Cat Bite- I Have to Explain More!!

I think you may want to breathe first and take a second look at what happened. Any animal sweet as can be can bite someone when provoked. Have you had any other instances that you cat acted anything but sweet?? The cat probably thought she was being attacked and reacted as any animal would fight back. Has she bitten before?? If not I would watch her to make sure nothing medically is going on, talk with your vet then watch to make sure things are back to normal then if anything likes this happens again talk about giving her up. Don't act too hasty.

Hi Deenah,

You have gotten a lot of responses already - but I am not only an animal owner, I also owned a pet store for several years. You have a sweet kitty that was scared - they get scared when they are out of their comfort zone. Outside is particularly scary for an indoor cat. Your cat does not randomly walk up and bite you or your kids. You cat is very good with your kids. I would never put an animal down for an isolated incident or for doing something that was only a reaction. If you decide that you cannot keep this animal there are a lot of families that would love to have a cat such as yours. Please at least bring her to a humane society or post an ad in your local paper. I'm sure somebody would love to adopt your pet.

Just like you said she was outside in a new element. SHe was spooked by the sneaking up from behind and she used her normal defense mechanism. She did not know it was your husband, for all she knew, it was a predator. From now on, when she gets out, make sure you do not sneak up on her. Call her and try to get her without scaring her.

Sorry, but I don't think this constitutes putting the cat down or getting rid of her. If she does it again in her normal enviroment, without being scared or spooked, then see a vet for advice.

I do not think you have anything to worry about... it seems like your cat was startled and being in a some what unfamiliar place (even if it is a few feet from a familiar place) she acted defensively. When I was 8 something similar happened to me, I have a scar but my cat never did it again (plus I was very careful never to repeat grabbing the cat from behind in an unfamiliar situation).

Keep an eye on her to reassure yourself but morethenlikely you will not see that aggressive behavior again unless in a situation like her getting out and then caught from behind again OR being harassed nonstop. This is also a good time to remind your kid(s) that they have to be respectful of the cat, but it seems like you have a loving animal family already. I hope that your cat can continue on in your home!

The cat was probably just startled. I've had cats that turn into biters if they are grabbed without warning. I wouldn't rush off and have her put down because of one bite. If you feel the need to get her out of the house, I'm sure you could find an animal shelter that you could take her to.

Deenah-
I have two cats. My 14-yo cat was a former co-workers who got pregnant and decided that she did not want her, at-the-time, 7-yo cat around her new baby. He has turned into one of the best pets I have ever had. He is very affectionate and cuddly. Needless to say, I now have a 5-yo son and a 10-mos old son and I never have parted with either of my cats. My younger cat is now a 7-yo. That said I have always made sure the cats have stayed out of the crib and playpen, even if the baby is not in it, so they knew that neither spot was "theirs". Also, my cats pretty much stayed away from my older child when he was a baby and it is the same now with my younger son. Again, that said, my older cat will bite, and hard, if you do something he does not like. I have made sure to tell my 5-yo that over and over. I also tell him to keep his face away from the cats mouth, just in case. Occassionally he will do something - a too-tight hug, or a tail pull - that will earn him a bite but I tell him to not do the action again and he won't get bit for it again. The older cat has never drawn blood and I recognize that as he gets older he will continue to get cranky so I make sure to share this info with my friends and with my kids.
I don't think you should get rid of your cat. Obviously there was extenuating circumstances. However, like with all pets, you should take precautions and teach your children to respect the animals or they might get a reminder they do not necessarily enjoy.
Hope this helps -
J.

Hi Deenah,

My husband and I have talked about the same thing. We have 3 dogs and have decided that if they show aggression to any one of us, they are gone! Our kids are more important thatn our pets. And we LOVE our pets. But God entrusted us with these kids and it is our job as parents to look out for them first!!!

If you are completely convinced that this was a one time thing, give her another chance. But if she bites again, I would have her put down.

As for the whole cat biting thing it is EXTREMELY SERIOUS!!! Our neighbor was bit by a cat and he almost died! He has lost most control of that whole ARM AND HAND because of this bite. He has no feeling in it anymore. He has to wear a glove on that hand all year round because he can't feel when it gets cold or wet, etc. He has been dealing with this for over 2 or 3 years now and will have to the rest of his life.......

With cats, you DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL!!!

why would you put the cat down???....it was just reacting like any animal would....your child scared it.....you need to teach your kids how to treat animals with respect!!!...this is so tiresome...and sad....its always the animal that takes the punishment for defending its self...if you teach your kids to treat animals right this will not happen.

She was outside, which you say was new to her, your hubby snuck up behind her and grabbed her and otherwise she's been an affectionate cat?!

