Playing with cats can be an amazing went for unwinding. These amazing animals have the power of relieving stress and anxiety, lowering your blood pressure and reducing the chances of getting a stroke or heart attack. However, what to do if your cat scratches you?

The basics: first steps

Despite all the fluffiness and cuteness, cats sometimes unleash the inner wild beast and leave their claws’ marks on your skin in a fit of temper.  When this takes place, firstly take into consideration whether it is a household cat or the stray one.  The former ones are usually well-kept, vaccinated, indoor pets that are not likely to have caught a transmittable infection. However, if the cat is unknown, you are strongly advised to visit a doctor who’ll give you medications that will protect you from bacterial infections, tetanus or rabies. Left untreated, this could develop into CSD (cat-scratch disease) which takes much longer to treat.

Inspecting the wound

When a cat scratches its owner or someone just wanting to pet it and give it some love, it often causes a lot of panics because cats are known for diseases they can transfer.  Nevertheless, these cuts aren’t always threatening and their depth is what actually tells you about the gravity of the situation. There are two types of cuts that cats could inflict: the superficial cuts which involve only the uppermost layers of your skin and the more serious ones that incorporate multiple layers of skin pierced and moderate bleeding.

Controlling the bleeding

Bleeding can be controlled by applying direct pressure to the wound and elevation. You can also use some pressure dressing or tourniquet. The latter should be used for some unmanageable bleeding which is very rare when cat-scratch in question.

Cleaning the wound

Washing your hands is the first step leading to successful cat-scratch treatment. Clean your hands in great detail with warm or hot water for at least 20 seconds, not forgetting the areas between your fingers and under the nails. Then rinse your wound with warm water and start cleaning the injured area with soap. It is desirable that you wash around the wound as well so as to get rid of bacteria that might have spread.

Ointment application

Minor wounds often heal well even without ointments but it is still suggested as a part of cat-scratch treatment as a preventive measure.  Antibiotics such as Neosporin, Polysporin, and Bacitracin are most frequently prescribed when it comes to minor cuts. They will help you with healing, but, unfortunately, won’t reduce itching and pain. Make sure to use these in moderation because, in another case, the bacteria may become resilient to the medication. These are usually compared to antiseptics such as Iodine, Hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol that is good for cleaning smaller wounds but won’t heal the wound nor reduce its itching and pain. The stinging sensation is usually treated by anesthetics such as Bactine or Dermoplast.

Wild Thera’s Cuts/Scrapes Balm

Combining the run-of-the-mill ointments with this balm will help you take extra special care of your wound. Wild Thera’s balm is an all-natural product that has ingredients such as lavender, chickweed, comfrey and shea butter that will speed up the wound healing and make sure your skin is left with no scars after curating. It doesn’t have any major side effects, but it has to be stressed that this is not a medication. This means that it is not to be used for burning, itching and deep wounds which are why it is supposed to be applied along with medications such as Neosporin.

Cat-scratch disease

All cats at some point in their lives carry the Bartonella henselae bacteria, the main root of the cat-scratch disease which is also called cat-scratch fever or subacute regional lymphadenitis. The symptoms develop after at least 10 days.  Firstly, a small papule or bump appears at the site of the injury and is followed by fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, sore throat and loss of appetite.  The disease doesn’t put your life in jeopardy unless you’ve got a weakened immune system.  The disease is usually treated with antibiotics such asclarithromycin, rifampin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or ciprofloxacin.

Home remedies for cat-cuts:

Honey

Honey is very well-known for being a great antiseptic that purifies your body both from the inside and the outside.  It will keep the wound hydrated enough to prevent scarring while sucking out the water from the wound and depriving bacteria of their food and natural habitat.

Garlic

The allicin from garlic has great anti-microbial properties that promote the effective fight against bacteria and fungi which are unequivocally the most important thing when it comes to cleaning cuts no matter how you got them. Mix some crushed garlic cloves with honey and put this on your wound and observe how it backslashes the number of bacteria and heals the skin.

White vinegar

Mix a tablespoon of salt in 2-3 cups of water and wait until the salt is well dissolved. Then add some white vinegar to the solution and apply it with a cotton ball. The process should be repeated 2-3 times a day. The acidic properties of white vinegar will kill the bacteria but this super food also has some qualities to it that will relieve itching and pain.

Aloe Vera

Anti-inflammatory properties of Aloe Vera will promote faster healing. All you need is an aloe-vera leaf that you’ll break open, extract the gel and put it on the wound. You’ll have to let the gel dry and repeat the process 2-3 times a day.

Tea-tree oil

Tea tree oil has been healing all of our skin issues for thousands of years. It successfully deals with discoloration, wrinkles, acne but also cuts. You can dilute a few drops of the oil in warm water, almond oil or olive oil and then apply to the affected area with a cotton ball. After putting this you can be sure there won’t be any further complications.

Turmeric

This yellow powder has great antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that will prompt wound healing and cleaning. All you’ll need is water and turmeric to make a paste that you’ll apply daily for fast healing and prevention of any possible infections.

Never neglect to visit a doctor

No matter how trivial the wound looks, you’re urged to ask your doctor to take a look at it. He/She will determine whether you’re at risk of infection on the grounds of the depth of your wound, bleeding as well as information about your cat. If he/she deems it necessary, he’ll prescribe you some medicines to stop the bacteria from growing and speed up the healing. Therefore, don’t take it for granted if a cat scratches you, and do all the suggested procedures in order to block further complications and save yourself from being forced to put extra time into treatment.