Cat Scratches Get Ugly

on January 11, 2009 at 8:11 AM

Before you read further, click here for a picture of veg4animals2006's son after he tried to force the family cat (not the one at right) up onto the windowsill against his will. Ouch.

"It looks bad, but he's okay," says veg4animals2006 in her Journal post. "We cleaned him up right away and afterward told him (for the millionth time) that he needs to leave the kitty alone! Hopefully this finally drills that into his head."

We don't have cats (allergic), but I did when I was a kid, and I remember how easily kitties get annoyed and what those claws feel like.

jazzy020106 asked the CafeMom Newcomer's Club what to do if you child is scratched by a cat, and here's how one knowledgable mom answered her:

Being a Vet tech, wash it with hot soapy water, then first aid cream, band aid. I wouldn't go to the doctor unless it started to look like it was was getting an infection in it. And did you know there's even a type of bacterial infection that can result called cat scratch fever? (See catch scratch fever symptoms).

My oldest DD just had this from a cat bite on her cheek. She got bit one night and by the next day her cheek was red. The doctor took one look at it and wrote her a prescription for an antibiotic. She never got a fever or felt bad or anything, but I think that's because we got medicine so soon after the redness showed up.
Be careful because my little boy got sick from a cat scratch. He was about 3 and got scratched by a kitten and he got a huge knot on his neck and was sick for a while. They finally had to do surgery to remove it. I am not trying to scare you it is pretty rare but I would just keep an eye on it.

And here's what astrogirl84's daughter looked like after she was scratched by a stray cat and developed cat scratch fever at age 4. The scratch on her cheek kept getting redder and more irritated. Then her face started to swell up on one side and she developed a rash all over her body. Luckily, antibiotics cleared her right up and she was back to her gorgeous self in no time.

Photo by astrogirl84

++What kinds of run-ins have your toddlers had with pets? Who won?

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: health, play, safety

Comments (20)

geminishadow79

on Jan 11, 2009 at 9:17 AM

I got cat scratch fever when I was alittle girl only then no one knew what it was. The drs all thought I had a tumor on my lymph noids because of the large knot on my neck. Even after it went away I still spent a lot of time at the drs because they wanted to find out what was wrong with me me and why it suddenly went away!

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Peajewel

on Jan 11, 2009 at 10:02 AM

My sister got scratched from her own and ended up in the hospital. She has had this cat since it was a kitten, it has had all its shots and never goes outside. The doctor told her it did not matter. She had a red streak coming off of it running up her arm and the doctor told her that was the infection traveling and she was lucky that she came in when she did. She ended up being hooked to an IV and had to go back to the hospital every day and have treatments.

ms_mommy_sue

on Jan 11, 2009 at 11:06 AM

I got scratched in the eye by my kitten. The pictures are in my pic section. I was blind for a while, and my eye swelled shut. It is no laughing matter to be scratched. But, I also should not of been letting a little kitten play with my hair around my face!

Jenniy

on Jan 11, 2009 at 11:54 AM

My mom was given a kitten about 4 months old when my DD was 2, for some reason this kitten had it out for DD. DD never messed with the kitten yet every time she walked past it, it attacked her, we were scared that she was going to be hurt worse than a few little scratches so we got rid of the kitten.

RanaAurora

on Jan 11, 2009 at 12:24 PM

Clip your kitty's claws! It helps a LOT. Also make sure you talk to your kiddos about not going near ANY animal without asking an adult first.

Not only can infection be an issue with cat scratches, but scarring can as well. My mom's cat scratched my chest when I was 8... and it keloided. I had one form of laser surgery on it that actually make it bigger and worse, and then did cortisone injections for years, before getting a newer form of laser surgery when I was 17. It's finally a flat scar, and not red anymore, but it affected my wardrobe choices for my ENTIRE childhood, as I guess to other people, it didn't look like a scar.

Now, I don't want anyone saying pets shouldn't be around kids because that's NOT true!
You need to keep your pet's claws clipped, keep your animals clean (kitties really shouldn't go outside), and be DILIGENT about teaching your child about animal safety, and also how to interact with animals. You can NOT blame a cat for scratching your child if your child is trying to break the cat's tail.

catgrrrl

on Jan 11, 2009 at 12:51 PM

As a cat lover, see my name, what about dog bites?

roseberry_66701

on Jan 11, 2009 at 1:09 PM

I think it makes a difference if a cat is allowed to go outdoors, or - just think about all the dirt an outdoor walks through! They can bring any number of things in the house on their feet - on the other hand, even stray cats are naturally clean by nature and most of them are very fastidious about cleaning their feet - also, the age of the child involved might be a factor - i think we have a natural immunity to things like this and it increases as we get older - it takes a definite personality type to understand and get along with cats!

JPsMommy605

on Jan 11, 2009 at 5:35 PM

We have outdoor cats at our apartment, so I make sure whenever we meet up with some that I teach my son how to watch the cat's behavior, to never run up to or approach a cat, but to let the cat decide if he wants the attention. We have one neighborhood cat that likes to play scratch when he's on his back, so I'll tell my son to stop petting him when he lies down. I do the same for dogs - I've taught him to always ask the owner for permission to pet, to offer his hand to the dog before petting, never approach a stray on it's own, and to never pull any parts of cats or dogs (especially tails and ears).

twarmymm

on Jan 11, 2009 at 10:21 PM

my neice was scratched when she was a baby and got a huge infection full of pus and the doctor had to lance it...........it was really gross.............i am allergic so we do not have cats..........only poodles who do not shed in my house............

AllAboutKeeley

on Jan 11, 2009 at 10:25 PM

We have cats and an (almost) 3 year old. Our cats aren't agressive toward DD in any way, shape, or form (and none of them have front claws, so even if they were, it wouldn't do them any good). The problem we have is this one particular cat that DD just loves to lay on, roll around on, "ride" on. Mind you, DD weighs 26 pounds, cat weighs 28 pounds, so she's NOT hurting him. He has a habit of spreading his back feet with his claws sticking out and has gotten her a few times. The first scratches he ever gave her were on the face near her right eye. That was over 2 years ago and there's still a scar there.

After any break of the skin (be it from cat or otherwise), the area should be cleaned with soap and water.