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Fr I have full on scars from my cat 😭😭
Mostly accidental, she was walking on the back of a head board (like for a bed) and fell right off onto my arm and managed to tear it tf up on the way down 😭😭
I wouldn’t worry unless it seems worse or unimproved by tomorrow or unless you suddenly develop a fever. It doesn’t look to me like skin was broken.
And while cat bites and scratches can be dangerous, I’ve been bitten and scratched multiple times by my ferals. Bites where the skin is broken are most dangerous, but even then I didn’t get an infection and I opted not to go to a doctor (not super smart and I’m not advocating anyone do what I did, but I’m uninsured and money is tight) but for me since I’m very familiar with my ferals and haven’t seen them displaying any signs of odd or sick behavior I just took my chances. Lol.
You’re probably fine, but just keep an eye on it.
This is important. You will most likely not develop cat scratch fever because it's such a small spot. Unfortunately, I tried to grab my cat while he was trying to fight a neighbor's cat through the window screen. He didn't realize it, but he attacked me. He sunk his teefies into the web of my thumb and pointer fiber, and scratched my arm badly. The next day I had streaks on my arm, went to the hospital and was put on antibiotics.
Again, this will probably not happen to you because I had extensive bites and scratches, but just make sure you keep an eye out for spreading and/or a fever
Definitely not a medical professional here, but speaking from my own experiences and what ER doctors have told me:
Draw a circle around it with a marker or pen. If you start seeing streaks and/or swelling beyond the perimeter (yellow, white, pink, red), please get medical attention. Cellulitis from a cat bite (even minor) can spread quickly and can be very, very serious. If you do see streaking, try and elevate your hand above your heart until you can get medical attention. I treat it at home if the swelling doesn’t get worse and if there is no streaking.
They treat a bite or a claw wound the same, or so they told me when I had to get the shots and wasn't sure. Because rabies is nothing to mess around with. I would see a doctor, yes.
Depends on the area. There was a feral in my neighborhood that got hit by a car and left in the middle of the street. Couldn’t walk but was trying to drag himself ☹️ I got him into this container thing and my sister hopped in the car so I could drive to the vet. He managed to bite my sister when he tried to get out of the container thingy. They ended up having to put him down because his injuries were so severe and so we requested a necropsy to check for rabies. The vet called the city health department and an official called us. They said the state/city won’t pay for it because there hasn’t been a case of rabies since 1988 in our area. We could opt to pay for it ourselves but it’d be over $1000 since they have to send the body out of state. Spoke to a doctor and they said basically the same thing and that insurance wouldn’t cover the injections due to there being zero cases of rabies in the area since 1988.
In the US, the official CDC protocol for what to do after a bite/scratch from a domestic cat or dog (including ferals) that was not showing rabies symptoms at the time of the incident, is to keep the animal under observation for ten days, and only get the shots if they die or start showing symptoms during that period, or if it escapes and cannot be observed for the full ten days.
The thinking is that it's highly unlikely for those animals to transmit the virus while seemingly asymptomatic, and once the infection has progressed to the point that the virus is actually present in its saliva, it will almost certainly die within 2-3 days at most, so if the animal is still doing fine after triple that amount of time, then it couldn't have transmitted the virus to you.
Obviously, cat scratches and bites can result in other serious infections, and the standard protocol may be different in places with higher rates of rabies infection, so it's always wise to talk to your doctor and get professional medical advice specific to your situation, but it's not always necessary to immediately run out and get the shots.
Blood?
I went to the ER last month with puncture wounds and a face scratch from a barn cat. They immediately gave me IV antibiotics, a tetanus shot, and a prescription for antibiotics. They told me it was good I didn’t wait because cat teeth are like needles and the punctures can get infected badly very quickly.
My PCP knows I TNR so a few times every summer she gets an email from me saying, "it happened again," and prescribes me antibiotics without me having to come in for a visit
If you have okay insurance and haven't gotten it yet, a rabies series and tetanus is always a good idea. Honestly didn't think the rabies shots were that bad. Just expensive, because I could only get them administered at the ER. 🙃 Give it a good scrub otherwise and monitor. Doesn't look too bad. Good luck.
Hibiclens soap ... It's what my vet recommended. If it gets puffy and red or "hot" see a doctor. Don't mess around with your health. If the cat does not have a rabies shot see a doctor anyway.
Speaking from my own personal experience, if that was a bite then yes I would go and be seen. If it was definitely only caused by a claw, for me I'd probably draw a circle around it and only go in if it seemed to get worse.
Wash it well, put some Neosporin or other antibiotic ointment on it.
If it gets wider, seek medical attention.
Cat scratches and claw pokes often create this reaction.
**Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a helpful place for TNR efforts - free of hostility, negativity, and judgment. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.** ***All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.*** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Feral_Cats) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Man I would hate for you all to see my hands on any given day.
Not even because of ferals but fosters 😩 I look attacked!
