It is generally okay to be scratched by a cat without injection, because rabies is transmitted through bites. There is no rabies virus on cats’ paws, and rabies is only contagious during the onset stage, so it is not harmful to be scratched by a healthy cat. can be infected with rabies virus. However, after being scratched by a cat, you should clean the wound promptly and disinfect the wound to avoid wound infection and inflammation.