The Rural Voice, 2019-05, Page 7 Sometimes things need to get
done, right? Like right now! There
isn’t always time to plan and think
rationally is there?
Or is that what may be causing the
various bruises and injuries on my
person, the latest being a cat bite
which has my kids calling me “ogre
hands.”
It all began so well. We had extra
barn cats, all excellent mousers,
though perhaps a few too many.
When a friend needed mousers for
their barn, I’d found the perfect
solution. I went to the barn and
nicely collected all my friendly cats
and locked them in an old bunny
cage. My friend arrived with her kids
but had forgotten boxes.
“No problem,” I said, grabbing a
grocery box from my basement.
We placed the box on the ground
and I picked up the first cat. All
good. I got a good grip on the back of
her neck, just like a mother cat
moves her kitten. She did not seem to
like it. In fact, she got right upset
when I tried to place her in the box.
However, I was sure I could trap her
inside once I got the flaps down.
Well. I had not taken the time to
make sure the flaps closed solidly.
Turns out the flaps on this box did
not meet. The cat, now quite upset,
then heard the dog who had decided
to investigate. She was frantic and
forceful but I was equally determined
she should stay in the box. So I
grabbed the escapee.
Instantly, I had a cat attached to
the knuckle of my right hand, teeth
digging into my flesh as I tried to
shove her back in the box. I’m not
sure why I thought I could still win
this battle but I figured I was bit
anyway. Why not try to accomplish
the task?
Jeepers, though, it hurt. I finally
asked for help upon which my friend
tried to grab the cat and got bit
herself!
Smarter than me, she let go of the
cat who took off and hid in the bales.
My friend’s finger was dripping
blood while I had four, white, oozing
puncture holes. I was told I needed
antibiotics and I scoffed at the idea
until I called the Emergency
department and they said cat bites are
no joke. The doctor took one look
and started writing out a prescription.
“The only thing worse than a cat
bite is a human bite (for infection).
Even dog bites are much better,” said
the doctor. Turns out cats carry a
nasty bacteria in their teeth called
Pasteurella multocida and their sharp
teeth drive the bacteria deep into the
wound, causing serious infection and
damage to tendons and ligaments.
I left with a prescription and
started taking the pills the next day. It
was none too soon. My hand swelled
and oozed and turned a hot, dark
red – infected. I only started to worry
when the infection started spreading
past my wrist to creep up my arm. I
never should have searched “cat
bites” online to read that infected
bites can result in surgery and in rare
cases, amputation.
In my case, by day three, the
Amoxicillin/Clavulin had kicked in
and my ogre-hand started returning
to its human form.
There’s always a lesson to learn,
of course. The obvious one is to
make sure your box closes before
you try and stuff a cat in it. We can
also extrapolate a farm safety
message from this experience. From
large animals, to heavy bales to
powerful machinery, there really is
danger everywhere if you don’t take
your time to THINK about what you
are doing.
For those of us who tend to be
rammy, it’s a reminder that things go
better when you take a minute to plan
for the best and prepare for the worst.
As for the cat, well, she’s keeping
her distance from me right now. She
watches me from the beams when I
go to the barn. She’s staying put just
as she planned all along. ◊
May 2019 3
Of box flaps
and cat bites
Lisa B. Pot is
editor of The
Rural Voice
and farms in
Huron County
Lisa B. Pot
Season Sponsor Media Sponsor Hospitality Sponsor New Play Sponsor
LIVE. ORIGINAL. CANADIAN. THEATRE.
FROM JUNE 12 TO SEPTEMBER 28, 2019
1.877.862.5984 BLYTHFESTIVAL.COM
z JUMBO z CAKEWALK z THE TEAM ON THE HILL
z IN THE WAKE OF WETTLAUFER z BED AND BREAKFAST