Question for experienced cat owners

PenniesMake£s

I have got my first ever cat. A kitten who we have had for three weeks. He is now about 11 weeks. He is lovely. Only problem is the inevitable scratches and small bites the children are getting while playing with him. I'm worried if there is any risk to my children's health from getting these injuries. The kitten has had his first vaccinations, flea and worm treatments from the vet. I've heard of cat scratch disease. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Get the kids to wash their hands and anywhere scratched with soap and hot water. If he actually breaks the skin with his teeth, they need to see the GP as infections from cats can become severe very quickly.


And teach them not to pull him about - yes, kittens can be scratchy and bitey, but they shouldn't be in a situation where they are allowing or encouraging him to do it, and he should be learning that it's not the way to play with small humans.

It's not such a problem at 11 weeks, but a full grown cat who still thinks it's acceptable isn't going to be very popular with them - or you - if he whacks one of them across the face or they have to have a bite wound surgically cleaned, medicated and followed by a Tetanus shot chaser.

Denene

My cats have all been bitey, scratchy monsters (problem rescues). I have never had any serious harm from it, but you can get an infection if the cat breaks skin, particularly since cats tend to create deeper puncture wounds. I have a few scars, but they were inflicted by adult cats, not little ones!

I always wash my hands thoroughly with soap and water and give any broken skin a good scrub. Cat saliva can also give some people an allergic reaction, and I find washing can help reduce the itching from this (saline spray and anti-histamines too). Savlon etc. are useful.

My vet did warn me about cat scratch fever after meeting my current cat. They said to keep an eye on any wounds for signs of infection or red streaks running away from the injury. I believe the bacteria is spread between cats by fleas, so keeping flea treatments up-to-date will reduce the risk. I imagine they will grow out of the habit, but in the meantime, you could encourage your children to disengage when the kitten becomes too excited.

SensibleSarah

Congratulations!

Definitely discourage any playing where hands are in contact with the kitten. Use fishing rod type toys to keep a little distance & so the kitten doesn't see hands approaching as cue to playfight. What is cute at 11 weeks is definitely not cute at 11 months! I don't have kids but I used to have a housemate who hadn't ever had a pet before & she was constantly trying to pick up & cuddle the 2 kittens we had at the time. I had to introduce a 10 second rule where you don't touch the cat for 10 seconds & if it stays then it wants to be there - if it moves you let it go. Saved her from many scratches that way!
And had cats that grew up feeling safe that they weren't going to be pulled about & would come up for attention knowing that they could leave anytime they'd had enough & didn't need to resort to claws etc.

paddypaws101

Above advice all good....but you could also ask the vet or nurse to carefully clip the top few mm off the claws. Small kittens are not so great at controlling their needle sharp claws and clipping allows safer play with less chance of delicate human skin being inadvertently scratched.

no1catman

How old are the children? The younger they are the less likely they are to be able to make the distinction between an animal and a furry toy!

With my previous cat - who I had as a kitten, play often resulted in a few scratches. Learnt that if I couldn't get my hand out of the way fast enough better to leave it! Have had a hand in the middle with the two front paws gripping, while the two back ones are pumping into, and the teeth biting - me trying to prize the head away!!
Scratches, yes so what, had those with first cat - treat it as part of having a cat - fortunately bites never broke skin.
Recall, once going away on holiday with a trail of blood down my face - result of struggle to get into carrier to the cattery.

But she was a great cat - had her for twenty years, still miss her, even though now have a mature rescue cat.

Tiddlywinks

I've lived with cats for nearly 50 years - from when I was a 5 yo child.

I was taught - it was absolutely drummed into me - to always remember that a cat (indeed any animal) is a living breathing thing and not a toy. If a cat intentionally scratches then usually it is because you haven't read the warning signs, have frightened it or are insisting it does something against its will.

The kids (and adults) should never interrupt the cat when its eating, don't grab at them, don't ruffle fur, don't stop a cat from getting away, don't corner it etc.

