Although most felines are loathe to wear anything on their paws, cat booties can be useful when you need to protect yourself from your cat’s claws, and when you need to protect your cat from himself.
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… April Fools!
6 situations where cat booties are useful
All joking aside, cat booties or cat paw covers can actually come in handy. The hard part is getting them on your cat! You’ll be hard-pressed to find cat booties with amazing reviews out there, mostly because cats dislike wearing them. The key to success is making sure the wear is temporary. Your cat may tolerate cat booties made of soft material like silica gel for a short amount of time, especially under specific circumstances, before he tries with real effort to get them off.
1. Giving cat baths
The dreaded cat bath tends to be unpleasant for both cats and cat parents. With cat booties, you can at least protect yourself from your cat’s claws as he inevitably tries to escape the water. Or, find out how to give your cat a bath without water!
2. Shaving fur mats
Long-haired cats (especially those that go outside) often end up with matted fur around their backside and underbelly. Similar to giving your cat a bath, shaving your cat’s fur mats can be a stressful ordeal. If it’s your cat’s instinct to lash out with his claws during this situation, you might again consider booties or paw covers to help the process go more smoothly.
3. Administering medication
Whether you need to give your cat a pill or squirt liquid medication into his mouth, he’s probably not going to make it easy for you. Tried-and-true techniques recommend wrapping your cat in a towel with his head protruding, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be protected from a panicked scratch or two. Cat booties can offer that extra level of anti-scratch protection.
4. Protecting hot spots
Cats can develop hot spots—swollen, hairless spots that may ooze or have an odor if they become infected—from allergies, flea bites, ringworm, and a number of other things. As an alternative to the dreaded cone, you can prevent your cat from scratching hot spots with booties or paw covers—particularly if they are on his face.
5. Protecting paws
If your cat has a paw injury that requires bandaging, you may notice him trying to scratch or chew off said bandage. With a veterinarian’s blessing, you can use a booty or paw cover on the affected paw to prevent your cat from removing bandages and aggravating his injury.
6. Mitigating birth defects or residual limbs
Kitties are occasionally born without limbs or feet, or they may have had an injury that requires amputation. If you have a cat with a “stump,” using cat booties can help him with balance while protecting the sensitive residual limb. Talk to your vet about this option and more!
Although Slippurrs may not be real, cat booties can be quite useful from time to time. However, remember not to leave cat booties or cat paw covers on for a long time without first checking with your vet.
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