My mother-in-law has a beautiful cat - a Persian and Siamese mix, maybe. Every time I see the cat, I find myself being enchanted by the cat's elegant appearance.

This pretty cat bit my mother-in-law one day. According to her, the cat was aroused by a stray cat just outside the window. My mother-in-law tried to pick up her own cat to calm her down, and the cat, who was still emotional over the stray, bit her arm suddenly.

My mother-in-law left the wound as it was (she used to be a nurse. I'm sure she did what she was supposed to do right after the bite). But in a few days, her arm became swollen, and she ended up in the hospital.

This can be the result of a cat bite. It is estimated that as many as 50% of cat bites and scratches become infected -- a higher rate than the infection caused by dog bites. When you get bitten by a cat, the bite marks are tiny and don't look bad, but since cats' teeth are much thinner and pointier than those of dogs, their punctures tend to go deeper into the skin. This means there are higher chances of bacteria trapped under the skin without proper care, which may lead to infections.

The following is the information about what to do when you get bitten by a cat or a dog:
Cat and Dog Bites
Cat, Dog and Other Bites
What You Should Know About Animal Bites

John C. Wright. PhD, the author of Is Your Cat Crazy? : Solutions from the Casebook of a Cat Therapist suggests in his book that when you see your cat being aggressive, or aroused by another cat's presence, then you should leave your cat alone (for your own safety) until he/she calms down - it may take the cat even for an hour or two before going back to his/her normal self.

When a friend of mine (and her large dog) came over to my place, I wanted to show her my cat, so I walked toward her with the cat in my arm. The cat got so freaked up he scratched my upper lip and dashed into another room. My lip didn't stop bleeding for a while, and now I have a scar on the skin right above the lip. It is completely my fault! The dog was a big German Shepherd mix. No wonder the cat freaked out. Thank goodness the scratched skin didn't get infected. I learned my lesson the hard way.