Attacked by a Cat Today

wow! yes, i'd go get it looked at, cat scratches can be ugly. it's also EXTREMELY odd that a cat would attack a person randomly, and frighteningly odd that it would attack someone with a dog. sounds like a sick cat to me.
once that's done, it's time to report it to the authorities. the best case scenario is that this is a weirdly aggressive cat who should be kept indoors.
khairete
S.

I think, if you are worried, I would be inclined to see a doctor...and then present the cat owner with a bill.

Also, that seems unusual cat behavior. I would want to know the cat was up to date on shots.

That is just me though.

You need to report this to the police. Her cat needs to be kept in quarantine to make sure it doesn't have rabies or some other disease.

You also may need some antibiotics. I puff up around the area like blisters. I almost always have to take Benadryl to stop an allergic reaction.

I'd definitely call your doctor first thing in the morning. I wouldn't trust the vast knowledge of Mamapedia for this ;-)

I think cat scratches are less troublesome than cat bites - cat bites have a nasty tendency to cause some serious infections and I've had to go on antibiotics a number of times from being bit on the hand or finger. Been scratched a lot more though and nothing ever happened, but they were more small single scratches, not a full on attack. There are some things that can be transmitted by scratches and I think people with more compromised immune systems have more to worry about. I would be contacting your doctor in the morning though, just to be safe. I would also want to know if the cat's rabies vaccine is current - again, bites are more likely how rabies would be transmitted, but it's still important information to know. I would contact animal control as well and report it.

You need to see your physician. While scratch exposures to Rabies are not nearly as likely to transmit virus as bite exposure, it is unusual for a cat to spontaneously attack a person and this sort of aggressive behavior could absolutely be a sign of Rabies. There is Rabies in cats in California and you need to find out NOW whether prophylaxis is indicated for your potential exposure. Since you know the cat's owner, you should be able to find out whether it is up to date on vaccines. If not - a judge can order the cat to be tested or isolated and observed.

Otherwise, cat scratches tend to become red, inflamed and painful or very itchy but it is unusual for them to become seriously infected. Bartonellosis (cat scratch disease) is fairly uncommon.

Yes, cat scratches and bites CAN be very serious, so watch for swelling and other symptoms, and call your doctor right away if you feel sick or distressed.
I'm having a hard idea picturing exactly what happened though. Are you saying you were attacked while the owner watched in silence and you didn't say ANYTHING? That is really bizarre, I'm pretty sure I would have been screaming, get your cat the f*c* off of me, and after the fact I would have for SURE been in the owner's face, and I am not at all a confrontational person!

You can get all kinds of bacteria with cats but I will address Cat Scratch Fever as my youngest had it. We had a new kitten from the pound and of course it had scratched him some. I think they said its mostly from kittens.

He ran a low grade fever without obvious symptoms. Being the anxious mom I am, I checked his underarms and they were swollen and tender.
Went to doc who agreed with CSF. Put on antibiotics. Went away slowly.

Of course, we had to sing the title lyrics to the song, a lot!

Ditto what Everly said. A relation of mine went to the hospital for a two night stay due to a cat scratch. Visit your doc today.

I have rescued and doctored many, many stray and feral cats, which resulted in lots of scratches... At least 20 cats. My arms are covered in thin cat scratch scars. Lol. (On the plus side, once they were doctored up and socialized, most of them were re-homed happily.)

I have never had any ill effects. I cleaned the scratches thoroughly with soap and water, and used whatever ointment I had at the time. (I like bactine)

I would be worried about the fact that the cat acted so aggressively... If it actually charged at you, with the purpose of attacking you... Unless it had kittens or something nearby, that is VERY unusual behavior. Usually, a scared cat will puff up, hiss, and back away.

Keep an eye on the scratches, and keep treating them. If they get swollen, pussy, bruised, etc. I would see a doctor. Also if you get headachy, a fever, or flu-like symptoms.

Ha ha, didn't notice you said one was bruised and puffy... I would get it looked at.

I was scratched by my parents' cat at about midnight one night, and by the next morning my hand was puffy. I had washed it and covered it in antiseptic spray after the scratches, but no luck. My hand got really big and painful. I went to urgent care at 11 in the morning and they had to give me an antibiotic shot, and I was on oral antibiotics for two weeks.