Your children need to learn to respect the cat - it has it's own agenda, likes and dislikes and needs space on its terms... if you tease a cat be prepared to get injured.

Kittens are like babies and are still learning - they need to be taken care of and protected from rough play from humans. They also need gentle, regular handling so that they don't develop a fear of humans.

There is always the chance of accidental scratches from a cat jumping on your lap or whatever - that's just the price you pay for cat love I'm afraid. I have a lap quilt I stick on to absorb the worst of it.

As to how to deal with scratches and bites - I have only once had to have medical attention from a cat-related injury and that was from trying to keep hold of a geriatric and normally mild mannered cat whilst she was having her claws clipped. She had warned me by yowling and then by growling but I thought I'd be able to hold her (given her age and various ailments) - WRONG. She whipped around and got me - two very deep puncture wounds that then became infected so I needed antibiotics and a tetanus boost. My fault - she warned me.

The practice nurse confirmed that scratches are fine to treat with antiseptic (be careful some disinfectants are toxic to cats - see below) but bites routinely need medical follow up if signs of infection occur.

In normal circumstances, washing hands and then applying an alcohol wipe to the scratch should be sufficient.

VERY IMPORTANT
Make sure you get familiar with things that are toxic to cats - some everyday food, flowers, disinfectants, detergents etc are harmful to cats - the kids will need to understand the dangers too.

http://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe-campaign/detergents

http://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe/disinfectants

http://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe-campaign/toxic-human-foods

http://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe/lilies

http://icatcare.org/advice/keeping-cats-safe-campaign/permethrin

PenniesMake£s

Thank you very much for the detailed responses. I have read them all out to my children (9,6 and 4) so they understand that it is not just me telling them but several experienced cat owners. It has helped them to know that the risk is not only pain for them but potential infection etc. The youngest is the only one who finds it hard to respect the kitten's space but I am insisting on it. My middle one has had a couple of bites to her cheek because she lets the kitten lick her and then he nips but hasn't broken the skin. I've told her she MUST not let him lick her face.

ripplyuk

At 11 weeks, a kitten is still learning to retract their claws properly. Although they can do this from around 4 weeks, it takes much longer for them to perfect it. Hence, new kitten owners end up with lots of little scratches. The biting is different, but he'll probably grow out of that too.

I totally agree with the other replies about the children needing to learn to respect the kitten and to be gentle They are not a toy and are very easily hurt. If one child is too young to understand that, they they should be closely supervised with the kitten.

Cat scratch fever is a very low risk.

pinkteapot

I'd also second the recommendation to clip his claws every couple of weeks. The vet can show you how to extend his claws (you squeeze their toes gently and the claws emerge) and just clip the tips. You do have to be careful not to cut too low or you cut the quick (the pinky fleshy bit you can see inside the base of the claws).

If you get them used to having their claws clipped when they're young it's usually easier to keep doing it when they're older.

As others have said - scratches are much less infection prone than bites. With bites, the problem is that it's a deep but very small wound so it can heal over fast with bacteria inside, plus you can't wash out the deepest part of it. Keep an eye out for the usual signs of infection - redness, heat and then fever/unwellness. For scratches, good hand-washing with an anti-bac soap is a precaution.

Kids do often play a bit rougher with kittens than the kittens would like, but it's actually good in a way. Because they're a kitten, you can to some extent train them away from biting/scratching. When they do, a stern deep-voice "no" that's consistently used will start to give them the idea. This in conjunction with teaching the kids how to play gently and also what the warning signs are of a cat who's not happy and will soon attack. Flicking tail is usually the most obvious giveaway, then subtler ones like ears going back and general body language.

unforeseen

I looked at the title of this thread and thought, did the OP mean:-

Owners of experienced cats

or

Experienced owners of cats

Isn't English a wonderful language? Two different possible interpretations in only three words