Although cats are generally much gentler than dogs, it is not uncommon to get scratched or bitten by them. So, what should you do if you get scratched by a cat and start bleeding?
Flush the wound
First, rinse the scratched wound with running water and soap, making sure to clean the area as thoroughly as possible.
Do not rush to stop the bleeding
In most cases, if the bleeding from the cat scratch is not severe, there is no need to rush to stop the bleeding. Squeezing out the blood can help remove any pathogenic bacteria that may have entered the wound through the scratch.
Proper disinfection
If the scratched wound is not too deep, you can disinfect it with 75% alcohol or povidone-iodine. Dip a cotton swab in an appropriate amount of disinfectant and apply it to the wound 2-3 times. If the wound is deep or large, you can thoroughly rinse the wound with 0.1% chlorhexidine for half an hour before disinfecting it with alcohol or povidone-iodine.
Timely vaccination
To prevent rabies, after simple treatment of the wound, it is important to promptly go to the local health and epidemic prevention station for emergency rabies vaccination. In necessary cases, injections of rabies immunoglobulin may be administered at multiple points around the wound.
