Man issues health warning after cat bite results in six surgeries in nine days

A man has issued a stark warning to all cat owners after a feline bite led to him requiring six operations in under 10 days.

Life coach and entrepreneur Dan Perry turned to TikTok to share his harrowing experience as he works towards making a complete recovery. "I'm going in for my sixth operation today," he disclosed in a video on Thursday (October 16).

"People have been asking how it happened - a cat got into our house overnight and my wife tried to chase it out, but it ran up the stairs after hitting a glass door trying to get out. It lost its way so I picked it up and went to carry it outside and that's when it bit me."

Dan is familiar with cat bites, noting that when his own pet bites it merely "nips". However, the intruding feline sank its teeth completely in. "What that does is puncture through all the different layers of flesh and pushes the bacteria in - then as the tooth comes back out, it sucks the bacteria off the tooth," he explained.

Consequently, Dan was left with an extremely deep and serious infection. "So that's the big learning point here, cat bites don't look like much other than little puncture wounds."

Dan also revealed: "I got antibiotics within hours and went to an emergency room immediately because I knew there would be lots of bacteria - but still that wasn't enough and the infection keeps going."

Others recounted their feline bite horror stories, with one TikTok user revealing: "My pet cat scratched me years ago and I ended up two days in hospital with blood poisoning! Intravenous, 10 tablets! Scary."

A second individual recalled: "I was bitten by a cat, hospital for two nights... IV antibiotics, my arm was a mess, the veins were changing colour, luckily the antibiotics sorted it otherwise they said I could've lost my arm!".

Meanwhile, a third person explained: "I got bitten by a feral cat 12 years ago and spent 10 days in hospital on an antibiotics drip and three operations. Still can't bend my finger at the first joint."

Regarding cat bites, VCA Animal Hospitals states: "An infected cat bite wound will be red, swollen, and painful. Depending on the location and depth of the wound, the bacteria can spread in the surrounding tissues, causing a condition called cellulitis. Bacteria can also distribute through the blood to other areas of the body, causing a condition called septicemia (often called blood poisoning)."

Consequently, individuals may experience fever and flu-like symptoms and, in rare cases, may perish if appropriate medical care is not obtained.

Youngsters, the elderly, those who are unwell, and immunocompromised persons are especially at risk of developing serious infections following a cat bite.

VCA advises: "Immediately wash the wound under running water for at least 5 minutes. Avoid scrubbing the wound vigorously, or using strong disinfectants or other chemicals, since this may harm tissue and delay wound healing. You may clean the wound with a mild soap solution or a mild salt solution (mix 1 teaspoon table salt in 2 cups of water). Control bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound using an absorbent dressing or bandage.

"You should see a physician as soon as possible. Most cat bite wounds are small punctures that drive pathogenic bacteria deep into the skin. Left untreated, a serious infection can develop within 24 to 48 hours."