😺 What To Do When Bitten By a Stray Cat?

Kittens are undeniably adorable at first glance, but can they can be dangerous to you when mishandled. You might end up with scratches and might bitten in worst case. This was what happened to me when I attempted to rescue a stray cat while walking my dog at Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. The said area is known because of numerous stray cats sauntering around especially early in the morning. Actually, I even saw some cat lovers who fed them regularly; you even notice some cat foods left over in random corners.  

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One early morning, I saw a very adorable kitten on the way. I assumed it was newly born or 1 week old, it was tiny yet I can see already its animal instinct when felt in danger. When I was heading to the kitten and tried to pick him up, he was calm until my dog saw the cat in my hand and my dog tried to grab it. The kitten jumped away from my hands and went back to the bush. This time, I can sense that the said kitten changed his behavior and became aggressive. I still attempted to rescue them for the second time but he was defying me. The trust that was first established vanished and was replaced by aggressiveness. Honestly, I don’t have any know-how in rescuing cats, instead of grabbing the skin at the back of the neck, I picked him up like a normal human and that was his perfect time to attack me as he was feeling threatened by me and by my dog. He scratched and bit me to bleed. I decided to leave him and not to rescue him anymore since blood exists already on my thumb.

 I went back home and washed the wound. I notice itchiness after six hours, and I decided to head to the nearest emergency room at VRP Hospital for the anti-rabies shot. Amidst of COVID19 surge, I still managed to bring myself to the Hospital. On top of anti-tetanus and anti-rabies, I was also given antibiotics that are good for 1 week. I was advised to return to complete the whole cycle of vaccines. The hospital bill was covered by my medical insurance which is a good thing. After 3 hours of being vaccinated, I felt feverish and the areas where the injections were administered – were heavy and in pain. 

Truly, early prevention is better than cure.  If a person does not receive appropriate medical care after exposure, human rabies is almost always fatal. Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets but in my case, it was a stray cat. You may keep staying away from wildlife so bite and attach can be avoided, and seeking medical care after potential exposures and before symptoms start  - is a must. If you have no medical insurance that will cover your expenses, you may go to your local government animal bite center which is for free.