Scratched by a cat!

[Em.ma]

Hello.
I was round a friends today. (They have a new cat)
It's a stray. Well the owner next door has not been seen for weeks and they took the cat in,
The cat scratched me and it drew blood. It's sore now and quite deep. I washed it with soap. I have no were near me to get antiseptic.
The cats actually a kitten. Can I get diseases?!

[aggiecuttler]

i would have thought that as long as you keep it clean it will be ok, you could always use some salt water on it as salt is a good cleaner, if its a kitten then i am guessing its not outside so not much risk of infection blessings

[Em.ma]

Thanks,
They don't let it out to much and they do spray with flee spray but I'm scared, next door was a drug addict and alchoholic so could be carrying anything,
My friend has a few scratches I think from it as well.
I was playing with it and it seemed to of got over excited :(

[Edie]

I have a cat who loves to dig big holes in the garden and trample mud all over the house. Cats also have a lot of nasty bacteria in their mouths. My cat has a history of abuse and can get quite aggressive. She's been biting and scratching me for the past 8 years and I've never caught anything from her. I just wash with soap. Cat scratches can be quite sore, and kitten claws are really sharp, but you're highly unlikely to catch anything nasty.

[joelhall]

Any wound can become infected, but as long as you keep it clean there's little risk. By the way, soap and water is among the best things for cleaning microbes.

[KeeKee]

I have 2 adult cats and 1 9 month old kitten. I have been clawed numerous times over the last 2 years and have never had any wounds that didn't heal very quickly. Bearing in mind cats use the litter etc so I doubt you will get anything.

[Annie0904]

My cat is always scratching me when playing and sometimes the scratches bleed but I have never had any problems from them.

[almamatters]

Same here, I have two cats and have suffered a scratch or two! I would just make sure you have washed it and keep it clean.

[Tessar]

Once u clean any minor wound there isn't anything else to do other than protect it from any source of infection, such as if you are doing things likely to get it dirty, then keep it covered. Also though make sure the wound has time to breath as that will help it heal. It's pointless worrying once you have sorted it out initially. Keep your energy for living life as thats much more fun than worrying

[Speranza]

Just don't worry if tomorrow it looks a bit raised. They do that. I've never had a problem with cat scratches. On the other hand, I got cellulitis from a small insect... <sigh>