- Joined
- Aug 9, 2009
- Messages
- 148
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First a small introduction, this is Storm...
When I first found TCS in late summer (about 16 weeks)...
This is Storm now (about 9 months)....
She has LOTS of toes...
She is a wonderful, happy, bouncy, flouncy kitten in every way, except she has 8 extra toes/claws.
Three on each front paw and 1 'dewclaw' on each hind foot. Mostly this causes no problems because each paw consists fully functioning individual toes, except for the paw that she is grabbing me with above. This paw only has 2 'toes' with a 3rd claw wedged in between. She wears Soft Paws on all her nails except that one due to logistical reasons so I can keep it trimmed fairly frequently (much more often than her other claws).
Anyhow, she also can not extend (and it takes quite a bit of work on my part to get it extended enough and in a position that I can trim it) that claw so it gets 'gunked' up as well which I gladly clean out each time I trim it. However, since she can not extend it and it does not catch on things when she sharpens her paws it is not shedding properly and it is starting to grow funny. It has become very thick and the more I trim it the more it seems to be curling in on itself, thus into her paw. I know this can not be comfortable and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Upon doing some more research it looks like this is one of the few 'problems' with having a polydactyl cat. She is due for her spay surgery soon and (while I am 100% against de-clawing I am wondering if this will become a worsening problem and cause issues through out her life) I am wondering if it would be advantageous to have that ONE claw removed if possible. It's quite hard to explain, perhaps tomorrow with DH's help I can get a better photograph of it.
When I first found TCS in late summer (about 16 weeks)...
This is Storm now (about 9 months)....
She has LOTS of toes...
She is a wonderful, happy, bouncy, flouncy kitten in every way, except she has 8 extra toes/claws.
Anyhow, she also can not extend (and it takes quite a bit of work on my part to get it extended enough and in a position that I can trim it) that claw so it gets 'gunked' up as well which I gladly clean out each time I trim it. However, since she can not extend it and it does not catch on things when she sharpens her paws it is not shedding properly and it is starting to grow funny. It has become very thick and the more I trim it the more it seems to be curling in on itself, thus into her paw. I know this can not be comfortable and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Upon doing some more research it looks like this is one of the few 'problems' with having a polydactyl cat. She is due for her spay surgery soon and (while I am 100% against de-clawing I am wondering if this will become a worsening problem and cause issues through out her life) I am wondering if it would be advantageous to have that ONE claw removed if possible. It's quite hard to explain, perhaps tomorrow with DH's help I can get a better photograph of it.