I think my cat just got bitten by a snake.

[beckoes]

We were just in the garden and i saw my cat, kitten really, about 4 months old, wrestling with something in the bush, i went over and it was a little thin snake. It was light brown, maybe even a muddy green colour, i couldnt really tell and maybe a little lighter on its head, about 70/80 cm long, so just a baby. She was really going at it and it wasnt happy! I yelled at her and as she looked at me it scooted off a bit so i grabbed the cat and went inside. It dissapeared into the bush.
The cat 'seems' ok now, but its licking its self alot, i cant really tell if she is licking one spot, maybe her right paw. I dont know what i should do. I cant really afford to take her to the vets at the moment, i dont even know if they would do anything anyway.
My poor little kitten. Im too scared to go into the garden now and the cat certainly isnt going outside for a while either.
Anyone know what i should do???

[Joeve]

Ohhhhh I don't know. I guess if it was me I could check that she is not salivating (sign of poison) and make sure she is drinking and eating. Probably just a tree snake which I think are not too deadly for cats - but I really don't know. Can you call the vet and see what they say? A call is free and then you can get some advice!

[PumpkinZulu]

Awww poor baby

I would check her body for puncture marks, might take a little while, but just separate bits of fur, run your hands over her and try to see. Even if you don't find any I'd call the vet, but especially if you do, as Joeve said, a call is free and they might be able to give you some advice. Hope she's okay

[Tanya]

Where do you live? Sounds like a legless lizard, but very hard to say. I would keep a very close eye on her. Maybe call your local vet and ask for some advice in regards to observing her at home.

[beckoes]

My DH is freaking out saying it could have been a baby brown snake, we live on a property just north of the sunshine coast, inland.

[Nicambhar]

Bec, if it were a muddy greenish brown snake, I reckon it was a tree snake... just keep an eye on the cat I suppose and if it starts drooling lots you'll have to go to the vet...
eeeekkk, don't blame you for not wanting to go outside, I've seen heaps of snakes lately and they not my fav animal.

[Tanya]

My DH is freaking out saying it could have been a baby brown snake, we live on a property just north of the sunshine coast, inland.

Well I have little idea cause I live all the way down ion cold Vic Do you have any snake wranglers nearby who could come over and see if they can find it for you to relocate it?

[Trillian]

if she was bitten, she would be starting to show signs of it by now. Do you think that she is still herself, or do you think she is getting sick? Fingers crossed she wasn't bitten

[Cassius2]

cats are pretty awesome snake hunters. i'd say she'd be ok, but would keep her inside and watch her vitals.

(my 6 month old cat took out a brown snake 9 years ago...)

[beckoes]

Her paw became swolen while i was on the phone to the vet and she wasnt her self, they said they would arrange a payment plan for us so we took her in, they did a blood clot test and they think it was a brown snake bite, we decided to give her the antivenom, even though it costs $800. god knows how we will afford it but she is part of our family! hopfully she will be ok.

I have no idea what im going to do now,she caught the snake and bought it to the house!! not ideal! and we live in such an area where im sure she will come across another one again! now i cant stop thinking that the bloody snake is living in the sort of rock garden bit outside the back door where DD and i play every day!

Poor little puss! Im going to ring in an hour and see whats going on. thanks for the replies

[miss.cinders]

I was going to say a baby brown, we had one come under the laundry door into the loungeroom last season.

Don't be fooled by small snake "just being a baby".
A young snakes venom is more toxic that a grown snake.

I hope your cat is okay.
I have saved my mad cat from 3 snakes so far, she is intrigued by them!

[Tinks]

My sister's cat was bitten by a snake, it didn't show any signs of being sick for a couple of days and they had no idea until it was too late . Apparently cats can last quite a while before they get sick and some cats don't even need anitvenom at all.

I'm glad you got to it early and I hope your cat makes a quick recovery. Poor little thing.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to get someone out to see if they can find the snake, if it was young there might be more around.

[beckoes]

thats what the vet said, they are just as deadly from the second they are born!!!

Miss.cinders, how did you go about getting your cat away from the snake, think i need a different approach, it was so stupid of me to go up to the cat...and snake...and pick her up!

Think it might be a good idea to get a snake person out! if there is one baby im sure there are more! and for some reason the owners of the house build some lovely snake habitat around the place!

The vet said she could be fine without the antivenom but probably would need it, we could have waited for a few hours to see but by then the anti venom wouldnt work anyway and she would die.

the things we do for our pets....looking for pet insurance!

[miss.cinders]

The rake lol Or DH's hoe, whichever is closest at the time. The hoe works well because of the hooked end.
Because she gets so focused on the snakes she kind of is in a trance and backs up with the hoe pulling her back.

The dogs on the other hand, they are tough to get away. They [well 'she' now, we lost one to a tick or snake last year] are foxieX so natural snakers. They have killed a brown in the house yard, found a huge red belly in my side garden, chased a king brown away from DS & me at the clothes line.... and last week another huge red belly from my front door. Get yourself a foxie, I can't recommend them enough if you live in an area with snakes. They are great with kids too, well mine always have been

Do you own a brick house? The air holes around the base are a hiding spot we have discovered they LOVE. And they love having babies in there. If your house is brick, pack the holes with newspaper or steel wool near your doors. One of the ones that came in through the ouside toilet door was in the wall and was coming in and out betwwen the bricks & doorframe. We jammed a stick in them ones and broke them off.

[*Efjay*]

How scary for you. Im glad you took her to the vet & they are being helpful with letting you pay it off.

My boxer is a snake killer. She has killed 3 red belly black snakes in the last 18 months. If she gets bit she will be in trouble because I doubt I will know in time & we live half an hour from a vets. But as soon they come into the back yard she kills them. Must say as silly as she is for doing it she is good at it & I rather a dead snake then a snake in my back yard!

[Nicambhar]

Oooher, hope puss is going to be ok... we are surrounded by thick bush out here and thank god my cat doesn't ever move from his chair up on the deck and venture out. Maybe your puss has to become and indoor pet!

[beckoes]

thanks all!!! im still so worried about her, waiting for the vet to call and tell me whats going on!

[MummaBear79]

We are on the Sunshine Coast too and have seen so many snakes already both at home and out the roads. My kids are outside playing all the time and im so worried they wont see one and step on it, or like you, one of the animals will think its a toy!. I hope your kitten makes a speedy recovery.