kitty stuff (++), ph (mild -)
As some of you might have seen on Peg's account, we had to boot Shemp out in the pouring rain and scary thunder last night because we were just not equipped to shelter a kitty for the night. :(
Our debt to Bast was lavishly repaid this morning--we invited Shemp and his sisters in for like an hour and gave them lavish petting, food, and entertainment. They seem pretty happy.
But in the process, Shemp gave me a tiny little scratch across the pinky, and now I can't get the prospect of cat scratch fever -- and the 7-14 day incubation period to leave me in suspense.
Cat folks? How concerned should I *actually* be, given Shemp's an outdoor cat but his paws and claws look fairly clean? It's really *not* a deep scratch at all, and I dressed it as soon as I noticed it.
kitty stuff (++), ph (mild -)
I have lived with cats all my life and have never had a scratch get infected. The ones that I knew about I washed with soap, but sometimes I would find them later, like when I took my jeans off for the night and discovered that the cat launching off my lap had left a couple divots. Those never got infected either.
re: kitty stuff (++), ph (mild -)
@chandra This is a REAL tiny one, too, barely a paper cut. If Shemp were an indoor cat or had regular vet visits (sigh, we really gotta take care of that as soon as the epidemic's manageable), I wouldn't worry at all. He seems pretty tidy for a semi-stray that we're just buddies with, though. I checked under his claws, and for the feline equivalent of a 16-year-old boy, they look immaculate. Which is to say, he hasn't tracked through anything too gross lately. :3 Thanks for the tip!
