Whether they are adult cats or kittens, they are likely to carry rabies virus. Moreover, cats often lick their paws, so if they are scratched or bitten by their paws, they may be infected with the virus. Parents must pay attention and it is best not to be too close to them. What should you do if you are scratched by a kitten? Let’s pay attention to it below.

If you are not bitten by a dog (or cat) but scratched by a dog (or cat), if the skin is damaged, you also need to be vaccinated, because we cannot tell whether the dog or cat's paws are stained with saliva containing the virus. In addition, if it is difficult to tell whether the wound is broken with the naked eye in the early stage, you can wipe the wound with alcohol. If there is a pinprick-like pain, it means that the skin is damaged and you should get vaccinated immediately; ​​​​​​

What should I do if I am scratched by a cat?

1. First rinse the wound with water to wash away the virus as much as possible and squeeze out the blood. Then disinfect the wound with iodine, and then wash away the iodine with alcohol.

2. Immediately go to the local epidemic prevention department to get vaccinated. The incubation period of rabies is as fast as 10 days before onset of symptoms, and as slow as several years.

3. If the scratch is serious, antiviral serum must be injected and used together with the vaccine. However, antiviral serum may cause allergies, so you must first try the injection under the guidance of a doctor.

The clinical manifestations of cat-scratch disease are diverse, which often leads to misdiagnosis by doctors. Generally, 3 to 7 days after being scratched and bitten by a cat, erythema, papules, herpes, pustules, scabs, or small abscesses will appear on the skin of the scratched area accompanied by local lymphangitis; followed by lymphadenopathy, which is common. It is located under the jaw, neck, armpit, groin, etc., with a diameter of about 1 to 8 cm. The diseased lymph nodes show granulomatous inflammatory changes, and pus may form in the center. In the later stage, obvious reticuloendothelial cell proliferation can be seen. Systemic manifestations include low-grade fever, headache, chills, general weakness, malaise, cough, anorexia, nausea or vomiting, etc.

Cat-scratch disease is a self-limiting disease. Most patients do not require treatment and resolve within 3 weeks to a few months. According to the main manifestations of cat-scratch disease, it can be divided into many clinical types: hepatosplenic cat-scratch disease mainly manifests as splenomegaly and abdominal pain; encephalopathic cat-scratch disease mainly manifests as epileptic convulsions, progressive coma, and rapid consciousness after a few days. Recovery; Cat-scratch disease with mainly ocular manifestations includes neuroretinitis, conjunctivitis or retinal vascular inflammation.

It is recommended that you go to the hospital to get vaccinated immediately!