Brits have been told to seek medical treatment immediately if they are bitten by their pet – as one dad was left with a rotting finger which turned “black and smelly” from a cat bite.
Owning a pet is said to reduce your risk of heart disease, and stroking a cat is proven to help with relaxation – but if you get bitten by one, it can be surprisingly dangerous.
One man found this out the hard way when a stranger’s cat invaded his house and bit him in the dead of night – leaving him with a “necrotic” rotting finger.
Dan Perry scooped up the real-life cat burglar to show him the door on October 7.
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Unfortunately while carrying him, the furry fiend bit down on his left index finger, latching on for “30 seconds”.
Knowing how dangerous cat bites can be if left untreated, the 48-year-old life coach went to A&E to get it cleaned and checked out and was given antibiotics.
But when the pain worsened and turned him “delirious” the following day, he went back to hospital to get it looked at.
There, doctors discovered Dan had been infected with Pasteurella, a type of bacteria commonly found in cats, and performed a procedure to drain the pus and clean the wound.
But the “scared” dad-of-two needed a whopping five more surgeries to scoop out all the infected flesh after the infection spread deeper than initially thought, leaving his finger black and “smelly”.
Now healing, Dan says the experience has taught him how important it is to get bites checked out and let doctors know how deep the bite is.
Dan, from Lambeth, South London, said: “We heard a noise and we knew it was a cat. It was [my wife] Suki’s turn to go down.
“The cat ran upstairs, so I got up and found it hiding under a sofa in an upstairs room.
“I didn’t want to be chasing it all round the house so I picked it up and it bit me, really hard.
“I carried it downstairs while its teeth were still sunk into my finger, it clung on for around 20 or 30 seconds.
“It was a very deep puncture wound. Its teeth had pretty much met on each side of my finger, it was really sore.”
Aware of the high risk of infection due to being a cat owner himself, Dan went to A&E at King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, south east London.
There, the wound was cleaned, and he was given antibiotics to tackle the infection before being sent home.
Dan said: “I was aware that cats have a lot of bacteria in their mouth, because our cat was bitten recently and got an abscess.
“I got ready to go to A&E straight away, it needed to be seen.
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“They washed it and gave me antibiotics, then I went home and took lots of paracetamol. But around 4pm the next day, the pain reached a point where I couldn’t think about anything else.”
Dan went to St Thomas’ Hospital in Central London, where doctors booked him in for a debriding procedure, to cut away chunks of infected flesh.
He returned to hospital for three further procedures over the next three days after it turned out the infection still hadn’t been cleared, having his final one on October 16th.
Dan said: “I was kind of scared. The pain was making me delirious, I was losing my cognitive ability and my ability to speak.
“I didn’t want to keep going back to A & E. Part of me thought, ‘this is just a cat bite, there’s nothing wrong with me’.
“But my finger was turning black and necrotic, it smelled bad, so they [doctors] kept sending me to have stuff cut away.
“They did one procedure in theatre, two in a procedure room and the other three were done in A&E.
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“By the fifth procedure it looked like I’d put my finger in a blender, it was like something out of Game of Thrones.
“They took my nail off and there was just a crater at the tip of my finger.”
The government website warns cats can carry a bacteria in their mouths called Pasteurella, which can be transmitted to humans through bites.
This can cause soft tissue infections, which is why it is so crucial for pet owners to get treated straight away if they’re bitten by a feline.
While the Blue Cross says it is “not common” for humans to pick up illnesses from pets, they recommend owners “avoid handling frightened or angry cats” in case they bite.
What to do if you are bitten by a cat
If you are bitten by a cat, wash well and promptly with soap and water and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Deep infections can be difficult to remove and can cause necrosis if not properly cleaned.
When infections are buried deep in flesh, they may require debriding – a surgical procedure in which dead or infected tissue is removed from a wound so it can heal.
A Blue Cross spokesperson said: “Cat bites are potentially more serious as there is a risk of infection.
“Wash well and promptly with soap and water and consult your doctor for advice, particularly if the bite becomes swollen, infected or is on a joint.
“Also ensure that your tetanus protection is up to date.
“Avoid handling cats that are frightened or angry and, if you have to pick up an injured cat, remember that cats in pain may bite.
“Wrap the cat in a thick towel first and be careful. Bites, as well as scratches, carry a risk of cat scratch fever.
“This is usually a mild illness with fever and swollen lymph glands, although it can be more severe in children and immuno-suppressed patients.
“It is caused by bartonella bacteria, which can be carried by some healthy cats.”
NHS advice says it is “very important” any bite wounds are cleaned thoroughly with antiseptic as they can become infected “very easily.”
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Wounds will not be stitched due to the risk of trapping the infection, but paper stitches will usually be applied to keep the wound closed.
You will also require an anti-tetanus injection, a full course of antibiotics and a follow-up appointment.
If you suffer redness or swelling, or experience pain, fever or lethargy after your appointment, you are advised to go to A&E.
