It may take 3 to 10 days for the sore to appear after the bite or scratch. The sore may take a long time to heal. For example, if the infection is from a cat scratch on your arm, the glands in your armpit may become tender and swollen. The lymph nodes may swell to an inch or more in size. Cat-scratch disease can occur in other parts of the body.
Some people get the infection on an eyelid or underneath an eyelid.
Other people get a rash over their entire body. Still other people get an infection of the liver or spleen or an infection of the bones or the joints. If you remember that you were bitten or scratched by a cat, your doctor will probably be able to diagnose the illness based on the fact that you were bitten or scratched and then got painful, swollen lymph nodes. When the diagnosis is not clear, a blood test may help your doctor make the diagnosis. In most people, cat-scratch disease clears up without treatment.