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Home › Articles › Pets › Cat Scratch Disease: Is Your Child At Risk?

Cat Scratch Disease: Is Your Child At Risk?

By Roxanne Willems Snopek

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But what if you already have a cat? If you are concerned about the possibility of CSD, or if you or someone in your home is immune-compromised, talk with your doctor and your cat's veterinarian. You might consider buying peace-of-mind by requesting blood cultures and serology for Bartonella antibodies in your cat. Although these tests are not widely available, your veterinarian can send the samples to a laboratory that performs this service. Antibiotics are an option for cats with positive results, though this is not a guaranteed treatment, and repeated blood tests are necessary over several weeks in order to determine success. A negative test result indicates that the cat is not a carrier of Bartonella, and will not be able to transmit CSD to his owner.

For those of us who already have and love our cats, the best way to prevent Cat Scratch Disease in our children is common sense and good education.

  • Teach your children to thoroughly wash all bites and scratches as soon as they occur, and never allow cats to lick the open wounds (ouch!).
  • Show children how to play gently with their pets, using toys for wrestling, instead of hands. Accustom your kitten to gentle handling and reward her with treats of catnip or special toys when she plays nicely.
  • Keep your cat indoors and don't allow contact with strange cats.
  • Train him to accept regular nail trims right from the start.
  • Most importantly, ask your veterinarian to recommend the best flea control products available to maintain a flea-free home.

    Proper hygiene, parasite control and behavior modification are part of responsible pet care for every pet owner, especially parents who want to raise conscientious pet-loving children. Cat Scratch Disease is still considered uncommon. Most people -- cat owners and otherwise -- will never develop illness caused by Bartonella; healthy pet owners have no need for special precautions when interacting with their feline friends. So use good sense and don't be afraid to let your children love pets. It's worth it!

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