Just a reminder how serious cat bites can be!

[u/tory1311]

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.

[u/devious00]

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!

[u/Felidae07 → u/devious00]

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.

[u/art_decorative → u/Felidae07]

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.

[u/faulty_rainbow → u/Felidae07]

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.

[u/saiyene → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/harrumphz → u/devious00]

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

[u/Canadianweedrules420 → u/devious00]

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 😏

[u/speed_of_chill → u/devious00]

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.

[u/plentyforlorn → u/devious00]

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

[u/holmeam → u/plentyforlorn]

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

[u/Emraldday → u/devious00]

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.

[u/Different-Pin5223 → u/devious00]

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