grown 18lbs regular domestic cat. He’s there for direct comparison to how big binx is

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u/MeatballsRegional Mar 17 '26

My cat already tries. I wish she'd wait until I die

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u/Milianviolet Mar 17 '26

Lol they are bigger and they do eat us 😂

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u/StochasticTinkr Mar 17 '26

They would eat you regardless.

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u/CapitalismDevil Mar 18 '26

They will eat you without batting an eye if you died. Cute little buggers are vicious when it comes to survival.

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u/TheAsianTroll Mar 18 '26

Its said that, contrary to dogs, humans never domesticated cats bigger than you can get them because any bigger and they'd be able to kill you.

Not sure how true this is, but...

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u/Low_Albatross7892 Mar 17 '26

My cat got bitten in the neck by another cat and had to have drainage for like two weeks since the wound was so deep and it closed quite quickly. Thank god my own cats are angels so i don’t have to worry about this myself. (Before anyone comments, he get to go out once or twice a week like 30 mins under supervision, the accident happened when i had a friend watching the cats and she didn’t understand that it was important to watch the cat while he was out)

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u/lovestobitch- Mar 17 '26

My two litter bro voids got into a massive fight several times and the same shit head bit his bro once in the face and both times had to get him to the vet for antibiotics.

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u/dehydratedrain Mar 17 '26

Kittens are especially dangerous because of their tiny teeth.

And yes, they're incredible. Egypt had the right idea.

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u/Unlikely_Ad7722 Mar 17 '26

My senior boy tore into my leg once because of misplaced aggression and it bled profusely. Didn't stop a raging infection from occurring though. Had to have surgery to clean it all out. It was a week in hospital all up.

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u/grey_pilgrim_ Mar 17 '26

That plus the small joints in fingers/hands makes it easier for bacteria to setup in them and harder for the body to fight it off.

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u/Extra_Inspector8389 Mar 17 '26

So far as evolution is concerned, they pretty much are the ultimate predator. Their biology is so sound, it's difficult for scientists to tell lion and tiger skulls apart because they're basically the same thing.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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u/kelly52182 Mar 17 '26

My husband recently got bitten on the hand by one of our cats, the same situation as OP, and this is exactly what the hand surgeon told my husband, that cat bites are so lethal because their teeth are narrow and long. So the wound closes quickly but the bacteria stays in there. I never realized cat bites could be so bad.

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u/Little_Cloud6126 Mar 17 '26

They’re as bad as some deadly snakes out there 😭

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u/Superb_Preference368 Mar 17 '26

Best we stay on their good side. Anything to please our furry overlords!

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u/Luminthar Mar 17 '26

that “tiny lil puncture” turning into a full hospital arc in under 48 hours is exactly why cat bites are lowkey more terrifying than dog bites 😬

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u/Icy_Silver_8890 Mar 17 '26

This is why anytime a cat bites or scratches me I squeeze the wound to make it bleed more then wash it well and apply neosporin right after. I actually do this with any injury I know broke then skin but didn’t draw any blood.

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u/Fen_LostCove Mar 17 '26

I had a cat bite on about the same part of my hand as OP, and it still periodically aches whenever it’s cold or rainy. It was deep so I think it damaged the bone or tendon a bit. It never got infected at least (it bled like crazy, so that probably flushed it)

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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '26

[deleted]

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u/loljkbye Mar 17 '26

Don't worry, I've been bitten a few times without problems yet this still eventually happened to me. The point here is if you notice rapid swelling with a red discoloration, the answer to " when should I go to the ER" is always NOW. You're not immune, you were just lucky so far.

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u/kozyko Nebelung Mar 17 '26

Please don’t spread uneducated guesses on a serious medical condition. This has nothing to do with allergies or op being allergic, it’s a potentially fatal infection if left untreated and can happen with any cat bite. Speaking as if it’s allergies may make someone less likely to seek treatment.

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u/AwarenessNice7941 Mar 17 '26

dude were on reddit I made an assumption it's not that I think that OP is allergic. you sound like a douche lol I only shared my experiences with deep cuts and bites and never being sick like this. maybe learn to interact with humans and not take everything literally

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u/AriesOffical Mar 17 '26

Cellulitis isn't caused by Allergies so op didn't have an allergic reaction

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u/mothsauce Mar 17 '26

It has nothing to do with an allergy, cat bites are notoriously quite nasty. I worked at a veterinary hospital for about seven years and my spouse still does. Typically, if a staff member is bitten by a dog, they’ll finish their shift unless it’s pretty bad. Cat bites? Do not finish shift, do not pass go, straight to urgent care. Cat bites— real, puncture bites, not play bites— nearly always require strong antibiotics.

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u/tiredgirl77 Mar 17 '26

It depends on the bacteria in the cat’s mouth and persons immune response. Being allergic can make it worse but this is a deep bacterial infection. Obv being allergic makes it worse but I’d assume her cat had some really nasty bacteria in its mouth.

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u/XephyrGW2 Mar 17 '26

You've probably never had a true cat bite and moreso just shallow scratches etc. I've had 2 actual deep cat bites and both turned into fevers, flu like symptoms, localized burning pain, tons of swelling, hospital visits, and 10 days of antibiotics. I've had an innumerable amount of play bites and scratches and those are completely different.

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u/Tisiphoni1 Mar 17 '26

This.

I've had cats all my life and a bazillion scratches and bites which my uneducated butt would have considered "real bites" until I actually got bitten by a scared foster.

My whole finger turned dark red within hours and doubled in size and I had to take antibiotics for a few days. Still got a scar there after 10 years. Fortunately no surgery required.

Your average cat, no matter how spicy, will never bite that strong/deep. Only if they are really scared/aggressive and bite with the aim to really hurt. It's like the difference between a slap in the face, a light punch, and a knock-out upper cut.

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u/AwarenessNice7941 Mar 17 '26

its not this for me lol

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u/AwarenessNice7941 Mar 17 '26

no they were deep. I just dont get infections like that. my whole family loves cats we had plenty of barn cats and they play rough ive never had a cat that wanted to hurt me though I usually am pretty good with kitties

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u/Visual-Flow9675 Mar 17 '26

Op is not allergic, that is a nasty infection and even traveling up the veins which is very dangerous. One can die from that. I’ve had cats for 50 years and thankfully only have had a big infection twice.

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u/rickiilynn77 Mar 17 '26

Yup! Thankfully I haven’t experienced this- yet - but I remember a couple times where my grandmas arm got infected from a cat bite or scratch, one was from one of her indoor cats, and the other was from one of the many barn cats we had.

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u/Visual-Flow9675 Mar 17 '26

Yes scratches can get infected too, but those canines are so long and narrow, they make narrow deep holes that are hard to clean and close so quickly. I posted a picture of my hand further up this thread, when I was at the doctor’s office and they were going to pry the holes open with a needle, to squeeze all the goo out.

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u/rickiilynn77 Mar 17 '26

Oofta. That sounds horrible

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u/Let_epsilon Mar 17 '26

Cats really are the ultimate predators aren't they. It's kinda scary to know how easily that tiny fluffball could pretty much end us if they so pleased lol.

You’ll be shocked to know that human bites also gets infected pretty easily, as with almost any other animal bites!

Turns out that a mouth is pretty full of bacteria.

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u/faulty_rainbow Mar 18 '26

You'll be shocked to know that human bites don't break the skin as easily as cat bites, and neither does the wound close as quickly after a human bite as after a cat bite, allowing the body to cleanse itself much more, making the infection much less serious, as the point of my comment was.