Claws are vital for your cat’s daily activities and overall physical and psychological well-being. Photo: 123rf.com
Cats use their claws for grooming, climbing, defence, and also for balance. Cats can extend and retract their claws as needed, so when they walk and jump, their claws help them maintain their stability.
This is one of the reasons why declawing cats is illegal in many countries. In human terms, it is removing the tips of your fingers. It’s cruel and mutilates pets.
So when dealing with your pet, do be careful. You’re dealing with a delicate and important part of the cat body.
Not every cat needs their claws policed by their humans. Cats who go out for walks, for example, usually have shorter claws because road and other rough surfaces act like a natural nail file. Other cats, like Tic Tac, maintain their own claws.
The time to intervene is if the kitty has a persistent problem getting stuck – on the rug, the sofa, curtains, throws and so on.
If this happens, examine your pet’s paws. Sometimes there will be a single problem claw, one that has a rough edge or that has split.
Should this be the issue, a gentle filing with an emery board will fix it.
But if your pets have several claws that are clearly too long, and they can’t take care of it, talk to your vet about snipping off the ends. It should be a tiny bit only, not just because of the quick but also because your pet needs to be able to scratch and climb.
When dealing with claws, always be conservative. Claws aren’t there for show; they’re vital for your pet’s daily activities and overall physical and psychological well-being.
