Bite update

[Amethyst Hunter]

Went to the local care clinic in town.

They told me since it's a stray and I don't know if anyone owns it, I have to go to the ER and get bloodwork done.

Incredibly, the goddamn cat came back this afternoon, so I caught him in my cat carrier (using some canned food as bait) and will be taking him with me just in case.

But, either way, I'm still dead. Possible disease, or poverty.

I officially give up at life.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Call animal control they can quarantine the cat for observation. Or they can simply kill it and tested for rabies. If you have it, you may not have to get shots.
The same thing happened to me.

[Treasure]

you are aware that the cat may end up put down?
Unfortunately (at least in my area) it has happened even to people's pets - go to the ER with an animal bite, and animal control shows up at the home, saying "we need to do blood work on your animal, it was reported that it bit someone, if you don't hand over the animal you can go to jail" and so then you hand over the pet, and then you wait for a call to come pick it up, etc etc, and then 3 days go by and you call and get told, "Oh it was put down as a vicious animal...."

I have not experienced this myself - this example is third or fourth hand - please do not take this to Fratching....


I am just pointing out the possibility not trying to discourage you from taking him in with you, the probability goes up due to his being a stray....

I hope everyone turns out ok

also, with as much help as your mom and aunt have given you, why aren't you spending christmas with them?

[Amethyst Hunter]

you are aware that the cat may end up put down?

Yes, I know this. AFAIK, the only known way to test for rabies is to do an autopsy, and since you can't do one of those on a LIVING creature...

I hope it won't come to that. But, if it's him or me, I know who I'm siding with in the end, and I say this as a diehard cat lover. Don't think the possibility doesn't make me sick(er).

also, with as much help as your mom and aunt have given you, why aren't you spending christmas with them?

Three reasons:

1) They can't afford to come down here (they live up north in the Midwest; I'm down here in Florida - hell, my dad just blew a bunch of money just to come down here on short notice to be with me when I had my teeth taken out),

2) I can't afford to go up there,

3) even if they could afford it, my mom's shitty workplace won't let ANYONE (save for douchebag management of course) take off of work during the holiday season. No exceptions. (Believe me, she's tried.)

I'd LOVE to spend the holiday with my family. But I won't be able to.

And now, update:

I'm not going to the ER. I just can't afford to do this on a whim. If I had the money easily available I WOULD do so in a heartbeat. But I don't. I spent the day talking to as many people as I could to get a consensus. Half are voting ER, the other half say to wait a day or two and see what happens with the injury. One woman who'd been bitten by a cat told me that her doctor told her that cat bites show infection very quickly, in a matter of hours. Another woman who owns/works at the local cat shelter here looked at my bite and said it's not a problem as long as I keep the site cleaned. (She herself has been bitten many times by the cats she cares for)

The people against the ER did say that if it gets worse, if I have any problems that weren't there before, I should go to the ER, and I will, because then I won't have a choice. But I seriously pray it won't come to that. I haven't noticed anything with the injury itself getting any worse, so I can only hope that he didn't bite me hard enough and that I poured enough rubbing alcohol and peroxide over it to kill anything.

As for the cat, he's back here at my place. I had to let him go back outside because he peed in the carrier, and the stench is godawful to the point of stinking up my whole place. I can't keep him cooped up in the carrier indefinitely; that would be cruel. (And I can't keep him inside the place here in another room because even with a litter box handy he'd probably still mark-pee in it and permanently stink it up. I rent, so I can't afford to do that.)

I will keep feeding him as long as he shows up just so that I can keep an eye on him and monitor him if there's any sudden changes (I also took his picture just in case), but as of tonight, I will no longer feed any other strays I see around my place. I will however contact this one lady who does low-cost spay/neuter for strays and see if she will at least neuter this poor fellow.

So, that's where I stand: damned if I do, damned if I don't. If anyone wants to pray for me, send well-wishes, do voodoo chants, rain dances, whatever, I would gladly welcome it, because I need all the good luck I can get right now.

*goes to bang head on desk and cry some more*

[MoonCat]

Here's the thing. If you even remotely suspect that cat may have rabies, YOU CANNOT WAIT. Rabies will kill you. I'm not trying to be dramatic here. Almost no one recovers from that.

Even if it's not that, an infected bite is bad. ER now. Most hospitals have a fund they can tap into for truly hard-up people (try the local Catholic hospital if there is one). PLEASE, DON'T WAIT.

[HappyFun Ball]

A lot of hospitals have a fund for indigent patients.. Please go, its not like the hospital can repo your car due to non payment.. Medical bills most of the time don't effect your credit negatively. So, go, please go.. You can talk to someone at the hospital about getting the bill reduced and you can make payment arrangements that won't break the bank.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Here's the thing. If you even remotely suspect that cat may have rabies, YOU CANNOT WAIT. Rabies will kill you. I'm not trying to be dramatic here. Almost no one recovers from that.

Even if it's not that, an infected bite is bad. ER now. Most hospitals have a fund they can tap into for truly hard-up people (try the local Catholic hospital if there is one). PLEASE, DON'T WAIT.

I don't think the cat has rabies. I've known him for about a year, since that's when I first saw him around my place, and he's always looked healthy (though I realize you can't tell just by looking). He was very shy at first. I've seen him off and on over the months, then, earlier in November/October of this year he started showing up again more often and after getting to know me as the person who would give him food, started coming almost every single night since.

