An abscess is a pus-filled, swollen spot on the skin that sometimes forms ... hair around the bump to keep the wound clean. If the abscess is deep, the cat may need surgery.

You usually get this disease when an infected cat licks an open wound on your skin or bites or scratches you. Kids and teens are more likely to be infected than healthy adults, but adults with ...

And when you’re bitten by a cat, the pin-size wound tends to seal up quickly, trapping the bacteria and making the tissue beneath the skin a “fertile” ground for infection, Gaillard said.