How to Deal With a Cat Scratch
Identify the cat., Seek medical treatment for scratches from an unknown cat., Assess the wound., Decide on an appropriate treatment.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Identify the cat.
It is important to have some information about the cat that has scratched you.
If he is your cat or the cat of a family member or close friend, you can consider him a “household cat.” You can likely treat the wound on your own if it is not too severe and you know the following information about the cat to be true:
The cat is fully vaccinated.
The cat is in generally good health.
The cat spends most of its time indoors. -
Step 2: Seek medical treatment for scratches from an unknown cat.
Unknown cats may not have vaccines, so you may need to have preventative treatment for bacterial infections, tetanus, or rabies.
Particularly if the scratch was accompanied by a bite (which has about an 80% chance of becoming infected), you will need to seek medical attention from a physician. , The severity of the wound from the scratch will dictate the appropriate treatment.
Any cat scratch can be painful, but the depth of the scratch will determine the severity of the wound.
A shallow wound that involves the uppermost layer of skin but involves minimal bleeding can be considered superficial.
A deeper scratch injury that pierces several layers of skin and bleeds moderately should be considered serious., Superficial wounds from known household cats can be treated at home.
However, any scratch from an unknown cat and serious (deep) scratches from household cats should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. -
Step 3: Assess the wound.
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Step 4: Decide on an appropriate treatment.
Detailed Guide
It is important to have some information about the cat that has scratched you.
If he is your cat or the cat of a family member or close friend, you can consider him a “household cat.” You can likely treat the wound on your own if it is not too severe and you know the following information about the cat to be true:
The cat is fully vaccinated.
The cat is in generally good health.
The cat spends most of its time indoors.
Unknown cats may not have vaccines, so you may need to have preventative treatment for bacterial infections, tetanus, or rabies.
Particularly if the scratch was accompanied by a bite (which has about an 80% chance of becoming infected), you will need to seek medical attention from a physician. , The severity of the wound from the scratch will dictate the appropriate treatment.
Any cat scratch can be painful, but the depth of the scratch will determine the severity of the wound.
A shallow wound that involves the uppermost layer of skin but involves minimal bleeding can be considered superficial.
A deeper scratch injury that pierces several layers of skin and bleeds moderately should be considered serious., Superficial wounds from known household cats can be treated at home.
However, any scratch from an unknown cat and serious (deep) scratches from household cats should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
About the Author
Nancy Gomez
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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