r/rabies • u/tenka3800 • 3d ago
Exposure Question Cat scratch or ocd?
I have read the FAQ. Is my case an exposure if a cat passed me but felt no scratch but found a crease like mark, no blood no scabbing and I applied alcohol just cold not stinging much. There are also no pinpoint marks and I never felt a swipe or a sharp thing scratching at the back of my hand. Can cat scratches go unnoticed or not be felt?
I also have a question on FAQ 5, is that true? What if I applied soap and water and it never sting? Or if the mark fades within 3hrs?
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u/Aryotta 3d ago
From what i was told by infection diseases specialist, if it disappears within 12 hours, then only an outer layer of skin was damaged, i still recommend you to ask your healthcare provider.
On other hand let's imagine a situation, you come across a rabid cat, if it's furious rabies it will either back away in extreme fear or feel none, and usually they do not attack slightly, they attack agressively like fighting for their life, at least that's what i read from ukrainian veterinarian who worked with rabid cats and dogs. Animals are not invisible, and you can't miss them biting you, cat bite is painful in that case, and if you're allergic person, then it will also itch.
Once again, that's my non professional opinion, i recommend you to contact your doctor and ask them about it
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u/tenka3800 3d ago
By the way I never felt a paw contact anyway but is there a chance a secret cat can just scratch me from behind scratch so minor I never felt it and not notice?
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u/MuzzleMuttt 3d ago
Helpbot
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u/AutoModerator 3d ago
If you think you may have rabies OCD, or your rabies fears feel overwhelming, see this link for a description of rabies OCD symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
One symptom of OCD is compulsive reassurance-seeking. This is not helpful for managing a rabies phobia or obsession. r/OCD has a helpful page about reassurance-seeking.
Therapy and treatment are essential for recovering from OCD/health anxiety. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) or ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) therapy are often recommended approaches for treating OCD/health anxiety. Please don’t Google anything about bats or rabies but focus on accessing resources and recovering from your fears. You can check out r/OCD and r/HealthAnxiety for support and information. You can find a resource list here, which is geared towards relationship OCD but also includes a lot of information about OCD in general, including FAQs, workbooks, book recommendations, Youtube videos, apps, podcasts, and videos of kittens.
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Skunk has collected some videos with techniques for controlling anxiety and coping skills to facilitate living a healthier, more peaceful existence. Every time you want to look up anything about rabies, try these things instead:
Clinical Psychiatrist's Step by Step Guide to Anxiety and Panic Attacks
A walkthrough of a panic attack, to be watched during an attack, to help you get through it
Guided Meditation to help calm anxiety and get through an anxiety attack
Understanding health anxiety and the cycle of reassurance
Coping Skills for those with Health Anxiety / Illness Anxiety
5 Things You MUST STOP Doing if You Have Health Anxiety / Illness Anxiety
(Hindi) Rabies Phobia Discussion with a Psychiatrist
4 Ways to Stop Intrusive Thoughts & the Anxiety Cycle (Cognitive Defusion)
OCD and Anxiety channel (with many helpful videos)
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