Social media has made stars of many pets and provides a great way to showcase and celebrate our furry friends. Unfortunately, the need to garner attention and the trend for designer pets has led to some very unfortunate practices becoming ever more common. One of these is the application of claw covers.
Painted Claw Covers
Cat and dog owners are giving their pets manicures which involve gluing fake nail-style claw covers to their nails. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is now calling on owners to stop giving their pets these manicures. But they have gained great popularity on social media and are .
Painful Accessories
The claw covers can leave animals in enormous pain because they are no longer able to retract or extend their claws. Recently a five-year-old tabby cat was taken to Battersea sporting red claw covers. The poor cat had to be placed under general anaesthetic to enable vets to remove the offending covers.
The cat, who was called Christina, was the first animal to arrive at the rescue centre with claw covers but the charity is well aware of the trend for these unpleasant accessories. Staff were unable to ascertain how long poor Christina had been forced to endure the false nails.
Freely Available
The false nails are painful and also prevent animals from exhibiting their natural behaviour. Sadly, it is easy to buy the plastic claw covers online. Many smaller animals are being turned into fashion accessories or a means to gain attention on social media when they should be pets which are treasured for their natural beauty and charm.
Cats Need Their Claws
Most cats have five claws on each of their front paws and four or five claws on their rear paws. These are used for scratching, hunting, self-defence, climbing, playing and grooming. It has been suggested that some pet owners are applying the claw covers to prevent their animals from scratching the furniture. The provision of a scratching post and some training would be a much better idea for all concerned!
Happy Ending
It really is rather sad that animals are being treated in this way. But there is a little good news, at least for Christina the tabby. Her claw covers were successfully removed by Battersea's vets and she then found a new home with a loving family.
Don't be tempted to inflict unnecessary accessories on your pet. Surely it is far better to revel in their unique personalities and natural charm. These are the qualities which make every pet special and which should be celebrated on social media. No pet should be forced to endure false or painted nails.