Diagnosis of Cat Scratch Fever is not so simple; many children have typical symptoms and will not need other tests.

For Diagnosing Cat Scratch Fever mostly Physician depends upon exposure to cat, typical clinical sign appearance, failure to find another cause, negative skin tests, blood test, tuberculosis tests, X-rays and examination of tissues, such as biopsy of a swollen lymph node.

Tuberculosis, brucellosis, lymphoma and some other diseases can have similar symptoms as of Cat Scratch Fever.

Physician usually diagnosis cat scratch fever based on the pattern of symptoms, especially if the parent or child remembers the kitten scratch. Unfortunately, since symptoms may not develop until a few weeks later, children don't always remember or associate the cat scratch with their current symptoms. Blood tests to check Bartonella henselae titters, the bacteria that cause cat scratch fever, can also be done.

While most patients with CSD have a history of a cat scratch or bite, not all do. Some patients have had no contact with cats at all. This makes the exact modes of transmission unclear. It is likely that CSD can also be contracted from environmental sources of the bacteria or from other animals. For this reason, the term “bartonellosis” is a better way to describe the variety of illnesses that are caused by B. henselae.

In nutshell usually the diagnosis is based on :

• History of being exposed to cats or kittens.
• A physical examination for signs of a cat scratch and swollen lymph node.
• Negative skin tests, blood tests and cultures to rule out other conditions with swollen lymph node as a symptom.