Why does my cat bite me (hard, drawing blood) when I approach my bed?
Wow, I've heard of dogs being aggressive when you let them sleep on your bed and you enter the room to sleep and they give s warning growl or actually bite but never a cat! I would immediately shut the door to my bedroom at all times to keep the cat out of there. That aggressive biting to draw blood is unacceptable! I've had cats all my life who have always slept on my bed and never encountered anything but warm, happy greetings from them when entering my room. Is your cat aggressive outside of your bedroom? Have you bonded with him? Do you groom him if he needs it? Do you take time out to have a love fest with him? Have you had him very long? Is he a rescue? Do you know his history? At the very least Google this behavior or have a $60 chat with your vet about it. Until you know why keep him out of your bedroom because this aggression could escalate and a cat can do some harsh damage. Don't hit him unless of course his fangs are around your throat in a death grip and you have no alternative. I hope you figure it out!
Why does my cat suddenly bite me hard enough to draw blood with no cause?
I assume this is not a feral cat you have tamed. I assume this is a house cat that doesn't normally bite but has suddenly done so. I assume you have had that bite attended to. ASAP.What are you doing JUST before your cat has this “sudden” urge to perforate you? That is almost certainly the answer, if your cat is not feral.They don’t have much to communicate with. Vocal noises are acquired, not “natural” feline behavior, beyond hissing and mating noises. There are documentaries galore of cats in the wild, from barn cats to lions and tigers. Other than territorial announcements, cats are silent hunters. They make little noise.But they do use their mouths in many other ways. My cat Rufus carries things around and fetches. I didn't teach him; he demanded it of me. And when he gets overstimulated, he bites. When he gets wild and playful, he bites. He never breaks the skin, but he can emphasize his opinion quite painfully if he wants.Is your cat biting you or are you tearing your skin by removing your hand too quickly? This may sound dumb, but there are many times Rufus could have “made” me bleed if I had ripped my hand away from his moth while he was “"holding” me with his teeth. He had a grip on my hand, but no skin would be broken unless I moved. Is your cat maybe trying to grip your hand and you pull away?One of two things is happening. You have a cat with a serious problem or you have a cat trying unsuccessfully to communicate. I guess the latter, just because cats don't usually just suddenly start biting without a reason. I suspect somehow, you are overstimulating the cat.Watch when you pet your cat. Be aware of how you do it and for how long. Is your cat purring? If not, stop now. That's what we pros call a “clue” to your cat’s mind. Purring almost always means good stuff. It can be a self-comfort when in pain, or in fear, but usually it means “oh yeah!”But if you don't watch and listen, you can easily make your cat uncomfortable. Static sparks off fur in the winter or dry weather, for example. Or petting in the exact same way over and over. Ever had someone mindlessly stroke your skin? It gets annoying fast. Your cat agrees, and biting may be how it's telling you.I assume you are not deliberately provoking your cat in some way. If you are, you deserve to bleed for taking advantage of your pet. Do not think cats are harmless. If you push your animal too far, it will HAVE to hurt you to get away. Shame on those who would do that.
Why is my cat biting and drawing blood for no reason?
¿For no reason? Trust me, THERE IS a reason, it’s just that you failed to get it. Cats (and dogs as well) might bite for several reasons: a) it’s play for them, b) they’re afraid of you, c) you didn’t respect their boundaries and it’s a way for them to tell you they’re annoyed, or d) you touched them where it hurts or where they don’t like to be touched (like paws and belly, in most cats). There’s also e) they might have some neurological illness (that’s rare, but in case you suspect such a thing you should take your pet to the vet). If you don’t want your cat to bite you, you have to find out why it does it in the first place, and solve the problem (like, stop annoying the cat, make the cat feel safe, play with the cat using toys to help it burn extra energy, whatever). Check the TV show My Cat From Hell, it gives good tips. Good luck!
Were you ever been bitten by a cat or kitten? How was it?
It is very painful and very likely to get infected.I had to wrangle a rescue cat on an airplane last month. Long story for how that happened, but suffice it to say that when I finally managed to grab her, she did what feline abuse victims do.She defended herself.In this case, that meant shredding my right arm with her back claws and chomping down on my left hand.I read one answer to this question that claimed cats have weak jaws. Completely false. My hand was black and blue for two weeks. The bruising was far more painful than the puncture wounds (there were 8).The bite wounds themselves were not as bad as they could have been. I applied topical antibiotic immediately. After we landed, I got my new rescue cat settled in and comfortable, then went straight to the ER. They scrubbed out my wounds, set me up with a course of antibiotics, and gave me a tetanus booster shot. I avoided infection and now, (almost 5 weeks later) my bite wounds are almost completely healed.I also avoided another common effect of cat bites. Because bites usually occur on the hands and cat fangs are so long, it’s very common to suffer tendon damage that can require surgery. One of my cat’s teeth came very close to severing one of my hand tendons, but missed by a millimeter.You don’t know what it’s really like to rescue animals until you see them glaring at you in hatred and fear, with your blood staining their muzzle, and you still think “OMG you’re so cute!”You can see a bit of the bruising. These pics were taken at the ER, same day as the bite. That lovely blue-purple color spread to my entire palm and it swelled beautifully.Aaaand here’s the little culprit:Lots of hope for this little girl! As you can see, she’s perfectly willing to get right in my face as long as she thinks I’m not paying attention to her.EDIT: In case y’all are wondering, the little booger is progressing very well with her rehabilitation. No voluntary touching yet, she decided to start the New Year by being very brave and eating from the hand she shredded several weeks ago!
A cat bit me today, and it didn’t bleed, but there’s a line of bumped up and swelling skin. Does it matter, and do I need rabies shots?
You have two problems.One, rabies is not something to take a chance with. Symptoms usually appear two to eight weeks after the bite. Rabies is 100% fatal. Once symptoms appear, you’re going to die, and the only thing your doctor can do is make you comfortable until it happens. Yes, cats rarely carry rabies, but unless you can have the cat tested . . . . Well, you know what Dirty Harry said.Two, cats carry some really nasty bacteria in their mouths, and these bacteria can, and often do, cause REALLY BAD infections.I was bitten by a feral cat several years ago and had the rabies treatment (not as bad as it’s made out to be. I think I got four injections in my arm spread out over two weeks) but my hand got infected, and the infection spread up my arm. I had to get emergency IV antibiotics.SEE A DOCTOR!
What should I do if my cat bit me very hard?
As Rich says below, if your cat drew blood then wash the wound and go to the doctor or emergency room immediately. Cats have one of the dirtiest pet bites with a bigger risk of infection than usual. Because of the shape of a cat's teeth, the bite tends to be small on the surface but quite deep in the flesh which means there is a risk that the surface of the wound heals before the wound can cleanse itself. This is why visiting your doctor as soon as possible is important; bacteria can otherwise get trapped under your skin and spread to other tissue. Your doctor might prescribe you with antibiotics to tackle this issue.Experience: My mother-in-law was bitten by our kitten. It was all very dramatic, but we learnt a lot that day :)
How do you treat a puncture wound to the vein?
if the puncture wound was from a claw, don't worry. Wash it, apply pressure to control the bleeding and maybe put a bit of neosporin on it (to help prevent infection). If the bite was from the cat's mouth, then go to the emergency room. There is a bacteria that grows specifically in cat's mouths (I forget what it's called) but it can spread and become pretty nasty. I work as an emergency room nurse, and we've actually admitted patients to the hospital for cat bites (although these are usually people who wait a few days before going to the emregency room). Oh, and speaking as an emergency room nurse, make sure your sister's tetanus shot is up to date!!