We’re now closing in on eight years of writing this blog. Back in 2018, I would have sworn on a stack of Bibles that I didn’t have more than a few months of topics to write on. Because I didn’t.
But topics appeared, things like dog and cat bites, which I dutifully covered, because those are relatively common occurrences and we should all be prepared to deal with them.
Clearly, however, I did not cover it well enough. And so through Blueberry Girl, God has given all of us the opportunity to learn a little more. She hopes you appreciate her sacrifice.
So what’s the big deal with cat bites, anyway? They’re not like snake bites, which I don’t care if it’s not venomous, it would freak me out. They’re not like dog bites, which can totally maim and even kill. Cat bites come from cats. Kittens. Furballs. Probably pets. Cute. And no one wants to admit she (it’s usually women) was messing with the cat and provoked the bite.
Well, according to the CDC, 20-80% of reported cat bites become infected.[1] (Yeah, I find their wide range a little puzzling, but it is the CDC.) A Mayo Clinic study found that 30% of people, mostly middle-aged women, seeking medical attention for a cat bite required hospitalization. Two-thirds of those needed surgery. The average hospital stay? Three days.[2] So we can’t say the concern is overblown.[3]
Why are cat bites so problematic? Cats have much sharper teeth than dogs. Due to being so sharp and thin, their canine teeth easily penetrate deeply into the skin. Even a shallow bite can seed bacteria in the joint and tendon sheaths, particularly on the back of the hand, which is where most cat bites actually occur. The joints and tendons are poorly vascularized, meaning there isn’t a good blood supply.[4] Which means the microbes reproduce much more easily. In addition, because the cat bite often looks like a simple pinprick, many people don’t take them seriously until infection has set in, a critical mistake.[5] Don’t be suckered.
Signs and symptoms
What infections can your feline friend pass along?
Pasteurella multocida.[6] These bacteria live in 70-90% of cats, so it’s the most common infection following a cat bite. Signs of infection--including pain, swelling and tenderness--develop within a few hours.[7] [8]
Cat scratch disease (CSD), also known as cat scratch fever, manifests with swollen lymph nodes, a rash or skin bumps, fatigue, and muscle aches up to ten days after the bite or scratch. Cats get the bacteria causing this disease from fleas before passing it to you.[9]
Campylobacteriosis from the feces of cats and other animals manifests with stomach cramps, fever, nausea, and diarrhea.[10] [11]
Toxoplasmosis is of particular concern for pregnant women and is transmitted by contact with cat waste.
Staphylococcus aureus.[12]
Streptococcus spp.[13]
Tetanus vaccine boosters are sometimes recommended after a cat bite.[14]
Treatment
First rinse the wound to flush out as many bacteria as possible, and then wash well with soap and water. Stop bleeding with direct pressure. Then apply antibiotic ointment and bandage.[15] [16]
Seek licensed medical attention within 8 hours to reduce the risk of infection.[17] [18]
Prophylaxis
Adults. First line, Augmentin 875/125mg, every 12 hours, Alternative, clindamycin, 300 mg, 3x per day, PLUS Cipro, 500 mg, 2x per day.[19]
Children. First line Augmentin, 45 mg/kg, every 12 hours. Alternative, clindamycin, 10-25 mg/kg, divided, every 6-8 hours, PLUS Septra, 8-10 mg/kg, divided, every 12 hours.
Pregnant patients allergic to penicillin: clindamycin, 300 mg/3x per day, PLUS Septra, 160 mg of the trimethoprim component every 12 hours.
Alternative: Zithromax, 250-500 mg per day.
All regimens are taken for 3-7 days.
Any cat bite that penetrates the skin should be allowed to heal by secondary intention—no stitches or other wound closure.[20]
The risk of infection rises for those with diabetes or who are immunocompromised.[21] [22]
[1] Should you worry about a cat bite or scratch, Cleveland Clinic, 3 March 2025, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cat-bites-scratches (accessed 18 July 2026).
[2] S. Theimer, When cats bite, 1 in 3 patients bitten in hand hospitalized, infections common, MayoClinic.org, 5 February 2014, https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/when-cats-bite-1-in-3-patients-bitten-in-hand-hospitalized-infections-common/ (accessed 18 July 2026).
[3] Cleveland Clinic.
[4] Theimer.
[5] Theimer.
[6] N Harris-Ray, What to know about a cat bite or scratch, WebMD, 25 August 2024, https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/what-to-know-about-a-cat-bite-or-scratch (accessed 18 July 2026).
[7] Harris-Ray.
[8] Cleveland Clinic.
[9] Cleveland Clinic.
[10] Harris-Ray.
[11] Cleveland Clinic.
[12] Harris-Ray.
[13] https://www.droracle.ai/articles/200094/what-antibiotics-are-recommended-for-a-cat-bite
(accessed 18 July 2026).
[14] Cleveland Clinic.
[15] Cleveland Clinic.
[16] Harris-Ray.
[17] Cleveland Clinic.
[18] Harris-Ray.
[19] DD Ortiz, et al., Dog and cat bites: Rapid evidence review, American Family Physician, 2023; Vol 108 No 5, 501-505, https://www.aafp.org/afp/2023/1100/dog-cat-bites (accessed 18 July 2026).
[20] DD Ortiz.
[21] Cleveland Clinic.
[22] Harris-Ray.