Cat scratches can be quite serious... so if any of your scratches is more than just a scratsh (ie - puffy, red, raised, hot, etc.), make sure you get to the doctor quickly.

I'd call Animal Control and talk to them about this. Something is wrong with that cat. And I'd be SO pissed about the owner doing NOTHING. The point is that if that cat has something that can hurt someone, you AND the owner need to know.

If ANY signs of infection show up, please get to the doctor. I don't know about cat scratch fever personally, but I certainly know what my son went through from being bitten by a cat. (ER visit, lovely...)

Sounds like what you are currently doing should be enough. All cat owners will tell you they have been scratched a gazillion times and it's almost always superficial and harmless. If you notice that the scratch gets red and aggravated with red streaks, or you develop a fever, then I would go to the urgent care.
And next time you are walking, carry a tennis racket. I used to have a bird that would dive-bomb me every time I came out of my office. One whack from the racket and it never bothered me again. Also I broke up a few cat fights with one. :)

Generally speaking it is the bites that are dangerous, the scratches just hurt like heck.

I have been scratched by my own cat, not very often mind you, maybe a handful of times over 25 years and multiple cats. Never got any infection so I can't really tell you how quickly it develops.

Oh as a cat owner, I can see why the owner did nothing. You would have still got scratched but then they would have been scratched as well since you got them riled up good. Still if my cat sneaked out of house and jumped someone I would have went in for the scruff and tossed away. They usually don't re engage, too embarrassing....

I would see my doctor if were you. I have not had any scratches cause damage, but they have also not been irritated or had a bruise under it. Think about it cats use litter boxes and bury their feces, anything can be in those claws.

Glad you went to the doc, because this can cause serious issues.

Cat Scratch disease- can came from a small scratch or a large one, it is pot luck...

Given that this cat is clearly outdoors, hopefully this owner is intelligent enough to have given the animal shots. If not, I would call animal controls, police do a report and have the records pulled. You might have to have them put the cat down and test it for rabies, especially given that it attacked with no reason.

pepper spray, just becarful what way the wind is bloiwng as to not get it in your eyes, dodgs or childs.

Good luck

Glad you went in. My SIL is a vet tech and anytime they're bit by a cat they go straight in for IV antibiotics b/c of the bacteria in the saliva. Treat the scratches for infection with a topical.

Glad your dog and daughter weren't hurt. Cats go for dog's eyes and can do some serious damage.

My cat used to attack me a lot. I'd have scars as a kid. Not as bad as you describe. I learned to grab him quickly and (gently but firmly) hold his neck so it could not reach me to bite. He was a good kitty but went into that mode sometimes!!

I wouldn't worry about cat scratch disease. Just keep the scratches clean.

It's probably fine. My cat scratches me all the time, in play. (I kind of egg him on.) It's actually cat bites that can be dangerous, because of all the bacteria in their saliva.

Just keep an eye on it.

I don't have any answers for you because, frankly, I have heard of a cat attacking unprovoked like that.

I would like to respond to something Leigh R said. She's right about rabies but the only way to "test" the cat for rabies is to dissect the brain (it's not just a blood test or something). So, without proper vaccination records your options would then be opting for the shots yourself or killing the cat to find out if you need the shots.

Talking with your doctor is a good call.

Please re-read Dana's response -- my first thought would not be getting out the Bactine; it would be rabies. Most animals choose flight over fight and this attack sounds unusual. I would call your doctor's office immediately and ask what the process is for getting that cat checked ASAP; you should demand a vet's written record of vaccination and should never take the owner's word for it that the cat's been vaccinated. You clearly know who and where the owner is. You might have to involve animal control authorities and possibly police, as well -- there have been cases of owners who have not wanted to produce vaccination records (or been unable to do so) who then hid their pets from authorities; you might need the police involved to ensure that this person cooperates and either produces a record of vaccination or produces the cat for testing.

I would call my doctor and then animal control, right now.

By the way, hating the cat does nothing. It's entirely possible that the cat has had traumatic experiences with vicious dogs and even the sight of a dog is terrifying to it, hence the attack. Instead, blame the stupid owner, who should know his or her cat's issues and keep the cat safe and away from others.

And yes, cats can cause some serious illnesses in humans; cat scratch fever is very real indeed but your doctor might want to give you some prophylactic antibiotics for that. Rabies is something else altogether and nothing to mess around with. Call animal control and get aggressive.