We have an exceptionally intelligent kitty, Jaeci, who can be a bit of a handful to deal with…especially for folks she doesn’t know (or trust completely). She’s hyper-sensitive, rather ADHD (inattentiveness – willfulness in Jaeci’s case – combed with over-activity, impulsive reactions). She gets overstimulated quickly. Her affectionate, playful nips can easily be “not so gentle.”
Occasionally, we or our friends get bitten when petting or playing with her. Cat scratches and bites are ripe for infection as anyone who owns cats or works around cats knows VERY well.
I got bitten last winter and my friend Pam, whom Jaeci doesn’t know well, got a deeper “two fanged” bite a couple of months ago. Normally, Jaeci velvets her paws while playing (at least she does with me), but we haven’t been able to cure her of her nipping habit. I’ve certainly worked with Jaeci on it and still correct her firmly every time she forgets or acts out.
I never worry, as we prevent infections with superb first aid essential oils. If you are a cat / pet owner or work around animals, you may want to add some of these superb essential oils to YOUR first aid kit as well.
If you don’t have essential oils on hand, and would prefer a convenient option, try one of our custom-formulated antibiotic blends: StaphRx™ or Trinity™. You’ll be happy you did.
My first “go-to” essential oil for preventing infection is a 100% pure essential oil blend with Melaleuca (Tea tree), Rosemary, and Clove. It doesn’t sting even on open wounds, a real advantage when dealing little kids’ and children’s scrapes and injuries. It does smell medicinal (due to the Tea Tree oil), but it WORKS! So who cares?
My friend, Pam, was shocked and a bit traumatized by being bitten. She’s a long-time, experienced, cat fan and didn’t expect Jaeci’s reaction. Pam also has some chronic health challenges with a compromised immune system, so was fearful the bite would get badly infected. Pam washed it off immediately and applied directly pressure with a clean paper towel to stop the bleeding.
I went to get band-aids and the anti-infectious blend from my substantial essential oils stash along with a small 3ml empty bottle. Planned to fill it to give Pam to take home for am/pm applications until her wound was completely healed.
Put 2-3 drops of the Melaleuca (Tea tree), Rosemary, and Clove blend on the pad of the band-aid before applying it to Pam’s hand. This was to protect the bite from dirt and abrasion and speed healing. Filled the little bottle with more of the essential oils and sent Pam home with it.
Pam faithfully applied the anti-infectious blend, not only morning and evening, but whenever she thought of it during the day. She also called her MD to see what else should be done. Her doctor prescribed a preventative course of antibiotics ~ standard medical protocol with cat bites ~ which fortunately Pam was able to tolerate without digestive upset.
Neither Pam nor her doctor were aware the essential oils in this blend (and most therapeutic essential oils for that matter) are highly antibiotic, anti-infectious, anti-viral, and antiseptic. Pure essential oils are absorbed directly through the skin within seconds. AND in every cell of the body within 20 minutes of the initial application! So Pam was already using a “systemic antibiotic,” nature’s natural healing remedy rather than a lab manufactured pharmaceutical.
I had suggested she take photographs to document her healing process. (Don’t know if she did.) It’s easy to forget how amazing these essential oils are in helping our bodies heal, when compared to using conventional medications.
I called Pam two weeks later to see how she was healing… VERY impressed, she said the Melaleuca (Tea tree), Rosemary, and Clove blend worked like a charm without the slightest hint of infection! Plus her skin was healing within days compared to the weeks into months another injury had taken earlier in the year.
I hope to get a personal testimonial and photos from Pam at some point, which I’ll share with you.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, if you are a cat / pet owner or work around animals, you may want to add some of these healing essential oils to YOUR first aid kit as well.
RESOURCES:
Blisters ~ The Bane of Dancers, Hikers & Runners, Athletes Heal Quickly with Essential Oils
Sliced Thumb Heals Quickly With Essential Oils
YLO’s Melrose For Rose ‘Wrastling’ Scratches
15 thoughts on “Pure Essential Oils Prevent Infections from Cat Bites or Scratches”
Hi Cynthe! I am a big fan of essential oils myself, and although I read a lot about I didn’t know you can put them on open wombs (I use tea-tree oil through diffusers to help prevent viral infections). I also think using essential oils to treating different ailments is so much better than medicines. Thank you very much for the useful advice, I will spread the word!
Hi Neila ~ You CAN’T use all essential oils on open wounds or on delicate mucus membranes. So take care! In experimenting on my own injuries or ailments…Young Living brand pure therapeutic essential oils I’ve found (so far) that don’t sting are: Melrose, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Copaiba, German Chamomile. And the science of true aromatherapy started with Rene-Maurice Gattefosse’s burn accident where he plunged his whole arm into a vat of distilled Lavender essential oil!
