Cat Scratch First Aid: Rinse, Disinfect, and When to Get a Vaccine

The first step after a cat scratch is to rinse the wound under running water with soap for about 15 minutes, flushing out saliva and debris that may have entered the skin. This matters more than reaching for iodine right away, and you should never suck on the wound.

After rinsing, disinfect with povidone-iodine or alcohol and cover the area with sterile gauze. Shallow scratches can simply be kept clean and dry; deep wounds, wounds that keep bleeding, or wounds on the face or over a joint should be treated at a hospital.

Rabies risk comes down to three questions: is the cat an indoor pet, is it up to date on vaccination, and can it be observed for 10 days. For a stray cat you cannot observe, or a cat behaving abnormally, seek medical assessment promptly under the post-exposure protocol.

Cat scratch disease is caused by Bartonella. The typical pattern is local redness and swelling, swollen lymph nodes, or a low fever appearing a few days to two weeks after the scratch. If those signs appear, do not start antibiotics on your own; let a clinician decide.

Tetanus risk depends on wound depth. If you have not had a booster within five years and the wound is deep or clearly contaminated, ask about a tetanus booster at the same visit.

Image credit: cat scratches on a male teenager's hand, CC0 1.0, by Flame, not lame, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat_scratches_on_a_male_teenager%27s_hand.jpg).