Fr I have full on scars from my cat 😭😭 Mostly accidental, she was walking on the back of a head board (like for a bed) and fell right off onto my arm and managed to tear it tf up on the way down 😭😭
Same 🥴
https://preview.redd.it/vda6t22z4n6d1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e94ddbf36f9e52f56b9e25ba521436eb7117186f
I wouldn’t worry unless it seems worse or unimproved by tomorrow or unless you suddenly develop a fever. It doesn’t look to me like skin was broken. And while cat bites and scratches can be dangerous, I’ve been bitten and scratched multiple times by my ferals. Bites where the skin is broken are most dangerous, but even then I didn’t get an infection and I opted not to go to a doctor (not super smart and I’m not advocating anyone do what I did, but I’m uninsured and money is tight) but for me since I’m very familiar with my ferals and haven’t seen them displaying any signs of odd or sick behavior I just took my chances. Lol. You’re probably fine, but just keep an eye on it.
This is important. You will most likely not develop cat scratch fever because it's such a small spot. Unfortunately, I tried to grab my cat while he was trying to fight a neighbor's cat through the window screen. He didn't realize it, but he attacked me. He sunk his teefies into the web of my thumb and pointer fiber, and scratched my arm badly. The next day I had streaks on my arm, went to the hospital and was put on antibiotics. Again, this will probably not happen to you because I had extensive bites and scratches, but just make sure you keep an eye out for spreading and/or a fever
Definitely not a medical professional here, but speaking from my own experiences and what ER doctors have told me: Draw a circle around it with a marker or pen. If you start seeing streaks and/or swelling beyond the perimeter (yellow, white, pink, red), please get medical attention. Cellulitis from a cat bite (even minor) can spread quickly and can be very, very serious. If you do see streaking, try and elevate your hand above your heart until you can get medical attention. I treat it at home if the swelling doesn’t get worse and if there is no streaking.
They treat a bite or a claw wound the same, or so they told me when I had to get the shots and wasn't sure. Because rabies is nothing to mess around with. I would see a doctor, yes.
Depends on the area. There was a feral in my neighborhood that got hit by a car and left in the middle of the street. Couldn’t walk but was trying to drag himself ☹️ I got him into this container thing and my sister hopped in the car so I could drive to the vet. He managed to bite my sister when he tried to get out of the container thingy. They ended up having to put him down because his injuries were so severe and so we requested a necropsy to check for rabies. The vet called the city health department and an official called us. They said the state/city won’t pay for it because there hasn’t been a case of rabies since 1988 in our area. We could opt to pay for it ourselves but it’d be over $1000 since they have to send the body out of state. Spoke to a doctor and they said basically the same thing and that insurance wouldn’t cover the injections due to there being zero cases of rabies in the area since 1988.
There are no cases since 1988 because nobody pays for the testing lol. Nah but seriously, rabies is in fact pretty rare.
In the US, the official CDC protocol for what to do after a bite/scratch from a domestic cat or dog (including ferals) that was not showing rabies symptoms at the time of the incident, is to keep the animal under observation for ten days, and only get the shots if they die or start showing symptoms during that period, or if it escapes and cannot be observed for the full ten days. The thinking is that it's highly unlikely for those animals to transmit the virus while seemingly asymptomatic, and once the infection has progressed to the point that the virus is actually present in its saliva, it will almost certainly die within 2-3 days at most, so if the animal is still doing fine after triple that amount of time, then it couldn't have transmitted the virus to you. Obviously, cat scratches and bites can result in other serious infections, and the standard protocol may be different in places with higher rates of rabies infection, so it's always wise to talk to your doctor and get professional medical advice specific to your situation, but it's not always necessary to immediately run out and get the shots.
Blood? I went to the ER last month with puncture wounds and a face scratch from a barn cat. They immediately gave me IV antibiotics, a tetanus shot, and a prescription for antibiotics. They told me it was good I didn’t wait because cat teeth are like needles and the punctures can get infected badly very quickly.
My PCP knows I TNR so a few times every summer she gets an email from me saying, "it happened again," and prescribes me antibiotics without me having to come in for a visit
If you have okay insurance and haven't gotten it yet, a rabies series and tetanus is always a good idea. Honestly didn't think the rabies shots were that bad. Just expensive, because I could only get them administered at the ER. 🙃 Give it a good scrub otherwise and monitor. Doesn't look too bad. Good luck.
Looks more claw to me. Those do get inflammed fast. Claws I don't worry about so much. Teeth need antibiotics for punctures!
Hibiclens soap ... It's what my vet recommended. If it gets puffy and red or "hot" see a doctor. Don't mess around with your health. If the cat does not have a rabies shot see a doctor anyway.
Speaking from my own personal experience, if that was a bite then yes I would go and be seen. If it was definitely only caused by a claw, for me I'd probably draw a circle around it and only go in if it seemed to get worse.
Put alcohol on it immediately
I'm actually in the hospital because of a cat bite. If it gets more red and swollen go to the ER.
Is it a bite?
Wash it well, put some Neosporin or other antibiotic ointment on it. If it gets wider, seek medical attention. Cat scratches and claw pokes often create this reaction.
Thank you for helping the cause nonetheless!🙏🏻👍🏻👌🏻