Paw Treatments for Cats

Our cat likes to go out for an hour or two each evening and on his return we
usually clean his paws to remove anything he might have picked up. We are
told we should also use a paw treatment. An ointment has been suggested
and we’ve seen other products in pet stores. Are paw treatments beneficial and what would a good one contain?


Cats have excellent strategies for removing foreign materials such as mud and burrs from their paws and hair coat when they return from their outdoor adventures. The cat tongue has unique barbs that will effectively groom each hair, in combination with a healthy coating of saliva. Cats spend many hours each day perfecting the condition of their hair coats, and in healthy cats a glossy, soft coat is the result!

Cats are quite fastidious and will apply the same meticulous effort to remove any ointment or cream that we may choose to apply because they probably figure it is just another foreign material to be cleaned away. For this reason, ointments and creams do not generally last very long! If a topical medication has been prescribed, a restraining collar or bandage is often applied to the area to keep "kitty" from cleaning it away pronto. So, unless there is a medical need, protective topical therapy in cats is generally reserved for situations where a significant injury or infection requires such treatment.