I would've bit your hubby, too! She was scared and she was reacting in an instinctive and defensive way. It's not fun to be bitten by your pet, but I think her reaction was understandable given all of the circumstances.

She's still your kitty--she was just scared. If she continues to be an affectionate pet, I would chalk this up as a one-time incident.

Hi,
Two things.
First: your husband should go in and get on antiobiotics. Cats have lots of bacteria in their mouth and a puncture wound doesn't let infection out like other wounds because it closes up so fast.
Second: I really don't think that you should get rid of the cat. If she's always been a good kitty, that is most likely who she is. You have to remember - the cat was in a strange place (nervous of all the new sights, sounds, and smells) and when your hubby snuck up behind her and grabbed her he probably scared her immensely and she was only protecting herself from the unknown. Poor kitty.

You still have a good cat. Just don't sneak up on her in strange places.

Please don't make a rash decision. I'm sorry to say that in this case the majority of the blame lies with the hubby. You just can't do that to a cat (or any dog, animal, or person) without getting a big reaction. The hand infection doesn't surprise me for the reasons above. I hope he is feeling better.
Good luck,
K.

Get rid of the cat. I know it is hard but trust me it is not worth it. My cousin was bit on the wrist by a cat and he punctured through the skin. That was over a year ago and her wrist still isn't the same she needs to have surgery. Her doctor said that cats have the dirtiest mouth. And after the bite she was in and out of the hospital twice. She got cat scratch fever and was very sick. She still can't put weight on her wrist. I just can't imagine a young child going through what she went through. I know you love your cat but I would hate to see your young girls go through the same thing. I hope the little guy that got bit is okay. Watch it for infection!

You have to remember that no animal is 100% safe. Even fish and hamsters will bite if they feel they are in danger. My guess is your cat was petrified by it's new environment and didn't know or expect your husband to grab her. I would give her another chance and make sure you teach you girls to respect ALL animals. Usually cats will only attack if they are picked up or cornored.

He probably scared the bejebbers out of the cat. Next time the cat excapes instead of trying to chase her or sneek up on her open a can of tuna or some catnip and put a little right outside the door. When the cat comes to get the treat grab her and bring her in.
I have had several cats and they rarely bite. Only when mine were scared or if a tiny person grabed them and pulled a tail or foot did they bite or scratch.
You don't say if your cat is fixed. Get her spayed if she isn't she won't be so interested in running outside.
Cats are not like dogs and just because she bit once it doesn't mean that she will bite again. Before you think about putting her down try to find a new home for her.

I wouldn't worry at all - we all can react out of character when we are startled. Imagine you were in an unknown/scary place and someone grabbed you. In High School, a bunch of us went to a Haunted House. As we were going through, one of the guys grabbed my friend from behind & she turned & punched him in the nose in about 2 seconds. Angie would never hit anyone, but he had startled her while her nerves were frazzled - she just reacted without thinking.

It is important to teach children safety with animals anyway. You know, the things like - don't bother them while they are eating, around their babies, sleeping, etc.

All of that being said, if you started to see a pattern, tough choices would need to be made. I would never recommend putting her down - instead she could be adopted.

make sure the cat is up to date on rabies shots!!

This is absolutely normal cat behavior. You can not sneak up on and cat a grab it like that. The most loving cat's I've ever had would do that exact thing if grabbed from behind. Basically your husband scared the hell out of her. She wasn't aware at all who it was. I could not sneak up on my brother and scare him like that. He knows martial arts and if startled he could really hurt me by reacting very quickly like your cat did. You don't have anything the worry about. She should be the same cat as before if you don't startle her like that. Good lesson for everyone in the family.
I would recommend reading Animal in Translation by Temple Grandin. Might give you more insight into animal behavior.

No offense, but your DH messed up. The fact that she was outside which is unfamiliar to her, so she's already out of her element and nervous/frightened, but then he sneaks up behind her to grab her? After owning and working w/cats for decades, I don't blame her. I feel awful for your DH, but because of the circumstances of this situation, it's unfair to the cat to call her a "known biter" and consider removing her from her home. Any animal, no matter how nice and sweet they have always been, is going to defending themself or "attack" when scared/frightened/hurt or attacked themselves. If your children get too rough w/her, she'll bite because she's trying to protect herself and is telling them "leave me alone!". If she's hurt, she's scared and confused as well as in pain, and even though YOU know you're just trying to help, she may lash out.

Please reconsider and try to remember the circumstances that she attacked your DH. That situation was out of the norm. I pray your DH is ok also.

Hi Deenah! I just wanted to encourage you in the face of so much criticism. Thank you for valuing your family above your pets. Apparently the concept is rare but you are doing a great job!

