# What's the Worst Cat Scratch You've Ever Had?



## Clutch (May 10, 2010)

I've been scratched a lot-when Ringo, my older cat was six months old, he went through a phase where he was very defensive of the bed and attacked me when I tried to lie down. I also had several bad ones on my arms when I had to start giving him medications.

The worst ones though, were from my cute little super-purry cat, Casey. My roommate had a friend over with a medium-sized dog, and since she was considering getting a dog herself, I tried to do introductions.

In retrospect, I did it totally wrong. 

I brought Casey out in my arms, and the dog walked up to see what I was holding. I said something like, "Look, Casey, see the dog.." when I felt his claws dig into my forearm and bicep. I told my roommate's friend to grab the dog because I had to drop the cat. But that didn't work, when I tried to drop Casey he dug into my shirt, then reversed himself and ran up my arm, finally settling on the top of my head. He then locked in with all four sets of claws. I was running around screaming with him on my head trying to pry him off while the people and the dog looked on incredulously. I finally got him into my room and off my head, then I went to the bathroom to try to stop all the bleeding from my arm and scalp. I was lucky that all the head scratches were covered by hair, except for two small ones on my forehead. My roommate, Lauren, treated my head with peroxide. 

When I saw Casey he climbed up on me and purred. I wasn't mad at him because it was a severe lapse in judgment on my part. But that's my worst-ever scratching incident. I have scars for life on my left bicep and forearm.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

When I was a kid, I did a stupid thing. Basically put a silver chain-link bracelet around my cat's neck. She got her lower canines in 2 of the links trying to take it off. Next thing I knew she's rolling all over the floor growling. I immediately tried to find the fastener and release the bracelet from her neck. She would try to stay still, but the pain was unbearable and she scratched my arm really badly. I yelled at my mom for a towel to wrap her so I could take the bracelet off, but she took so long and I couldn't just leave her like that.

After a few more seconds, I managed to find the clasp and open it. My arm was all bloody and I had really deep scratches all along it. It took about 3 years for the scars to finally fade. And luckily, my poor kitty kept all her teeth as well. I never did that again.


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Ages (wow, it was ages...) ago, my ex-hubby and I lived in a townhouse apartment with a nice area in the rear where everyone had little patios and a wide sidewalk went the whole length of the complex. We had two cats, Major Thunderpussy and Gaga Zsabor. Major was my lovey-dovey big boy and sometimes he and I would sit out back or take walks on the sidewalk. One day, a strange cat was at the end of the walk. Major saw the cat and it ran around the corner, quickly followed by my boy. When I reached them, they weren't fighting, just exchanging obscenities. I reached down and picked up my sweetheart to carry him home. I believe this may have been my first occasion involving redirected aggression. (Or fear, but the results were the gruesome same.) Major climbed up my chest and latched onto my FACE with all four feet! I ran home with Major (still desperately clinging to my face), yelling, "Charles, something's wrong with Major!" He took one look at me and said, "Heck with Major --- you'd better look in the mirror!" My face looked like I had just survived an encounter with a chainsaw attacker. My eyes ended up swollen shut for almost a week, and it took more than two months before the scabs were gone. Can you believe I didn't even see a doctor?


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## RowdyAndMalley (Aug 9, 2010)

The worst for me was a week or so after we brought Rowdy home. He was running around the room like a maniac, and he tried to get up on the bed, instead of grabbing the mattress, he grabbed onto my arm with his claws and pulled himself up that way. I have two huge long scars on my arm, im sure they'll fade with time but man did that hurt. I can't imagine what it must of felt like with all of you, I have reasonably lucky.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

My female kitten Pumpkin is VERY very active/hyper, and I adopted her at 6 weeks from a shelter so she had no socialization. As soon as Pumpkin learned how to go up the stairs of my townhouse, she started using them as a personal race track. My computer desk is lined up with my bedroom door, which is lined up with the stairs. Pumpkin got in the habit of running upstairs, through my bedroom, jumping onto my back, and spring-boarding from my back to the computer desk for whatever reason. One time it was especially hot, and I did not have a shirt on...OUCH!!

