Can you tell by looking at my hands that one is swollen? I’m hurting this weekend, ever since Sam bit me on Thursday night. I now have a very infected hand and ended up at the Urgent Care Center today. The doctor basically told me I was an idiot not to come in as soon as the bite happened. Well, I didn’t know, and Friday it wasn’t bad, just aching and a bit swollen which I thought was just from the puncture wound. Yesterday it was really swollen and red. When I did a search online about cat bites it got me a bit scared. I took two of Bart’s amoxicillin tablets to tide me over. At the doctor’s I got a huge lecture and a scrip for antibiotics. It feels just like I sprained my hand so I’m a bit impaired. At least I can type without too much pain.

I don’t know exactly what got into Sam, but Rick was trying to catch him to clean him up after a trip to the litter box left some things, er, shall we say hanging. He was kind of playing a game with him and I grabbed him for behind, thinking I was going to hold him while Rick got the clingy bits. He bit me hard, it didn’t bleed much and left three nice puncture wounds. He had some catnip earlier, so maybe that contributed to his wild ways. I don’t know. All I know was that it hurt like hell; still does. 

So, if you get bitten by a cat, yours or someone else’s, don’t wait. Get to a doctor for some antibiotics right away! At least that way you’ll be spared the lecture about how dumb you are. You can read about cat bites here.

Ouch! You were smart to get your hand looked at! I hope it heals soon and you can get back to knitting!

Ikes…thanks for the warning. Taylor is a very “in your face” kind of cat lover. She has come away from friends places with numerous scratches, I can’t remember any bites though?
I think I will make her read your blog and maybe it will tuned her in…..Cats love to be petted on their own terms..not mauled <grin>

i stumbled across your blog by accident when researching cat bites online. your picture and description of what happened sent me straight to the doctor, my right hand is just as swollen and painful as yours looks in the photo. thanks for posting this!