I got scratched today :( mini rant..

Jake scratched my knee pretty badly, I was sitting cross legged talking on my cell phone and according to him, sitting cross legged is an invitation to play hide and seek, for example, here: (this was taken a while ago but you get the idea)



So today he jumped at me and latched onto my knee with his claws this time. I freaked out because it hurt and screamed which probably made it worse because he pushed himself away quickly, scared...
If you want to see my scratch, I look a picture of it lol
But, be warned, graphic picture with blood on my scratch, if you don't want to see that don't click on this link
He didn't even know he did something wrong, he was looking at me as I was dressing my wound and wanted to play with the medical tape I put some rubbing alcohol on it with some of those antibiotic gels that come in a first aid kit..do you think I need to do something else??

Today was not the best of days, it's been pouring all day, and on top of that during my commute to school I threw up due to a reaction to a new antibiotic I've been taking Nothing worse than driving and throwing up...
But I'm not complaining, things could be a lot worse..
Do you think the scratch could get infected?
Sorry, this thread is just all over the place...
But, I partly blame soft paws for Jake scratching me- only one of his claws had a missing cap on it and that's the claw that scratched me- I think he gets used to not being able to do much with his nails when he has soft paws on and then isn't careful anymore even if one is missing...:idk:

The infection is usually from something under their claws rather than the actual scratching itself. Volunteering in the shelter I have been scratched a lot and the only time I get got infected was from a bite from a feral that was swollen for a day or two but never progressed to anything worse.

I think you should be fine with what you have done, just watch it for any signs of infection (redness / swelling etc)

You'll be taking a shower later/or in the morning and keeping it clean, so it really shouldn't matter. An antibiotic ointment will help - especially in decreasing the chances of it scarring as much.

Sherman peeled out across my foot earlier and left a gash/tear (since those back claws are blunt) across the side of my foot.

I've actually never had a cat scratch get infected. Paper cuts, hang nails, cuts from other things (like grass), etc have though.

Just keep it really clean.

The first thing people tend to do when they get a scratch or cut is to try and stop the bleeding. Instead you should promote the bleeding by squeezing the area. Letting it bleed for a few minutes will help reduce the chance of infection.

After that washing it well with soap and water and pouring alcohol on it (yes, it will burn!!!). Then apply antibiotic ointment, and a clean sterile dressing on it. Keep the wound covered. If the wound gets wet, change it immediately because a wet dressing wicks things from the outside right to the wound.

Once it forms a good solid crust, you can leave it open to air.

Make sure you monitor the wound closely for signs of infection:

- A little redness around the edge of the wound is normal. Watch for that redness or faint red lines radiating from the wound.

- Increasing pain/tenderness/swelling to the area

- Greenish/Yellowish and/or foul smelling discharge

- Increasing warmth from the wound area

- A temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius

If you notice anything like that, get to a doctor!

One word of warning. Most places have a law that states that they have to report animal bites/scratches to animal control. If you say it was your kitty, you might have to have him quarantined. If it were me and I had to seek treatment, I would say that I had been trying to catch a stray cat I'd seen.

The swelling has gone down completely (at first there was a ring of swelling around the scratch) and I no longer feel any pain coming from it. It looks much better now!!
Natalie_ca, I was thinking about saying it's a stray cat in the event of me getting bitten or scratched and having to go to the doctor, but then on the flip side if I said a stray cat bit me I think they would give me a rabies shot (painful) lol.
Thankfully it's not a bite so I don't have to think about that..
But I don't think I'll need to see a doctor it looks much better now.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Just keep it really clean.

The first thing people tend to do when they get a scratch or cut is to try and stop the bleeding. Instead you should promote the bleeding by squeezing the area. Letting it bleed for a few minutes will help reduce the chance of infection.

After that washing it well with soap and water and pouring alcohol on it (yes, it will burn!!!). Then apply antibiotic ointment, and a clean sterile dressing on it. Keep the wound covered. If the wound gets wet, change it immediately because a wet dressing wicks things from the outside right to the wound.

Once it forms a good solid crust, you can leave it open to air.

Make sure you monitor the wound closely for signs of infection:

- A little redness around the edge of the wound is normal. Watch for that redness or faint red lines radiating from the wound.

- Increasing pain/tenderness/swelling to the area

- Greenish/Yellowish and/or foul smelling discharge

- Increasing warmth from the wound area

- A temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius

If you notice anything like that, get to a doctor!

