Anyone who's ever owned (or likely even been around a cat) has been scratched at some point. Acat scratch isn't always intentional. You might have been holding Fluffy when she suddenly jumped from your armsto scurry on over to her kitty litter box. Maybe you were playing and got a little too closeto your feline friend. Sometimes the scratches are purposeful. You might have misread a cue and gone in for a friendly scratch behind the ears, only to end up with a cranky swat to the hand. Maybe yourfurry animalcat was sick or just in a bad mood and decided to take it out on you.

However it happened or however it may happen in the future,we'll fill you in on what to do if you get scratched by a cat. Here are some basic tips you can follow to try to avoidscratching behavior in the first place and tend to the ones you aren't able to dodge.

A cat scratch can be anything from a barely-there mark on the surface of your skin to a deep gougefrom a cat’s nail, requiring medical attention. Why are cat scratches especially dangerous if they break the skin?

Besides the scratch providing an opening for germs to enter your body, cats sometimes carry a bacterium calledBartonella henselae, even though most of them don't actually show signs of illness, such as fatigue or loss of appetite.There are many illnesses that can help answer the common questions of “why would a cat stop eating?” or “why is my cat so exhausted?” However, the presence of this bacterium does not contribute to such symptoms.

Whenan infected cat scratches you, there is a chance that some bacterium could enter your bloodstream, potentially causing enlarged lymph nodes near thepuncture wound, fever, headache, and more.

If you own or are near cats often, you'll probably be scratched at least once. To help limitcontact between you and a cat’s claws (and the resulting damage), try the following:

• Observe the cat's mood. If it seems irritated or angry, don't attempt to pet the animal.
• Engage in gentle play. Ifyour young kitten or adult cat tends to play rough anyway, consider wearing gloves and long sleeves.
• When playing, opt for toys you can use from a distance, such as a laser pointer or a feather toy.
• Keep your cat's claws trimmed (but see below for a special note about declawing).

• So Fluffy got too close and you got clawedby the cat’s nail. It happens sometimes. Follow these steps to get yourself on the mendand avoid a bacterial infection:

• Assess thepuncture wound. If it's a mild scratch, washing it with soap and water should suffice. If necessary, a clean, dry gauze pad can be held to the wound until it stops bleeding.

• Apply an over-the-counter antibiotic cream to the wound, over with a dry, clean bandage, and allow to heal. Keep an eye out for unusual swelling, redness, soreness, and other signs of infection.

• Pay close attention to wounds on the hands and feet. They come into contact with more surfaces than other areas of the skin, so wounds here are prone to higher rates of infectionand may require a stronger antibiotic.

• Likewise, if the person scratched is very young, elderly, and/or has a weakened immune system, monitor the wound closely to head offbacterial infection.

• If a cat scratches your eye, seek immediate medical attention.