cats mouth

[tikeyas_mom]

My grandma got bit by a cat and she got really sick and bacteria went into her blood stream, she had to goto the hospital. The cat was a house cat never been out side befor.. Why did this happen??

[Barbara]

Even if you get a scratch it may inflame a little bit depending on where the cat's paw has been before. There could be fecal bacteria at the paw or the mouth if the cat has washed before - in general if your own immune system is ok it is absolutely not grave but for elderly or sick people this can be different.

BTW Human bites are very problematic for other humans!

There is even a disease that can arise by the bite of birds or scratches of cats. The symptom is that your lymph knots are swollen all over your body. It was diagnosed at me about 20 years ago. It stopped by itself after some weeks but in that time the docs had very interesting (and scaring) ideas about what I could have

[moosmom]

Speaking from personal experience, a cat bite is VERY hazardous, not only for anyone, but ESPECIALLY for the elderly.

I got bit by a cat back in November while visiting Kim in Lansing. I did not seek medical attention until 2 days later when the infection spread up my right arm (the cat clamped down on my right pinky finger and tore it open). The doctor in the ER told me if I had waited one more day, I would've been hospitalized. I should've had stitches but by then it was too late. The scar as really healed well and I was lucky that I got antibiotics for it.

Was the cat a feral or stray? Was the cat provoked? If the bite was non-provoking (meaning your grandma didn't do something to make the cat attack her) and the cat is someone's pet, you need to see if the cat's vaccinations are current (for rabies). I hope your grandma sought medical attention.