Cat nails

With this article we want to give you some reasons why you cat He needs nails and they are part of his daily life, in addition to giving you some alternatives that will make you enjoy your pet and make it feel happy by your side.

Declawing = amputate

Some people, and luckily less and less, believe that a good way to eradicate the problem of the nails, is the elimination of these through a surgical operation called onychectomy or also declawing. In most of the world it is not declawed. In practically all countries where cats are pets, declawing them is illegal or prohibited as it is considered mutilation. However, it is still prevalent in the United States and Canada.

The term declawing is too benign for what it really implies. This surgery is complicated since it consists of amputating the last phalanx of the cat's finger, the place where the base of the retractile tendon and the root of the nail are located. In this way the nail is permanently eliminated and although we have solved the nail problem, we have caused other problems for our cat, which is left unprotected from its main weapon and tool. Sometimes malformations and even lameness occur as a result of incorrect amputation of the phalanx, in these cases the nail continues to grow irregularly, giving rise to these problems.

Essential tools for the cat!

Nails are the most important tools that cats have, they are essential in their day to day. As the day begins, she digs her nails into the scraper and pulls hard to stimulate and tone her upper body. While playing, his nails catch the toys flying through the air and hold them. When running or climbing, their claws provide an extra grip that the cat is already used to.

A cat uses its nails to scratch when it bites, manipulate its toy mice, cling to follow a narrow path, hold on to a chair with stability while grooming and also uses them to dig and meet their needs, let's not forget that they are pretty clean. Nails are even used to express themselves.

In some cases, the claws act as a lifeline, allowing a cat to climb to safety or defend itself from an attacker. All this, and much more, is lost when a cat is declawed.

A healthy exercise for the cat

The act of scratching is innate in the cat, it belongs to its nature. Thanks to the stretching exercises that the animal performs when it stretches on its scraper, it tones the muscles of the upper area such as the shoulders and back, the stretches keep it totally in shape, avoiding to a certain extent that our pet loses its flexibility and agility of movements.

A declawed cat loses much of its activity. Being deprived of its tool, the animal feels surprised, it may even isolate itself, seeking a defense attitude.

The act of scratching a surface is also a relaxant for them, many times they run from one side to the other as if without sense and suddenly stop in front of the scraper and there they stretch by pulling the mast with force, thus leaving their stress aside and coming back. charging again.

Cats use scratches as visual marks, it is a way of recognizing the areas of their territory, not only for them but also for other cats that may be around.

Alternatives to declawing

Education and scratchers

We can opt for a somewhat smarter and more practical solution for our pet. Treat behavior problems since they are puppies, teach them where they can scratch whenever they want (put vertical and horizontal scratchers, game towers, etc ...) and when they use it, reward them so that they associate the gesture with something pleasant for them, such as: give them some pellets of feed, offer them an exclusive area for their games and of course take into account that cats neutered at the right time, which is between 7 and 9 months of age at most, are less likely to irretrievably mark where want and feel the need to leave home for the time of heat.

Pheromones

When the cat feels safe in its environment, it rubs its head, leaving the surfaces impregnated with a substance called facial pheromone, which allows it to identify that environment as familiar, well-being and calm. There is a product called feliway which simulates the smell of the cat's facial pheromones in a way that helps stabilize the animal's behavior and reduces marking.

Artificial nails

There are false nails for cats, this is a very practical solution. They are small plastic covers that are fixed to the cat's claw with glue, the owner can put them on and there are also several sizes to adapt them better. There is only one small inconvenience that they have to be changed periodically due to the growth of the nail, although the cover itself peels off when the nail grows

Repellents

If the cat tends to scratch in specific areas, we can use repellants specially designed for pets, which will help us to dissuade them without being harmful to their health.

Nail cutting

You can make a periodic cut of the tip of the cat's nails taking care not to cut the vein that is inside the nail. If we do not realize it and cut the vein, there are products to stop bleeding such as styptic powder. Cats easily get used to having their nails cut if we do it from a young age, although if our cat does not allow his nails to be cut, we can go to the vet.

We will have to do this process every time the cat needs it, which is usually every one or two weeks.

These measures will increase the quality of life of our pet and of course we will save ourselves in problems with the health of the cat.

CVP