Cats are one of the susceptible hosts of rabies virus. Stray cats have a high chance of being infected with the virus. Their saliva also contains a large amount of the virus, and their paws are often infected with the virus. Therefore, if you are scratched and bleeding by a stray cat, you are very susceptible to rabies virus and must be vaccinated against rabies. Stray cats are more likely to be infected if they are not vaccinated.

What to do if you are scratched by a stray cat:

1. Clean the affected area. In daily life, if you are scratched by a stray cat, you should disinfect the wound immediately and wash the wound with soap and water for more than 20 minutes.

2. Apply medicine. After the skin is kept dry, medical iodophor can be used for disinfection. After disinfecting 2-3 times, do not bandage the wound and allow it to be fully exposed.

3. Inject vaccines. Rush to the nearest CDC or community hospital as soon as possible to inject rabies vaccine, preferably within 24 hours but not more than 48 hours, to produce antibodies to neutralize the virus as early as possible and avoid the occurrence of rabies.

4. In addition, if there is bleeding from the wound, it belongs to level three rabies exposure. The congestion at the wound must be squeezed out to avoid more skin infections. After squeezing out the congestion, infiltrate and inject rabies passive immune preparations, such as anti-rabies serum or rabies immune globulin, around the wound.