If Your Cat Gets Bitten…

June 3, 2025

First Aid For Your Cat’s Bite

Denise Fleck

 

You PAWSitively cannot forego doing a head-to-tail check in the event of a puncture wound. The urge for mating is not always welcomed and may lead to a fight and a bite! Holes made by the teeth of other animals close quickly, trapping bacteria under the skin. Should your cat get bitten by another animal, control excess blood loss by applying direct pressure with a clean gauze pad until the bleeding stops. You can elevate the limb on a folded towel to assist, and if bleeding is on a leg, press on the appropriate pressure point (major artery inside any of the four legs or at the underside of the base of the tail).

 

If you don’t see a bite mark, don’t assume your cat didn’t get one. Give them a gentle head-to-tail check with loving hands, watching their face to notice if you hit a tender spot. Should you find a wound, carefully clip fur from the area surrounding it with blunt-nosed scissors, and flush with a Chlorhexidine-type product or water (never pour peroxide into a deep wound). Examination by your veterinarian is recommended, as antibiotics may be needed to prevent an abscess. If however, you suddenly discover an abscess, keep it open to drain, and flush it twice daily with Chlorhexidine^® for three to five days to get rid of the bacteria. Rotating Chlorhexidine^® with cooled black tea is an excellent option. Pat dry and apply an ointment with antibacterial properties. Honey (dark, unpasteurized) is a great homeopathic option if you can keep kitty from licking it off. An alternative to flushing is to soak a washcloth or gauze in an Epsom salts solution (1/4 cup Epsom salts to 1 quart very warm water), squeeze the water out slightly and place on top of the swollen tissue for 5 minutes three to five times a day. In spite of at-home treatment, abscesses are often painful and need to be drained by a professional who can also prescribe antibiotics to heal the wound completely.

 

 

Originally appeared in Cat Talk magazine