He's very friendly and likes to be petted, and he doesn't look sick - has clear eyes, no visible bodily injuries or squick, has never acted like anything but a normal male cat, albeit one that's not yet been neutered. He just doesn't seem to like other cats very much.

I realize it's a risk, I really do. In fact the possibility, however remote of it, is the whole reason I'm as upset as I am right now. Here's the thing: I CANNOT AFFORD A THOUSAND-DOLLAR HOSPITAL BILL WHEN I JUST GOT CLEANED OUT 2300 BUCKS FOR MY WISDOM TEETH. That is literally all the money I had saved, including donations from friends and family; I have less than $200 to my name right now. Even if they would let me pay in installments, I wouldn't be able to give very much at a time, and something tells me the places down here want it as big as possible, IF they will agree to installments at all. Shit, I asked the dental office who did my surgery if they'd work with me on making payment installments, and they flat out said no, even when I offered to give them several hundred bucks' cash *before* the day of the surgery. They made me pay upfront the morning I went in before it was done.

So what am I supposed to do? Either way I'm fucked. Don't think I'm not freaking the hell out over this.

[MoonCat]

I don't know what else to suggest. They can't legally refuse treatment if there is a serious injury or illness, but of course they can still bill you. You could try talking to their financial services dept. and see if they can help in any way. Sorry I can't come up with anything else. Where in Florida are you? Is there any kind of need-based healthcare that could do the bloodwork for free? Or maybe they could sign you up for Medicaid- it sounds like you'd qualify- and make it retroactive to the day you go for treatment. Just trying to come up with something that might help....

[Amethyst Hunter]

I don't know what else to suggest. They can't legally refuse treatment if there is a serious injury or illness, but of course they can still bill you. You could try talking to their financial services dept. and see if they can help in any way. Sorry I can't come up with anything else. Where in Florida are you?

SW Florida, Ft. Myers area.

Is there any kind of need-based healthcare that could do the bloodwork for free? Or maybe they could sign you up for Medicaid- it sounds like you'd qualify

Already tried the Medicaid route when I was worrying over how I was going to pay for my dental surgery. I was turned down.

I don't know if there's anything else save for a regular hospital down here. I'm not at all familiar with the area.

I just now called my mom and dad to ask their opinions and told them everything I've posted here. They seem to think I should be okay. Granted, they don't want to have to jump in again to help save my sorry butt from another potential disaster, and I don't blame them because it's not like they can afford it either. But my folks are generally sensible otherwise.

God, I wish I had a thousand bucks to throw away on an ER visit, I really do. If I had the money I'd do it just for my own peace of mind.

Lesson learned. No more feeding stray cats. Ever.

[LillFilly]

There's financial assistance for people with no insurance. I had a 13,000$ medical bill with no insurance that I made monthly payments on, applied for hardship, and the rest was written-off as charity. It sucks, but your life means more than money and you can always make more money. The point is, once you SHOW SIGNS of rabies it's already too late and you will most likely die. You need the shots NOW or I'm sorry to say, as much as you like Freddie you will have to have him tested for the disease if you don't want to go through the expense of the shots because the only way to tell if he has rabies will be for them to put him to sleep and examine his brain. If it comes to a decision between you and Freddie, I'd chose YOU!

[ArcticChicken]

Look, at the very least, take the cat and have him tested. Yeah, it'll kill him, but better him then you.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Look, at the very least, take the cat and have him tested. Yeah, it'll kill him, but better him then you.

It's more the thought of what this is going to likely cost me, financially, that is making me sick right now.

But I'm starting to lean towards going...

[ShadowBall]

That sounds very similar to a cat bite I got a few years ago. The local thrift store had a stray they let in during the winter and he was just as sweet as pie, loved to be petted and would do laps around your legs, but he hated his belly being touched. I found that out the hard way when he sunk his teeth into my hand - not breaking the skin, but leaving me a few bruised tooth indents in my hand. I never went to the doctor because it never broke the skin. Rabies has to get into the blood or something mucousy, so there was no cause for concern when I was not bleeding.

My hand hurt for a few days - it was like someone poked me really hard with a dull pencil a few times. But I was fine in a couple days - no scarring, nada.

The cat was not rabid - he looked quite healthy for a stray. Nothing ever happened to me. Sadly, the cat bit someone else who was less tolerant and he got put down.

I don't blame you for not wanting to go - ER visits are bloody expensive and unfortunately you go to collections if you just let the hospital eat the bill. I don't think it's always terribly bad to feed stray cats - it's just some get really bitchy if you handle them in certain ways. I've been scratched and bitten all my life by strays and never once got sick.

[Amethyst Hunter]

I'm caving. I'll go right now to the ER (after I stop off at mallwart and buy another phone card, because I have a feeling I'll be eating up my minutes).

I just...the possibility of it is scaring me shitless. I can't risk it, however small it is.

I feel so sick right now over what this is going to cost me. I'm going to be in debt for the rest of my life. And I will probably be responsible for the death of a poor animal.

I have truly failed life.

Will update when I can.

[Seshat]

No you haven't. Circumstances can be tough, that's all.

If it weren't for rabies, I would be saying you can treat it like other wounds: keep it clean, watch for signs of infection, see a pharmacist if it shows minor infection, see a doctor for anything more serious.
Cat-scratch fever is to be taken seriously, yes: but it does give (some) warning.


Unfortunately, rabies - as others have said here - gives no warning. Once you know you have it, it's too late.

You are simply doing what has to be done. That this has horrible consequences is <political opinion elided>.