Although dog bites are much more common than cat bites, cat bites are more likely to cause an infection. They can pass along a bacteria called Pasteurella multocida that can lead to cellulitis or septicemia. Signs your cat bite wound is infected include tenderness, swelling, redness, and painfulness around the skin. If you have an infection, you may also start to show symptoms similar to the flu. Seek cat bite wound care at the nearest urgent care center near you. Though the wound itself may not be dangerous, the potential for infection is. If you or your child gets bitten or scratched by a cat, immediately clean the wound with warm water or a mix of salt and water. Since cat bites tend to be fairly small, your skin will close over quickly causing the bacteria to enter deeper into the skin. This is why we recommend you see a doctor within a quick period of time. It only takes a brief 1 to 2-day window for your cat bite to turn into a serious, possibly life-threatening infection.