![cat claw cat claw](https://cat-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/cat-claw-disorders-4.jpg)
What that means is that when a cat is declawed, it’s not just a super-mega nail trim. Unlike our fingernails, which are only connected to flesh, a cat’s claws are connected directly to the bone. You might have noticed in the illustrations above that it looks like a cat’s claw grows right out of his distal phalanx. Your cat’s claws grow right out of his phalanges
![cat claw cat claw](https://s36537.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/600px-kitten-licking-paw.jpg)
When you see pieces of your cat’s claws on the floor or embedded in his scratching post, it just means that the outside layer of his claw has grown beyond the blood supply and therefore falls off when he scratches - revealing a nice, sharp new talon underneath! Cats generally shed each claw once every few months. Don’t panic if you see claw sheaths on the ground The quick contains blood vessels and nerves, which you probably know all too well if you’ve clipped your cat’s nails too short.ĥ. Claw tissue grows in layers, thanks to the quick, the living tissue at the core of the claw. Like all fingernails and hooves, cats’ claws are made of a protein called keratin. Your cat’s claws are made of the same stuff as hair and fingernails
![cat claw cat claw](https://vetstreet-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com/63/900e00040c11e28ae7005056ad4734/file/cat-claw-flickr-335sm092112.jpg)
When the digital flexor is relaxed, the claw is tucked in, and when it’s tensed, the claw is extended. The digital flexor tendon and the superficial flexor tendon (sometimes called the extensor tendon) are also crucial to your cat’s ability to extend and retract his claws. The elastic ligament, pictured in red in the image above, pulls the distal phalanx close to the middle phalanx in order to keep the claws from touching the ground. Ligaments connect from bone to bone, while tendons connect bone to muscle. Ligaments and tendons are made of the same stuff, but they serve different purposes. Tendons and ligaments control whether his claws are in or out The phalanges (singular: phalanx) are equivalent to your fingers, and the metacarpal bone is the same bone that goes from your knuckle to the heel of your hand.ģ. This very simplified drawing shows how your cat’s claw is connected to his toes and the rest of his leg. Your cat’s foot bones are very much like ours In this photo, I’ve tried to approximate how a cat’s weight is distributed.Ģ. A cat scratcher lounge is also a perfect alternative as it provides your kitty with a comfortable place to rest and scratch.Ī cat’s claws are an essential part of her body.Cats are digitigrade walkers, which means that instead of walking on their heels and the balls of their feet like we humans do, they walk on tiptoe.You can get your cat a scratching post and work to encourage your kitty to use the tool for scratching instead of your costly furniture.It may cost you a few dollars to get any of these tools, but trust me, you and your cat will greatly benefit from it: Other serious problems associated with declawing are: Bleeding, Infection, Bone protrusion into the pad of the paw, Lameness, Behavioral problems as litter box lapses and biting.Īnd by the way, there are better alternatives to declawing you should consider. Cats that are declawed will have a hard time balancing normally and walking properly. When cats walk, they do so on the tip of their toes/claws.
![cat claw cat claw](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/u-MEGRYe_TE/maxresdefault.jpg)
The foot bone of a cat – its phalanges and metacarpal bone are equivalent to the bones in the hands of humans.ĭeclawing your cat will have a terrible effect on the feline as she’s a digitigrade. The movement of the claws of a cat extending and retracting is quite similar to when humans stretch out or fold their fingers.
CAT CLAW FULL
If and when a cat chooses to use her claws, she pulls a tendon which immediately extends her claws to full length.