Cat scratched my son, will it scar?

[Aredhel]

A cat scratched my sons face. He just walked by. I am so afraid it will leave a scar. Will it?

👏👏

This is wrong. Cat scratches that have broken the skin can easily get infected and sometimes need prophylactic antibiotics (as per NICE guidelines). I would ignore posters like this, OP, and see if you can see your GP or practice nurse on a sit and wait appt, or a minor injuries unit. No urgent rush but I would go Monday. Unlikely to scar on a child but it looks quite deep so it could need assessing for infection risk and may need butterfly closures to keep to skin together.

(And your DC is unlikely to need a tetanus booster as they should have had tetanus in the scheduled baby vaccines; but my DH had to go to A&E to have a tetanus shot within 48 hours for a similar cat scratch recently on medical advice)

Are people looking at the same photos as I am? 😅 It’s a very superficial scratch and people are talking about it being deep and needing help closing. The only problem may have been infection but OPs update seems to say that’s not happened.

I can only think this thread is full of cat haters.

@myveryownelectrickitten the OP has already posted saying that it's healed

Like someone already mentioned, it could have been his eye. I think it is not okay if a cat scratches a one year old like this. But that's just my opinion I guess. I have multiple scars on my arms from cat scratches. So it is not that uncommon.

It's bonkers

What was he doing to the cat @Aredhel? I asked you before and you didn't answer.

Well I love cats 😉

I adore cats. Didn’t see that OP later posted that it was ten days ago. However for the avoidance of doubt, and all those on this thread, current NHS guidance:

“Call your doctor if the bite or scratch broke or punctured the skin, even if the area is small. A child who is bitten by an animal may need antibiotics, a tetanus booster, or rarely, a series of rabies shots. A bite or scratch on a child's face, hand, or foot is particularly at risk for infection and should be checked by your doctor as soon as possible.
**
Get immediate medical care if:
the wound is on the face, neck, hand, foot, or near a joint”

kidshealth.org/en/parents/bites.html

That looks fine. Just keep an eye on it. Lot of cat haters on the thread

“Animal bites and scratches, even minor ones, can sometimes lead to complications. Whether the animal is a family pet (in kids, most animal bites that are reported are from dogs) or a creature from the wild, scratches and bites can carry disease.

Some bites, especially from cats, can get infected by bacteria from the animal's mouth. And cat scratch disease, a bacterial infection, can develop from a cat scratch (usually from a kitten) even if the scratch site doesn't look infected.”

I love cats 🥰

THE INJURY WAS 10 DAYS AGO

I did answer. And others did too. I told what happened in my opening post and even repeated it.

I have the most gorgeous cat who is currently asleep on my knee. However, as I said, DH recently was advised by 111 and OOH to go to A&E have a tetanus shot within 48hrs of a similar scratch (from play fighting with our lovely pusscat - who is adorable but nonetheless quite feisty 😄)

That is the most ridiculous treatment plan I've ever read. The only clinically indicated bit of your post is to clean it. Vaseline prevents wound healing, Hydrocolloid dressings could be used but would be overkill and absoluetly no need to use sunscreen. Silicone is used to reduce keloid scarring which won;t be present here unless the wound gets significantly infected. Fucking armchair medics. OP, that is a very superfical scratch and will leave no long lasting scar.

Ds had a cat land on his eye I had to go to minor injuries because I wasn't sure where the blood was coming from the eyelid or the eye itself and as a single person I couldn't hold and examine simultaneously! It was cleaned and antibiotic cream was given as a precaution they also wiped down my arm which the cat also scratched and I didn't notice! I've got a lovely scar on my arm but despite the horrific look of his cut he barely has anything (he was startled by the bin lorry and its unearthly screeching noise it wasn't malicious) just make sure he doesn't get a suntan for a few years it should be barely visible

Oh sorry, I didn't realise 'he just walked by' was an explanation of what happened.

But he didn't just walk by. Looking at the angle of that scratch, it was the cat's front left paw that made it. So he wasn't just walking past - that's a full frontal fuck off to a kid who has shoved his face too close.

I'm sorry that he was hurt and I'm very glad that the cat didn't get his eye but grumpy cats and toddlers are a horrible combination. I was going to say that you need to keep him away but I don't suppose he'll go near the cat again now.

No it won't scar

It’s normal for scars to be red raised and itchy for the first 6 weeks . It will then fade and flatten and become more silvery.

If it scabs , don’t pick the scab off - let it drop off . Then massage firmly several times a day with any simple moisturiser. It is the pressure that matters. Silicon strips can also help. Keep out of the sunlight and apply factor 50 for 6 months while the scar is maturing to avoid pigmentation.
I’m a doctor with plastic surgery experience.

I doubt it but it needs a really good clean. If he lets you wash his face well with soap and water. It's very superficial so unlikely to scar but if it becomes red and angry take him to minor injuries immediately.

It probably won't scar. When I was eight I had a scratch like that going diagonally from my right forehead, across the bridge of my nose, just under the corner of my left eye and onto my left cheek.

I tried to stroke my friend's cat and he lashed out. They used to pull him about and he was probably fed up with it.

It looked very dramatic was bleeding. To make it worse the cat, was sitting on a dustbin so his claws were very grubby.

It didn't scar and didn't even get infected. I'm sure your son's face will heal just as well as mine. Of course my mum took one look at me with blood dripping down my face and blamed me. That's what she was like. It was the shock. Once she'd cleaned it up she calmed down and it looked just like your son's cheek.

My kid was walking towards the door and the cat jumped on him. He was not giving the cat any attention. I am from The Netherlands, so English is not my main language. Hope it is clear now. It doesn't matter though, my question was about the scratch. I love cats and was not hating on them...

Has I work with cats and live with them too. It should be fine if you live the scrab a lone , let it dry out on its own the only trouble is when it heals it looks worse, may itch as it heals but leave it be and you should be oh ok.