The Role of Bacterial Infections in Cat Bites

Introduction

Figure 1. A black cat named Luna opens his mouth wide, revealing his teeth.

Cats (Felis catus) are domestic or house cats that may live with and around people as pets or working animals. Cats are mammals with four limbs. They vary in size but are relatively small. They may also be feral, meaning that they are a domesticated cat that is unused to or refuses human companionship and interaction.

Cat bites are the bites that occur when a cat bites another living organism. For the purpose of understanding bacterial infections in cat bite wounds, “bites,” on this page, will be understood to mean when cats break the skin of another organism, resulting in puncture wounds of varying sizes, rather than when cats bite or grab another organism between their teeth without breaking the skin as an act of play. Cats often bite other cats, humans, and other mammals or birds. Cats may bite other smaller organisms, such as rodents or small birds, in order to kill them. They may also bite other cats in combat. Cats most often bite humans when they are threatened or scared in an attempt to escape or defend themselves.

Oral Bacterial Microbiome of Cats

According to a recent study that set out to establish the beginning of a feline oral microbiome taxonomic database using a provisional 16S rRNA gene-based taxonomy with full-length reference sequences, there are at least 171 distinct taxa for feline oral bacteria. The oral microbiome of cats is polymicrobial because they have many different aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms and both kinds of microorganisms are often found in wounds from cat bites.

Hospitalization Resulting from Infection

Cat bites are less common than dog bites in humans yet cat bites account for much higher rates of hospitalization. This is due both to the bacteria present in their oral microbiome and also to the structure of their teeth.

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Edited by [Author Name], student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 116, 2024, Kenyon College.