The risk varies with wound depth, how quickly it is cleaned, the cat’s bacterial load, immune status, and comorbidities. Not every scratch becomes infected, but poor wound hygiene increases risk. Also, a local wound infection is not the same as cat scratch disease: local infection tends to appear within days, while typical lymph node swelling of cat scratch disease often appears 1–3 weeks later. The most reliable way to reduce risk is prompt, thorough wound care.