It takes time to let the dust settle after experiencing a bit from a pet. To me it sounds like she was pretty scared being in a different environment (outside where there are lots of predetors) and startled by your husband coming from behind and grabbing her. She probably didn't realize that it was him, until it was too late. Cat bites can be really nasty since all the bacteria in their mouths basically gets injected under your skin, and it can get infected really quickly, so I'm glad he is seeing his doctor for this. But as far as the kitty goes, give it some time to settle. Keep her in a separate room if you can to see if there are any behavior changes, and if she's the same kitty you've always known, then I wouldn't worry... it was probably a freak accident. I know it can be scary though when you're in the middle of the whole experience though!

I grew up on a farm with lots of cats, a few dogs and some horses.. one thing I learned is that animals use their teeth and claws/paws/hooves like humans use their hands and/or words.. yes, your cat was probably super startled;} If its never outside and that was where it was grabbed its just a normal response like a human screaming when scared.. THe few cats I've had fixed always seemed to have a bit more attitude also but I think it mainly just startled your cat.. your girls are old enough to be ok with any mood swings from your cat;} (I have a 2 yr old and a dog.. AGH!hehe!)Scratches from cats always hurt and turn red cause they have poison in them.. not enough to hurt us at all but will affect birds and such.. at least thats what a vet told me long ago.. Don't think you need to worry bout gettin rid of the cat- in the long run they do so much more good than bad.. teach many lessons too;} Hope this helps and good luck..

I just wanted to add: put yourself in your cat's position. She's one-years-old. A housecat. From the sounds of it, she's never been out of the house before. She escapes out the patio door. Freedom! Exhilarating! Scary! With all the new sights and smells and sounds, yes, having daddy pounce on her from behind would frighten the bejeezus out of her. It would frighten the bejeezus out of me, too!

Not so very different from our wussy cat, Blue. He's three-years-old and totally a housecat. Hates to go outside. I finally, this spring, opened the patio door and just let the dog go in and out onto the patio(no mosquitoes or flies at the moment, so this works). Lo and behold, the cat actually slunk outside! I was so stunned, I had to take a picture of him standing on the patio! However, any little noise, whether from outside or inside the house, has him racing back inside the house like there's a lobster clawing his tail.

Our cat doesn't like to be startled or surprised, and holding has to be his idea, or there's no deal. I have a 9-year-old daughter and I'm constantly reminding her to watch the dog's and cat's languages. Their talking, their body postures, their facial expressions--all of it will convey how they feel and if they'll be open to interaction with you, the human. I remind her, almost continuously, that the cat is from a wild cat (the cervin, I think) and the dog is from the wild wolf; they may be domesticated, but they are never, ever, fully 100% "tame." We like to think so, but they're not.

I'm glad your husband will be okay. As long as you teach your daughters to respect the cat and its limits and preferences, you shouldn't have anymore problems with her.

I would most likley say your cat was just defending himself while he was scared. If he was outside, he was probably not sure how to react to anything new. Just like you might jump and attack if somebody came up behind you on the streets.
We have a cat that bites when he is surprised. He is by no means a mean or aggressive cat. He would never just attack us for no reason.
I would just keep an eye on him and out of situations where he might react differently.

Maybe the cat has a medical problem.

You should find another home for the cat. That you would even consider putting the cat down because of this proves that you are not a good pet owner. Why would that be your first thought rather than finding it another home? I have 2 dogs, and have had rabbits and cats in the past, as well as worked at a pet store. I would never put any of my animals down unless it was clearly for their best good. Not only is this behavior normal in the situation, the fact that you don't understand cats or would think of putting it down indicates that your family is not prepared to have this level of pet at this time. Find the cat a good home.

Hi Deenah,
It seems to me like an isolated incident. I'd just watch your cat and see. My cat bit our son twice, but both times he was bothering the cat. He was a great and friendly cat outside of that. I'd just make sure you always supervise your children if you think there is danger. They are 8 and 6, according to your info, so I wouldn't worry because I'm sure they can be trusted to respect the kitty and not sneak up it from behind or anything.

-C.

Go with your reasoning that whe was outside and he surprised her. Her guard would have been up for being out of her element. She's not vicious, just momentarily panicked. What would you do if you felt threatened? I know this one time was more extreme, but for future try not to surprise her so bad. Also know that all cats will occassionally nip or scratch if they are relaying a message to you or the girls, by laying their ears back, growling or hissing, and are not listened to. They do the same to their babies, it's just disciplining. Keep the cat, everyone gets moody sometimes.

any cat will react this way if scared and startled, i dont think it was the cats fault at all, if you stepped outside and someone grabbed you from behind what would you do? i would scream and punch , then i would feel bad if it was someone i knew but if it wasnt someone i knew i would be glad i got away!