Mud stuck between paw pads

[VanessaVC]

Hi
I have a 7 month old big boy cat who is newly introduced to the big wide world and loves it! He loves digging in the garden, climbing trees, all the usual stuff. However he has now got loads of mud congealed and stuck between his paw pads. It obviously bothers him as he's always chewing and biting at it, and it bothers me as he's leaving muddy little paw prints everywhere!! Is there anything I can do to get the mud out?

[fjm]

Soak it off if it is wet, or wait for it to dry and crumble away. He will probably not want to put his feet in a bowl of warm water but might let you hold a warm damp cloth against his paws. I have put door mat material on the steps down from the cat flap which helps to remove some mud and muck - a dirt trapper runner or mat where they come in and out also helps. It should clear from between his toes when he strops his claws, so scratching posts might also be a good idea.

[VanessaVC]

Hmm, the mud is quite compacted so it would be a job to soak it off and it's also too thick and stuck to the hair between the pads to brush off, he's also trying to bite it out with his teeth but can't.
He does have scratching posts and pads and does a lot of stropping on trees but sadly the mud is still stuck in there! He's only 7 months old and only recently been spending a significant amount of time outside so maybe it'll work itself out naturally?? I hope!

[Mollycat]

I wouldn't leave it. If you can't get it out then have a vet deal with it under sedation. If the mud stays wet it will harbour all kinds of horrible infections and fungus. If it dries on it will make very painful grit that in turn will cause hair mats and make walking very painful. I have to trim out dried mud from my dog's feet now and again. Please don't let your cat suffer with this. The fact he can't get rid of it himself but is trying should be enough to tell you that you must help him.

[Kay]

if this is the original mud from his first forays outside, I would be suspicious that there might be more than mud compacted in his paws

[VanessaVC]

Hi
Thank you all for your advice
I have been keeping a close eye on it and it is working it's way out, it is now nearly all gone. Maybe because the weather has been dryer? But I will keep an eye on it and if it comes back I'll make sure it's dealt with.
Thank you for your concern and advice
Vanessa