Q How do I treat a cat scratch?
Treat superficial cat scratches by washing the wound with running water and soap. If bleeding, apply pressure with a clean, dry, sterile gauze pad. If it doesn’t stop, seek medical attention. Scratches to the eye need immediate care. Infection risk is higher for people with weakened immune systems. Changes around the wound site including redness, swelling, tenderness and pus, or generalised fever, suggest infection and need medical attention. Otherwise simply put a sterile dressing bacteria, usually as kittens from flea bites or from an infected cat if they’ve been fighting. It rarely causes them problems but in humans it causes blisters, fever, fatigue, headaches, swollen glands and, occasionally, more severe illnesses. These symptoms need medical assessment and specific antibiotic treatment.
