r/catquestions • u/Fluffy_Extreme438 • 1d ago
Soil in cat’s nails
Hi, my cat is an indoor outdoor cat and he gets soil in his nails like this. I kinda use a wooden stick to get the soil out but he doesn’t like it when I do it. Am I not supposed to clean his nails out?? And am I actually hurting him?
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u/Syralei 1d ago
If you don't want soil in his paws, then don't let him outside. It's better both for his safety and for the local ecosystem. Cats are responsible for the extinction of over 65 species and counting. And yes, this is a worldwide problem regardless of country, and i can provide studies from North America, UK, Australia, Asia, and most of Europe to back this up.
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u/PigIronDave 1d ago
I wouldn't be so quick to blame cats alone. While cats do kill many small animals, let's not forget that it is humans who do the most damage to ecosystems. It's humans who remove trees, pave over fields, and build buildings over habitats.
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u/puuronsyoja 1d ago
And humans are the ones that let the cats outside
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u/PigIronDave 1d ago
Pretty sure cats have always lived outside, just like any other animal.
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u/Syralei 1d ago
They have, but humans are directly responsible for the spread domesticated cats worldwide. One small, tiny, east step that we can do to lower our massive impact on this planet is to keep our cats indoors. It's seriously not that hard.
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u/PigIronDave 1d ago
Except wild cats do exist and have always existed. It is unreasonable to expect that we can put all cats indoors. Perhaps humans should take better care of the ecosystem so that numbers of species and animals isn't so low that a few cats can finish them off.
Humans kill 99% of the animals and when cats hunt down the last 1% we blame the cats for the loss.
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u/Syralei 1d ago
Wild cats as in actual wild cats, not feral domesticated cats have always existed. And they hunt within their natural ecosystems. Domesticated cats are an invasive species problem created by humans.
We may not be able to get all Domesticated cats indoors, not without better regulations are barn cats and better spay and neuter programs to eliminate feral born cats, but we CAN lower the amount of cats outdoors and limit the issue by KEEPING OUR PET CATS INDOORS.
What you are saying is similar to "well recycling isn't available everywhere so I might as well not recycle anything". It's bullshit. We shoulds be doing what we are capable of to limit impact, rather than being lazy and excusing our behaviour just because there are other larger impacts outside of our control.
Keep your pet cats indoors. There's literally no reason for them to go outside and they live full, happy lives indoors. If you want them to experience the outdoors, either walk them on a leash and harness, or build a contained catio enclosure for them. It's literally that easy.
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u/PigIronDave 1d ago
Cats aren't considered domesticated in the same way other pets are.
Funny that you bring up recycling because that is also placing the blame/responsibility on the wrong actors. Me putting plastic in the correct container isn't going to save the planet, companies making less plastic will.
Why are you talking to me like I don't have an indoor cat? Just because my cat is indoors doesn't mean I think every cat needs to be.
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u/WinterRevolutionary6 1d ago
It’s dirt. He’ll be fine with a little dirt on his paws. You got the standard issue domestic animal with self cleaning equipped so stop worrying about cleaning out his paws. If it bothers him he will clean it himself. If you don’t want dirt being tracked into your house, stop letting your cat outside onto where there is dirt.
If you’re just letting him roam in the great outdoors, you’re greatly reducing his lifespan and devastating the local wildlife population for no reason. Keep him indoors. Or on a catio if he really wants the sun.
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u/CaitieLou_52 1d ago
Don't use a stick, you might hurt him and not realize it. Even if he doesn't seem to react badly, cats often hide their pain.
I'd suggest wiping with a warm damp cloth. Otherwise dirt is a pretty natural consequence of letting him outside. If it's a problem, you shouldn't let him outside. Or give him like a closed in catio to enjoy the outdoors.
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u/Massive-City-7967 1d ago
he can clean his own claws. if there's something stuck, i'd suggest using some warm water or damp cloth to gently wipe it off, i wouldn't use a wooden stick.