Bartonella (aka Cat Scratch Fever). This is a very real problem (over 60% of all cats in California are estimated to be infected). This is a strain of bacteria that causes an inflammatory disease. Infected cats can become very aggresive. This is something for which MOST vets do not normally test.I recently had a very upseting experience involving this with my cats. My cat attacked me 2 times (we're talkin' multiple bite wounds, seriously deep scratches - the whole 9 yards) in 3 weeks and it turned out that he was infected - and so was I! Since being treated, he is much less 'on edge' and no more attacks.There is a drug that does help and it is available from vets.
www.kingstownecatclinic.com for treatment
see Diseases humans catch from cats in the Old Stories section of the blog
I am now currently on antibiotics because my cat has started to attack me after 4 yrs. She is an inside cat that I rescued when she was too young to eat, and now she has started jumping on my bed when I go to sleep and biting the crap out of me and running off. The last 2 x's she has broken the skin and this time she bit my face. When I got her in my hands she went crazy and I now have an infection on my hand that...the Dr. put me on hard coare antiobiotics...because he is concerned about pasterella bacteria from her bite...which apparently can do real damgage. This sucks...I have had a cat since I was a little girl and now this one is going psycho...I dont' know what to do
ReplyDeleteMy cat is 4 years old and has just started unprovoked attacks. First she came out of nowhere and wrapped herself around my 10month old granddaughter;s head. Fortunately the baby didn't get as hurt as she could have. I knew the cat was nasty (hissing and swatting)to other people so I would just warn them if they came in the house. She never attacked an adult and I was lulled into believing she wouldn't do it again. Yesterday she was eating at her food bowl and I went to adjust the position of the TV when all of a sudden she was all over my legs with teeth and nails and climbing up to my arms and I threw her off of me 3 times and picked up a blanket to hold in front of me to wrap her in if she came at me again. Well she seemed to have snapped out of it at that point...started following me around meowing and making me really nervous, but it seemed like she was sorry. In talking to the vet they told me the only thing to do was euthanize her because that behavior is now a learned behavior. My heart is crushed. She wasn't always like this. I was hoping somebody would know what to do somewhere
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