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Cats/Occasional growths on pad of foot/under claw

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Expert: - 5/3/2009


Question
Ali, I am currently owned by two still-armed-with-claws cats who are both spoiled rotten sweethearts. I do groom them often, and I scoop their litterbox at least once a day, sometimes twice if it gets a little smelly.  I normally use clay litter, though I mix it 50/50 with a pine litter or other organic non-clay  litter simply because I want to reduce the amount of clay my 'girls' get in their fur and ingest. My older cat (7 yrs) keeps getting odd growths on the front (claw) edge of some of her foot pads (below the claws but on the pads themselves), usually on the front paws but once or twice on the back. They're hard and whitish/grey, and sometimes parts crumble off or can be trimmed off with care. She doesn't have them on all pads, and they seem to come and go.  What are these, and what can I do to prevent them from forming/take care of them if they do form? She's pretty touchy about claw trimming, and these seem to bother her a bit, making trimming a little harder. Could these be related to the type of litter or something?

Answer
Brenda,

My youngest cat has similar growths on her toes and my vet told me that they don't really know what causes them, but that they generally aren't anything to worry about. I would suggest that you have the growths looked at by your own family vet just to confirm that, after all, you wouldn't want to miss any malignant type growths, but I really don't think you've got much to worry about.

As for making trimming her claws a bit easier you could try having someone else hold her in their lap and keep her firmly in place while you trim her nails. If you do want to have someone else hold her then you obviously want it to be someone she knows and is completely comfortable with. Bribery is another tool to modify behavior that goes over well in my house, a tablespoon or so of cooked fish is what I use to reward good nail trimming behavior and it seems to work. If your cat is a heavy sleeper you can also trim her nails the way that I trim young kittens' nails - wait til she's asleep and gently get the nails trimmed even if it has to be one paw or a few claws at a time.

As far as I'm aware these little growths that some cats get on their toes isn't connected to specific types of litter, at least as far as I know, however like many findings that could change at some point.

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Ali

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I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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