Do All Cats Bite And Scratch

You should clean your wound right away.

Do all cats bite and scratch. If your cat s bites and swats rarely break the skin they re probably inhibited play bites and scratches. They can cause serious infection and should be treated immediately. Why do cats bite and scratch. Cats may bite for many reasons.

One minute your beloved kitty is enjoying a scratch on her favorite spot and the next she s giving you love bites. A cat who launches a serious attack with multiple or deep bites for example should be carefully examined by a veterinarian. While some cats love to be petted for hours on end sometimes a cat becomes overstimulated for one reason or another and want to opt out of the petting session but don t know how to tell you when to stop. Cats may bite or scratch if frightened or their kittens are threatened so leave them alone.

Below are some of the primary causes that will make a cat more prone to bite. Some of these germs can cause cat scratch disease or lockjaw tetanus. Because of these germs your wound can get easily infected. When to call the vet.

Up to 75 percent of cat bites introduce harmful bacteria into the body including staphylococcus streptococcus and pasteurella species. Their razor sharp teeth can puncture deeply sometimes penetrating tissues ligaments and tendons. Cat scratch fever which comes from bartonella henselae bacteria may also be transmitted via cat bite. How long it takes the wound to heal depends on how deep the scratch or bite is.

They can coil around you alluringly but they also can scratch and bite. Usually by about four months of age play biting and scratching should subside. Cat claws and mouths carry many germs. Aggressive biting often happens during a petting session when the human companion either doesn t understand or ignores the cat s body language.

If you are not the patient practice universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if available. Young kittens will bite or scratch each other or their owners as part of play and this is normal. If a cat bites you see a doctor as soon as possible. If your cat is launching serious attacks especially without warning or provocation get her in for a thorough veterinary exam as soon as possible.

A cat s main form of play involves biting and scratching in winner takes all battles whether with another cat a toy mouse or an unsuspecting human who finds he has become his cat s plaything. Learn more about why your cat is biting you. That s why the common scratching and biting behavior don t seem to resolve with some cat owners because they have the illusion that their cats are untrainable so it is not worth a try. One of the first rules for human companions is do not teach your cat that hands are toys.

Don t start any treatment until there is a reasonable expectation that the cat won t attack again.