One word of warning. Most places have a law that states that they have to report animal bites/scratches to animal control. If you say it was your kitty, you might have to have him quarantined. If it were me and I had to seek treatment, I would say that I had been trying to catch a stray cat I'd seen.

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Excellent advice. It's doubtful it will get infected if you keep the wound clean, unless your cat carries cat scratch disease (which is something I've never even seen as a nurse, though a co-worker had it). I have seen a patient with a cat scratch from a feral that "weeped" clear fluid, but didn't really appear infected. I believe the doctor gave the woman antibiotics as a precaution. DH and I have both been scratched/bitten many times and never had any problems. Hope you get better soon.

OMG, that is a bad one!

I get so mad when I get scratched but Trout has no idea she has hurt me so I can't really blame her.

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

OMG, that is a bad one!

I get so mad when I get scratched but Trout has no idea she has hurt me so I can't really blame her.

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I don't think I've ever been scratched this much by a cat, ever, and I've certainly never been scratched by Jake to a point of drawing blood before.
I think the reason why this one is much worse than any other time is because Jake dug into my skin so deeply as to support his whole weight and actually hold himself onto me by his claws..so the scratch is just much deeper than usual..I dunno what he was thinking I think he just acted on an impulse for some reason without thinking at all.

I think the antibiotic stuff really worked though, for just the few hours there has been significant improvement.

I have been scratched several times by my girls. Bad thing for me is I am a bleeder since I take Plavix. I just clean it and put a bandage on it.

I was accidentally bitten by my cat earlier this year. I went to the Health Department and got a tetanus shot. Nothing was said about quarantining my cat.

My cats have never scratched me with their front nails. It helps that I keep them well clipped, but even when they are growing out they've never been scratchers. Never scratched the furniture, the rug... nothing. They use cardboard to scratch: First boxes, and now those cardboard scratching things.

The only time I do get scratched by them is when they are leaping off me and it's their hind nails that get me. I don't typically cut their hind nails.

I just want to reiterate the good advice you've already received. Just disinfect the scratch with rubbing alcohol, put an antibiotic cream on it, like Nerosporin, and keep it clean and you will be fine.



Might I recommend that you trim his nails regularly? That will go a long ways to prevent future scratches and I like this better than soft paws. When/if you do trim the nails, just blunt the tip. If you cut them to short or too close to the vein, it will cause sensitivity and you will have more of a difficult time in the future trimming his nails.



If you've never done this before, you could start with human nail clippers to get used to it.



Also, your cat might be a little bored which is why he is trying to play with your body parts


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Originally Posted by Shanynne

Also, your cat might be a little bored which is why he is trying to play with your body parts

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That's a really good point. I should really try to keep him busy. He is my only kitty and has no one to play with, and constantly wants to go outside and chase birds- he spends all of his time at the window..I will really try to devote more time to playing with him with toys from now on.

How's the scratch today? Is it any better than it was yesterday?

ut0pia, I can sympathize with an only kitty. If I had my way, I'd play with her all day, every day. Unfortunately I can't.

I'm glad your scratch is getting better! Here is an example of what used to happen when I'd trim Holland's claws (she's much better and more tolerant now... ):

^If Holland was my kitty she'd probably find herself in soft paws after that! Accidental scratches or play scratches I can deal with, that looks really rough.

While it would be lying. If one ever has to go to the doctor for an infected scratch, you could say you got it handling wire or something outside. Either way you'll end up getting a tetanus shot and it would be much the same bacteria. My eldest step-sister actually got cat-scratch fever as a child from a rose bush.

Originally Posted by Winchester

How's the scratch today? Is it any better than it was yesterday?

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It isn't much different than last night, but good news is there are no signs of infection!!

Mystik Spiral that looks scary!!! Jake has a different policy of retaliation when I clip his claws and put on soft paws- he sits in my lap very calmly, however he hisses each time I put on another nail cap Then when I'm done and I start petting him for 10 minutes for the glue to dry- he starts to purr, it is very sweet.

I've never bothered dealing with soft paws. Holland is MUCH better these days, I can get all her claws trimmed in a flash and she doesn't really fight it anymore. It's been ages since I've gotten a scratch from her, claw clipping was just something I had to get her used to! I used to have to hold her scruff in my mouth so I could use both my hands for trimming and to make sure she wouldn't run away... Now she lets me hold her like a football. It's nice NOT to have a mouth full of fur after I trim her claws...

This is going to come as a shock, but I've gone through and cut the claws on ALL the cats available for adoption at the shelter. It looks like a good way to get bitten, but I've been lucky so far!