Cats are extremely independent animals and also take care of their own personal hygiene on a daily basis. Cleaning a cat’s paws does not seem to be a necessary practice and is often underestimated. However, there are cases in which your feline is unable to take care of their own hygiene.

Cats do not like to be washed, in fact it is a situation that causes them a lot of stress and agitation. However, it is important to examine and clean your cat’s paws frequently to ensure that they are healthy and free of wounds. 

When to clean the cat’s paws

Checking your feline’s paws is always a good rule to adopt to ensure comfort and health. When your cat soils itself outside with mud or soil, it is very likely that he or she will not be able to remove all the debris under their paws by themself. The pet parent must check and act to ensure hygiene and cleanliness.

There are other cases, however, when the cats step on the litter tray directly on their own business. It is good to sanitize them, as a matter of cleanliness for the animal, but also for the house in which we live together, preventing from soiling sofas, carpets, beds and so on. 

How to clean a cat’s paws

The best method for cleaning your cat’s paws is to use a lukewarm damp cloth or hygienic wipes, not overly perfumed to avoid allergies in your feline. When cleaning, it is essential to be very careful and gentle to avoid hurting the animal or frightening them. Choose a cosy, familiar place for your cat, cuddle him or her and gently remove dirt from its paws. 

Ferplast’s Genico Fresh Glove is a great product for caring for your cat’s paws. It is a humidified disposable cleaning glove for animals. It is soaked in a non-foaming cleanser and scented with green tea and chamomile. The Genico Fresh glove does not require rinsing, does not change pH and has an inner film to keep the hand dry while in use. 

Absence of cleanliness: the risks

Failure to groom a cat’s paws can cause pain and discomfort to the animal. Not only that, some unhealthy and toxic substances may lodge between the fingertips and nails and end up on your cat’s tongue during grooming. 

Furthermore, as cat tend to be adventurous, the paws may have cuts, abrasions or small wounds that need to be treated, as well as splinters and debris that should be removed to prevent infection. 

It is also very important to clean the cat’s paws to protect the hygiene of the whole family. Cat’s faeces can hide a contagious disease, toxoplasmosis, which can cause flu-like symptoms or problems during pregnancy in humans. Although the possibility of contagion is remote, it is always good to prevent. 

So, easy but careful cat paw cleaning will ensure the well-being and health of your pet and at the same time hygiene and cleanliness of the domestic space.