Thank you for that information, I will use it wisely!
I just got a bottle of Melrose (first time user) for a cat bite. I decided to get it after reading this and a few other sites where people had the same great experience using it for cat bites. Did you mix the oil you used on Pam with a vegetable oil first, with water, or did you just use it straight from the bottle? On the bottle it says to dilute 1 drop of the melrose with 1 drop of olive oil. Thanks for sharing this story! -Christina
Hi Christina ~ I just used Melrose EO straight (undiluted) on my friend, Pam. And that’s always how I use it on myself, too. The Melrose will be absorbed through your skin in a few seconds, leaving no oily residue. When I have a cat bite or scratch, I apply Melrose at least am/pm and more often if it’s at all swollen.
CAUTION: Do be aware that essential oils should be kept away from cats, especially oils from the Myrtle-Clove-Melaeuca (Tea Tree) family. Treating yourself and being around your cat is not a problem. If the cat doesn’t like it, s/he’ll leave the area. Also, keep them out of reach of children since essential oils are so concentrated.
Thanks for the information. My cat accidentally scratched me today. She was really getting in to the scritchy-scratch session I was giving her, but she was sitting on my desk. Unfortunately, there were some books underneath her and she leaned too far into the scratch and fell off! Poor baby. It scared us both and you should’ve seen her acrobatics. I didn’t realize for several minutes that she had accidentally scratched me on the way down. I only noticed because it was itching. I applied some Tea Tree Oil and a Thieves oil type blend. It didn’t sting at all. I’ll keep applying it till it’s healed. Thanks again.
Julie ~ Glad you found our article. Cat scratches and bites can be troublesome, but are no problem if one uses pure essential oils promptly and consistently to speed healing and keep infections from starting. My mother-in-law, who doesn’t use essential oils suffered a terrible infection from a cat bite that I’m sure she could have avoided experiencing if she were open to using these awesome natural essences. Let us know how you do. Give your kitty ‘loves’, too.
Thank you so so much!! This worked on my daughter, then a friend. I went to visit sis. She has a rescue and 3 lil sick kitties at her house. They kept climbing up my pants leg when I sat down. 4 lil scratches, lymph node swelling on ankle and got real scared. Just kept applying as you directed. after 3 day swelling went down, 5days all healed. Then today I got bite by mosquito. theyget inflammed, pull up and itch. takes days to heal. rubbed the oil on real good. did again30 min later. pain and swelling down!!! Thank you and shared!!
Patricia ~ Apologies for my delayed response… Was very happy to read that these tips were helpful to both you, your daughter, and your friend. The oils are AMAZING!
Hi.
I got some pretty nasty puncture bites from my cat.
I soaked in Epsom with a thieves type blend.
It has been three day and somewhat still painful and swollen.
What might I try at this point?
Hi Steph ~ Just seeing your comment now. Apologies for the delay. Hope the cat bite wound healed okay w/o getting more infected.
FYI ~ I always apply anti-infectious EOs multiple times a day, especially with puncture wounds and cat bites, until the pain and any swelling subsides. Good oils to use are Tea Tree (Melaeuca) EO and Rosemary EO with a tiny touch of Clove EO (fantastic EO, must be diluted as it’s a skin irritant). Have been using this myself the last few days for a self-induced puncture wound from gardening a few days ago. It’s working great!
I’m curious if the essential oil you mentioned which is very effective for animal bites espy cats and dogs. Can you give me the exact name and address of this oil? Thanks so much
Hi Marchielee ~ Looking at your email address…Are you in the Philippines? What is your nearest big city? There may be stores taht carry essential oils near you. The ‘Melrose’ blend is created by Young Living Essential Oils and they have distribution out of Singapore. If you let me know where you are, I may be able to make other suggestions.
Dear Cynthe,
I am very pleased to find this article, after getting a long back-claw, three-toe scratch! I put the tea tree, rosemary, and clove oil on drop by drop in that order directly on the wound. An added benefit is my room smells so lovely. I happened to just finish using lavender, frankincense and myrrh in a coconut oil base on my face and neck so I’m multi-EO’d now!!
Hi Jennifer ~ Glad you found the article, too. That’s why we write them!! Yeah, cat bites need immediate attention to prevent infection. Essential oils are great for just that. I got a nasty bite with a puncture wound from my ‘reactive’ kitty in early February. Got the infection cleared up within two weeks, but was left with a nasty scar lump. Kept using the EOs consistently every day. As a result have totally prevented any permanent scarring or signs of the injury! Took about two months time.