Animal Bites
Pets can enrich our homes and help us live happier and healthier lives. Owning and caring for a pet can also help increase fitness and lower stress. But it's important to know that any animal (including a pet) can bite if it feels threatened or scared. Animals usually bite as a
way to protect themselves or show that they want to be left alone. Animal bites can be painful, can cause wounds that scar or disfigure, and can sometimes become infected.
Because of their large size, dog bites can cause serious damage to skin, muscle, and underlying body parts. While cat bites may not seem as serious as dog bites, cat bites are more likely to cause a skin infection because the puncture wounds from cat teeth are smaller, deeper, and harder to clean. Bacteria called
Bartonella can cause cat scratch disease and are transmitted to people when an infected cat licks a person's open wound or bites or scratches a person hard enough to break the skin.
Many rats and other small rodents kept as pets (gerbils and guinea pigs, for example) can carry bacteria called Streptobacillus. These bacteria can be transmitted to people through bites and lead to rat bite fever.
Rabies is caused by a virus in saliva (slobber) and is the most serious disease that can come from an animal bite. Rabies is rare in pets such as dogs and cats in California. Bats and skunks are the animals in California most likely to have rabies. For more information about rabies, please visit the
CDPH Rabies webpage.
Dog & Cat Bite Injuries in California
The California Department of Public Health studied 15 years of emergency department visits in California (from 2005-2019) and found that children less than 10 years of age visited the emergency department for injuries from dog bites more often than other age groups. Children were also more than three times more likely to be bitten on the head or face. Adults in middle and older age groups were more likely than younger adults and children to visit the emergency department for cat bite injuries. Infections were observed more frequently in cat bites than dog bites.
Animal Bite Care
If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, it is important to thoroughly clean the wound to prevent infection. Wash the bite area with soap and keep the area under running water for 5 minutes to help flush out bacteria. While many animal bites aren't serious, some bites can cause injuries and infections that need medical care. If you develop pain, redness, swelling, or discharge (fluid or pus) from the bite wound site, seek medical care.
Immediately wash an animal bite wound to help prevent infection.
Bite Prevention
The best way to prevent infections caused by animal bites is to prevent animal bites in the first place.
Dog Bites
Most animal bites reported in the United States are from dogs. The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs each year. Children, especially those under 10 years old, are 2-3 times more likely than adults to be bitten by dogs. A dog may bite to keep people or other animals away if it feels scared, threatened, hurt, or wants to protect its puppies, food, or toys. Adults should teach children the simple ways to safely interact with dogs.
Tips for Interacting with Dogs
Always ask for permission before petting someone's dog. An owner will be able to tell you if their dog is friendly and likes (or doesn't like) to be petted.
Calmly and quietly wait for the dog to come to you before you pet it. If the dog comes to you, pet it gently on its neck or back.
Try not to make sudden movements or rush up to a dog, as a dog may get scared.
It's best not to stand over a dog or push your hand in its face – dogs need their space, too!
A dog might also feel threatened if you look it in the eyes. When meeting a new dog, try to avoid direct eye contact.
Stay away from dogs you don't know.
If a dog you don't know approaches you, do not panic or run. Stop, stand still (like a tree), and slowly back away from the dog. Stay quiet and calm, and do not make direct eye contact with the dog.
Never tease a dog by taking its toys, food, or treats.
Signs such as growling, cowering, lip licking, or a tense or stiff posture will let you know that a dog is upset and may bite.
Tips for Dog Owners
Introduce your dog to people of all ages and other animals when it's a puppy so it feels comfortable in different situations as it gets older.
Take dog training classes to learn how to have better control over your dog. (And your dog will be happier knowing how to behave around you!)
When at home, make sure your dog stays on your property.
Keep your dog on a leash (6 feet or less) whenever outside a fenced area.
Cat Bites
Like dogs, cats may bite people if they feel scared, threatened, hurt, protective, or want to be left alone. Cats may also bite if they are overstimulated during play or want attention. Adults should teach children how to safely interact with cats.
Tips for Interacting with Cats
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Get down to a cat's level and wait for the cat to come to you before you try to pet it.
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Pet cats gently and avoid loud voices or other noises.
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Do not try to pet or pick up a cat that walks away from you.
Reporting Animal Bites
Animal bites, especially dog bites, should be reported to the local animal control agency. This is not to get an animal or its owner in trouble but is a way that local officials can make sure that the biting animal is healthy, licensed, and up to date on its rabies vaccinations.
- CDPH Dog Bite Prevention – Learning Materials for Kids
- AVMA Dog Bite Prevention – American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
CDC How to Stay Healthy Around Dogs – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
How to Greet a Dog (and What to Avoid) (PDF, 2.7MB) – Dr. Sophia Yin, CattleDog Publishing
- Body Language of Fear in Dogs – Dr. Sophia Yin, CattleDog Publishing
- CattleDog Publishing videos (YouTube Channel) – Educational videos on animal behavior and training
- CDPH Rat Bite Fever fact sheet (PDF) – November 2015