TheBanyanTree: What Would You Do?

[Cecil]

>                                                     (SCHNIPP)
>I was on the phone this morning, legs propped on 
>the chair next to me, when he jumped onto my lap 
>and settled in.  I was stroking him when he 
>suddenly became cranky and sank his fangs into 
>the soft flesh of my inner arm, a couple of 
>inches up from my wrist.  The bite was deep 
>enough that I immediately pondered seeing a 
>doctor.  Instead, I wiped away the blood, there 
>wasn't much, and cleaned it up with hydrogen 
>peroxide. I didn't want to be a sissy and waste 
>a doctor's valuable time.
>
>Awhile later, I decided to go outside for a walk 
>in the crisp fall air.  By the time I returned 
>home, infection had set in. A large area around 
>the wound is red, swollen and very painful.  I 
>called emergency for guidance and they advised 
>me to come in.
>
>So I've been put on 10 days of strong 
>antibiotics to stop the infection and told I 
>might have to go on intravenous if the 
>antibiotics don't stop the red line that is 
>traveling up my arm. 
>
>Damn cat!  What would you do with a cat who 
>bites for no reason?  Put up with him or put him 
>down?
>
>Pat Martin

Put him down! That cat is a potential killer. 
Never, I mean NEVER neglect the scratch or bite 
of a cat. "Clean as a hound's tooth" is an apt 
expression-when it applies to a dog. Not so 
regarding a cat.

I've been worrying about you, Pat. Life seems to 
have hit you with a double whammy. You, of all 
people! I hope things get smoother for you heap 
pronto. Keep me posted.

Çecil