Source checked 12 November 2026. PawLine editorial team. Not professionally reviewed.
Educational information, not veterinary or human medical advice. Stop contact and allow escape. New or persistent biting needs veterinary advice. A human bite wound needs its own medical care; serious injury or uncontrolled bleeding needs emergency care. Never wait for this form or an app reply.
Care does not wait for an explanation
The NHS animal-bite page covers bites that have broken the skin. It advises cleaning the wound with soap and warm water, gently drying it and covering it with a clean dressing. This general information is not a substitute for medical assessment or individual instructions.
Emergency care for serious injury
The NHS says a large or deep wound, or bleeding that cannot be stopped, needs emergency care. In the UK this means A&E; use the local emergency route elsewhere. Do not delay care to finish a note, photograph the cat or work out the reason for the bite.
Urgent advice is broader than infection alone
For the UK, the NHS advises NHS 111 for bites on hands, feet, face or head, suspected material in the wound, heat or swelling, fever or shivering, leaking fluid, an unpleasant smell, or no tetanus vaccine in the last ten years. Use local urgent medical advice outside the UK. These listed examples are not a complete personal assessment.
A clinician decides treatment
The NHS describes professional assessment for cleaning, wound closure, antibiotics and tetanus or rabies risk when appropriate. This site does not select treatment, medication, a dose or a safe waiting period. If uncertain, contact a medical professional through your local route.