The absolute worst scratch I have received was also from Pumpkin. That time she was playing and decided to use my leg as a climbing post rather than the couch. Obviously she couldn't really "climb" my bare leg, so she sort of slid down my leg with her claws stuck in my skin. She left several long scratches near my knee cap that didn't permanently heal for a couple months since it was located on a joint. I couldn't shave that part of my leg for a very long time


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I don't really recall any scratches. I suppose the worst were from the Trio when they were kittens and would try to climb my bare legs to reach the counter where I was preparing their canned meals. I looked like I had run through the brambles!

For me ... it is the BITES that I remember. 

My first cat bite was in 1994 from a barncat who *told* me he didn't want to be petted and when I didn't listen, he chomped my hand. I held still, he held still. Then he let go and I removed my hand and he curled back up to sleep. 
The next morning my lower arm was swollen and I had a red streak up to my armpit. I had to see the Dr for antibiotics (Abx).

The second bite was the 2009 winter when Pretty dashed out the back door at night, where I knew two unfriendly tomcats had sort of 'taken over' the yard. When I grabbed her, I scared her and she bit. Pretty is a former feral that took me 4yrs to tame and socialize and her self-preservation instincts are never far below the surface of her calm and relaxed behavior when indoors.
Another Dr visit for Abx. This bite was more serious in regards to immediate treatment because my immune system is compromised from chemo meds.


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

I've been scratched so many times by cats and don't remember one as being worse than others. 

The worst scratch/cut I have gotten was from one of our calves. I had grabbed her by the side of her mouth (so some fingers where in her mouth) to hold her still and give her pills. She jumped backwards and I got a large cut; you'd be suprised how sharp a calves teeth are! 

Once other time I was putting a halter on a calf so my hand was on the top of her head. The calf jumped and I had my hand smashed between her head and a very rough board. I still have a funky shaped scar on my hand from that...


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I've never really had "bad" injuries of any kind from cats. I've had some nasty dog related injuries though. its funny because at work, everyone is all scared of the angry cats, but I'll take an unhappy cat over an unhappy dog anyday!


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## StormChaser (Aug 3, 2010)

The worst scratch I had was from one of my cats growing up. We had a hard time trimming Butterscotch's back claws, and they were like talons. He was sitting on my lap once when I had shorts on and something scared him so bad and he dug those talons into my thighs and used them as a lift off pad. I still have the scars from that, and it's been at least 20 years.

Bite though... I had never been bitten bad by a cat until actually a month ago! I was being stupid and not respecting a cat's behavior and I paid for it. My neighbor's cat is Buzz horrible... he's moody, pretty sure he was abused prior to them taking him in, and he is ALWAYS looking for food. You can't walk into the kitchen without him meowing and shadowing your every step looking for a hand out. Because he is so darn moody he became a challenge for me. So a few weeks ago I was over and in the kitchen; he was meowing at me for a handout, so I hand fed him a small slice of cheese, thinking all the time that we were bonding. Fast forward another hour or two; I went back into the house and he was on the kitchen counter, so I walked over to him and started to pet him. He was giving me his angry/warning meow/growl, but I didn't believe him, so I started to baby-talk to him and got my face a WEE bit too close. He clamped down on my cheek so hard... At first I was shocked - I'd never been bitten in the face before. Then I realized what happened and washed off my face really good. I had six puncture spots total, three were fairly deep. I was very lucky too - the top part of the bite was very close to my eye. Even luckier in the fact that it did not get infected.

Buzz and I are all good now... He lets me put him - occasionally - but when he warns me that enough is enough I listen to him!! And I will certainly never baby talk to him again! lol


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Im amazed I dont have more war wounds than I do! My worst one was when I was a teenager. I was carrying my boy friends siamese cat home and something startled Mieco and she grabed my face and a claw went all the way thru my lip. She kept tugging to get it out and I kept an iron grip on it so it would tare my lip till my boy friend could gentlely pull it out the way it went in. I had a scar there for the longest time! boy did that hurt!


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