Many people worry about getting bitten by a dog. However, what most people should be frightened of is being bitten by a cat. While a cat may not rip your flesh apart like a dog could, a cat does have bacteria that its fangs can inject deep into an open wound.
Nearly 80 per cent of cat bites to the hand become infected, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). A cat bite can be particularly deadly in terms of infection that could lead to permanent disability if not treated appropriately.
‘I had one patient whose index finger no longer bends because the cartilage in the knuckle was destroyed within 24 hours,’ says Maxim D. Horwitz, a consultant hand and wrist surgeon who treats dog, cat (and human) bites at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.
So the next time your cat asks for something, you better give it. Instead of being fearful of pitbulls or German Shepherds, you should probably be more afraid of your cat.
To read more about the dangers of cat bites, click here.
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