How painful is a cat scratch?

Getting scratched by a cat can be more than just painful—the wounds can bleed, sting, swell, become infected, and, in some cases, make us sick. Minor cat scratches usually can be treated at home, but certain wounds may require special care and attention.

What happens if a cat scratches you deep?

A similar type of injury happens with cat scratches: the extremely sharp, curved nails penetrate deep into the skin, essentially injecting bacteria deep into the puncture wound. Depending on the location and depth of the wound, the bacteria can spread in the surrounding tissues causing a condition called cellulitis.

How long does a cat scratch take to heal?

Cat scratch disease is rarely serious and usually goes away on its own in 2 to 4 months without treatment. Once your child has had cat scratch disease, he or she is unlikely to get it again.

Do cat bites hurt?

Cat bites with infections can become not only painful, but also red or discolored, and swollen. If left untreated, cat bite infections can spread to other parts of the body, causing a condition called septicemia (blood poisoning), which requires hospitalization.

Can you get sick from cat scratch?

Cat scratch fever: What you should know. Cat scratch fever can happen when a person receives a bite, scratch, or lick from a cat that is infected with the bacteria Bartonella henselae. The infection does not usually cause severe complications, but it can lead to problems for people with a weak immune system.

Do cat scratches scar?

This may reduce red or brown discoloration and help the scar fade faster.. Health24’s Skin Expert also recommends a product called ScarScience that can help if the scar is still ‘young’, ie, within a year of forming. You can also regularly apply Bio-Oil®, vitamin E cream or tissue oil to diminish a scar.

Do cat scratches fade away?

Typically, scratches are very minor and will heal in a matter of days.