A Perth woman has spent three days in hospital after being attacked by a stray cat while walking near her home, prompting a warning about the very high risk of infection posed by the animals.

Key points: Melanie Breese was bitten on the arm and the wound quickly became infected

Melanie Breese was bitten on the arm and the wound quickly became infected Doctors say cat bites can lead to amputation, even death, if not treated

Doctors say cat bites can lead to amputation, even death, if not treated The City of Fremantle is now trying to track down the rogue cat

Melanie Breese suffered scratches and puncture wounds to her hand and wrist after leaning down to pat the cat.

"It looked a lot like my own cat and I just decided I'd like to give it a little pat on the head," Mrs Breese said.

"It gave me no warning, no hissing or any indication of what it was going to do.

"But the next thing I knew I was recoiling back, and the cat's claws were still in my hand and in my wrist.

"I'm extremely fond of cats. I've had cats all my life and they've always been very docile and affectionate, so I was very ill-prepared for this particular beast."

Melanie Breese approached the cat because it looked like her own pet Coco. ( ABC News: Charlotte Hamlyn )

Bleeding heavily from her arm, Mrs Breese returned home and contacted her GP who advised her to go straight to hospital to have the wound assessed.

Over the coming hours, it became inflamed and sore, preventing her from using her hand.

She is waiting to hear whether she will require surgery to have the wound properly cleaned.

Wounds that can breed a lethal infection

Emergency medicine specialist Alan Gault said 28 people had presented at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital with cat-inflicted injuries this year, and infection rates were high.

Ms Breese spent three days in hospital after the attack and could still need surgery. ( Supplied )

"Most people think cats are very clean animals and often, when they get attacked by a cat, the injury itself looks fairly trivial and innocuous, so often they don't seek medical help or don't clean the wound appropriately," he said.

"But because cats have got very long, needle-like sharp teeth, they are very good at inoculating bacteria from their mouths deep into the tissues.

"Upwards of 80 per cent of cat bites will become infected."

If left untreated, Dr Gault said the consequences of an infected cat bite could ultimately be fatal.

"If the wound becomes so badly infected, there could be the potential for amputation," he said.

"If it's completely untreated the body would develop overwhelming sepsis, and the likely outcome, if that continues to go untreated, would be death."

Hunt on for rogue port cat

Mrs Breese reported the incident to rangers at the City of Fremantle, which will now attempt to track down the offending feline.

Melanie Breese says she's learnt her lesson and will never approach a cat on the street again. ( ABC News: Charlotte Hamlyn )

"In circumstances like this, the city's community safety team would deploy a cat trap in the area for a few days," a City of Fremantle spokesperson said.

"If the cat is captured it would be transported to the Cat Haven to be impounded.

"We advise all residents to avoid cats that are not wearing a collar, as there's a strong possibility the cat is feral."

Mrs Breese backed up the statement with her own warning.

"There's a lot more publicity about a badly behaved or ill-trained dog and the potential damage they can do, but we never hear about a cat," she said.

"I will never approach a cat on the street again. I've learnt my lesson."