Dang cat scratches! Why do they have to hurt so bad!!!

[silkiechicken]

Barn kitty was a bit eager to get goodies and so she brought her paw up and one of her nails hoked me! It's been about 5 minutes and now this darn quarter inch scratch has turned the tip of my finger red, with a eraser sized circle of white surrounding the darn cut.

I should know better than to do anything other than drop food on the floor for the cat! I'm going to have a swollen finger for a few hours now!!! There's a reason I can't pet cats or have them inside!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I know how that feels. When I grow catnip. I have that smell on my hands. they bite and claw. darn frisky cats!

 

[Hotwings]

Ouch! I know how painful a scatch is. Their claws are like little needles. I rather be bit by a dog. A cat an grab you with their claws and bite at the same time. Be sure to clense the scratch as cats can carry dirt and such under their claws.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Make sure you clean it out good! Barn kitties are into everything!

 

[silkiechicken]

I know, I'm sure this morning she was probably clawing up and gnawing on a rat or something then digging in the dirt where the chickens run with that same claw. It's well cleaned now, soaped about 8 times and under running water for a good long while, as I was holding the scratch a bit apart to get it really clean.

If I have any abrasions on my hand and touch any cat, any area around the abrasion will swell up. If there are no abraisoins, I turn into a huge rash. I have to put on long sleeves and gloves before I can hold one. Poor thing probably wonders why I ran back into the house and didn't leave all the treats behind.

 

[sunnysidecluckers]

I trim my cats nails which helps ALOT

 

[palabeco]

You are allergic to cats. I am too. If I just touch a cat, and don't wash my hands right away everywhere else that I touch on myself will start itching. If I get a little scratch from a cat, that too will swell up and itch for hours. Take some bendryl, it will help stop the reaction, and put a little hydrocortizone on the rash. And thouroghtly clean the scratch with peroxide and apply antibiotic ointment. My mom used to always tell us we could get cat scratch fever from a cat scratch. old wives tale? I don't know.

 

[birdnutz]

My son got scratched up bad enogh to need stitches one time(Another cat and neighbor kid was involved) took him to the hospital. I asked and was told that cat scratch fever is a real thing. Cats have a bacteria under their nails that our bodies have a hard time fighting off. Thats the reason for the pain and swelling. Just clean it good and use neosporin to draw the infection out.

 

[patandchickens]

My mom used to always tell us we could get cat scratch fever from a cat scratch. old wives tale? I don't know.

Nope, real thing, although not especially common. My understanding is that you're likeliest to get it from young cats/kittens, more than from older cats.

With cat scratch fever, you feel vaguely flu-ey for a while, and often there is swelling and pain of the lymph nodes in the neck that lasts for a considerable while. I have had it. Hurt like heck to move my tongue - I know that sounds weird, but anytime i moved my tongue or heaven forbid stuck it out, it felt like it was being ripped out by the roots, halfway down inside my neck. Lasted a month or two, got better on its own, as I gather cat scratch fever generally does.

This is *different than* an allergic reaction, which it sounds like silkiechicken has, or a bacterial infection of a scratch, which is not too uncommon especially if it's an outdoor cat or a deep scratch. Soaking scratches in hot Epsom salt water (as hot as you can stand, with enough Epsom salts that you can't get any more to dissolve in it) can help prevent the latter, but not unfortunately the former.

Hope you're feeling better, silkiechicken,

Pat​

 

[Cheryl]

You can get really sick from a cat scratch, even as far as going to the hospital....clean it well and keep a good eye on any infection