TWO Tiverton women have received painful injuries after being bitten by pet cats.

Jackie Coffey and Sharon Mitchell are recovering after treatment at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, where they met a third victim.

Retired foster carer Jackie, of Arnold Close, was helping her puss Sally when she got a nasty nip.

“She was fighting outside with another cat and I tried to pick the other one up, but Sally flipped and bit me,” said Jackie.

“It was very painful and my arm rapidly swelled up from my hand to my armpit. I needed an operation and injections to treat the septicaemia.

“It’s the third time she’s bitten me and I’ve needed hospital treatment in four years.

“I thought it was me, but then I saw Sharon and another woman in the hospital who had also been bitten by cats.

“Cat bites are very poisonous and people should be aware – it could have been worse if it had been a child bitten.”

Sharon, advertising sales manager on the Mid Devon Star, suffered a dog bite in South Africa ten years ago, but this was worse.

“A neighbour’s cat came into our bedroom during the night to fight our cat,” said Sharon, of Old Blundells School.

“I tried to chase him out and he bit my hand, leaving two teeth marks. It was really painful and swelling up to above the elbow.

“I was in hospital for three days, having intravenous antibiotics, local anaesthetic and the wounds were washed up.”

Sharon isn’t taking any chances from now on – she’s keeping a bottle of water close to hand to squirt at any future cat intruders.