Moira Brady was trying to break up a cat fight on the trampoline in her garden when one of the felines scratched her arm. She nearly lost her limb — and her life.

The 45-year-old mother of two initially thought nothing of the scratch, which punctured her skin. Days later, however, her hand began swelling up, and one of her fingers turned blue, the Daily Mail reports.

The Glasgow, Scotland, resident was infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can be lethal.

She spent a month in the hospital, required two skin grafts, a blood transfusion and lost a finger to the infection. She’ll need more surgery in the future and says her day-to-day existence has been permanently devastated.

“It’s ruined my life,” she says. “I can’t do everyday things now like taking food out of the oven.”

Doctors, though, tell Brady she’s “very lucky” to have not lost her full hand, and to have survived at all. Had the mom waited much longer to get help, her kidneys would likely have shut down and she could have succumbed to toxic shock syndrome.

But most people scratched by cats need not worry, Dr. Emilia Crighton tells the Mail. However, if the kitty breaks the skin, it’s advisable to seek medical attention, as infection is far more likely.

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