Puncture wound from cat scratch- just when it was all okay...

[Psithurism101]

Hello! So today my indoor-only cat dug his claw in my upper arm after a random noise scared him :( I washed and squeezed it immediately and applied betadine on it. Since it hurt, I went to a clinic close to my home and the doctor there told me to watch it for a few days in case an infection occurs and only applied some rubbing alcohol and a band-aid! I am very scared because I read online about people developing sepsis and nearly losing their arms because of scratches (not only bites!)... :((

I was doing really well but now I'm beyond terrified all over again!

[Foxine]

I have cats myself, have been scratched many times quite deeply and nothing ever happend. I don't believe you have a reason to worry, especially that your cat is not leaving your place! :) Your body has natural defense system and will quickly heal. It's not like a tiger scratched you, so please try to relax. I've had such experiences before and it all ended well. I know where your fear comes from, but please don't read stories on the web. Some of them are so called urban legends, some of them may be true, but you never fully know circumstances and all that is left from reading such things is fear. It's gonna be really okay, just a scratch, your cat is not carrying any diseases, he is clean and healthy. = )

[Psithurism101]

Thank you so much! Yeah, the fact that he's never leaving the house relaxes me a bit..

I received quite deep scratches from him before and nothing happened but never a puncture like this one. His claw literally went in and out.. And I can't shake the feeling that maybe this time it was deep enough for bacteria to remain there despite of all the disinfecting I did :(

[Annie0904]

If that was true I would have lost all my arms and legs by now and my husband would have lost his face! We have 2 cats and they get quite hyper sometimes :)

[Foxine]

Your body is not helpless against bacteria. :) It has immune system and it can cope very well with "basic" bacteria that get inside you. Also, you don't live in some laboratory where everything is sterile. Every day we encounter tons of bacteria , dust, etc. on our way and we deal with it very well cause it's natural that they are here. You don't have gigantic wound, so I'm sure that disinfecting the small wound you have was more than enough. Also, if something would be really threatening your health, the doctor would definitely notice and tell you.

[Fishmanpa]

If that was true I would have lost all my arms and legs by now and my husband would have lost his face! We have 2 cats and they quite hyper sometimes :)

Our boy gets rather rambunctious too. Nothing like being hunted by a 16lb+ Pixie Bob! ~lol~ Never had an issue.

Positive thoughts

[Annie0904]

Our boy gets rather rambunctious too. Nothing like being hunted by a 16lb+ Pixie Bob! ~lol~ Never had an issue.

Positive thoughts

I thought my 7lb Bengal was big :)

[Psithurism101]

Thank you for your answers! :)
I will try to calm down and distract myself, but I really hope it won't develop into something serious...

[Foxine]

Try to think about something else, focus on some nice activity and try to keep the focus on it whenever it will start to wander towards worries. We all have cats- we are cat-scratches specialists! :D

[.Poppy.]

I was holding my cat once and something startled him and he tried to jump out of my arms - but he threw his legs out into the air and got his claw stuck in my cheek. I actually had to get down on the ground and try to calm him down (he was still trying to get away at this point) and remove his claw and paw from my face.

I've never seen so much blood! But, it happens.

A lot of the time when people get really serious infections, they either have a compromised immune system to begin with and/or are in a place that is really, really unclean. I get hurt sometimes and I'm not really the cleanest person out there, but I've never had even a minor infection. Our bodies are amazing :)

Just keep it fairly clean and you'll be fine. Might sting for awhile, though!

[anthrokid]

My kitty scares quite easily sometimes, and I have had a few very nasty and deep scratches in the last few months. All have healed well (minus some scarring) without any infection. I just ensure that I keep applying antiseptic for a few days until the wound heals over (so something like betadine or dettol). She has been sick the last couple of weeks, and the amount of scratches I've had on my arms from medicating her in that time is phenomenal, but still no infections. I've had infections from scratches before (not cat, but from metal fences, etc.) and I found it quite easy to tell when they became infected. Instead of being itchy o having a slight sting they became very red, very tender, very raised and had pus (gross). Just keep an eye on it, as the doctor said. It should only become a concern if the area around it becomes red and very tender or swollen.

[Earthmum]

I have posted a similar post on here before when my moggy scratched me, the difference is we live in a very hot desert country and he's always out in the forests so when he scratched me I thought I was going to die of sepsis , and guess what I didn't ! I cleaned the area and put a poultice of honey an turmeric in the wound and it was fine after a few days ,and this is a scratch from a cat who's always out and about! So pls don't worry even IF you was to get an infection antibiotics would clear it up but you will be fine, we need to stop reading over dramatic stories on crap sites , healing thoughts ;)

[Psithurism101]

Thank you for the encouragement and reassurance! The scratch seems to be healing normally.. Still a bit nervous and hyperaware though, since he scratched me again today. I guess googling is always the worst decision xD