The Complete Cat: The All-Important Claws

A cat's claws are essential to his very survival in the wild and, even for the indoor house cat, are not optional parts.

Cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Cheetahs are the only cats that do not have retractable claws; consequently their claws wear down from running across hard plains. However, they do have a very sharp dewclaw, and sometimes use that instrument to snag the shoulder of a slower prey, then pull backwards with those strong forearms we visited on the last page.

Your cat's claws are retractable, and, in or out, they are an integral part of the strong toes they are attached to. So integral, in fact, that the only way to declaw a cat is to amputate the first joint of those toes.

Cats' claws serve many functions:

• Nursing kittens knead their mother's teats with their claws to stimulate the flow of milk.
• A happy cat will also "knead" with his claws. (We cat lovers call this "making bread," "happy feet," or "making biscuits.") This is a throwback from kittenhood, so if you find yourself the recipient of this kneading, consider yourself blessed, because your cat looks to you as him surrogate MomCat.
• Claws are a cat's first line of defense. Teeth are the second line, which is why some declawed cats will become biters. From an early age, kittens practice "play-fighting," as they hone their defensive skills.
• Claws play an integral role in catching and killing prey.
• Claws play a role in the strengthening of the shoulders and forelimbs, as explained in the previous section.

Cats "sharpen" their claws regularly, by clawing vertical or horizontal surfaces. Actually, the cat is not sharpening the claws, but dislodging a thin sheath that grows over them, much like a snake sheds its skin. You will occasionally find these little sheaths near the area when a cat has been scratching.

Strangely enough an individual cat may have a distinct preference of either vertical or horizontal. Cats can readily be trained to use scratching posts rather than furniture. Sometimes a little catnip rubbed on the surface of the post is all it takes. Incidentally, jute seems to be favored over carpeting as a scratching surface.

Trimming cats' claws will help prevent pain and bleeding when a cat scratches you during play.

Observe the awesome display of claws sported by Minja, and the way her toes are spread out to produce the broadest area of weapon as she "kills" the feather toy. Awesome, huh?