Cat biting her front paws – a bit of an unusual case

P
Pétouilledu50 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi there,

I’m posting here because I’m really worried about my dearest and most faithful friend’s health.

So, here’s the thing: I have a feline friend named Pétouille, aka Touillepé. She weighs just over 20lbs (about 1 stone 6), so because of her size, she can’t reach everywhere to groom herself. I wash her regularly with just water (which she luckily enjoys), and sometimes I use a proper cat shampoo, of course. Up until now, I haven’t mentioned the problem that’s bothering me, and her even more. Let me get to the point!

When I stroke or brush her (especially when brushing) in areas she can’t reach herself, Pétouille nibbles on her front paws. I suppose it’s probably because she’s in ecstasy from being scratched in spots she can’t reach even if she were a contortionist. But today, I noticed a patch on her front right paw, about 20mm by 10mm, where the fur has been chewed off by her front teeth. I find it very worrying, and with the whole Covid crisis and being completely skint (actually, well into the red...), I strictly can’t afford to see a vet for her. I’m usually the type to go as soon as there's a problem, and I always tell my friends to see a vet when needed. But right now, things are really, REALLY tough. I hope you might have a little tip for my sweet, gentle friend. Or even a few tips?! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this (rather long) cry for help.

Kind regards,

PétouilleetVal.

Cat biting her front paws – a bit of an unusual case

Translated from French
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13 answers
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    • S
    Steezy Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, my cat’s the same. When I scratch the base of his tail, he licks the air a couple of times, then drops his head and goes for one of his front paws. If I scratch him for too long, he actually pulls his fur out! I stopped scratching him there for a while and the fur on his leg grew back. Now I’m really careful with that spot, and as soon as he puts his head down to go for his paw, I stop scratching. :)
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    A
    Anasi Icon representing the flag French
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    My cat is having almost the exact same issue. He’s constantly biting his paws, or at least one specific paw. He’s actually had to have surgery three times now because he bites himself so hard he rips the skin wide open. We have no idea what’s causing it. No glass, no parasites, nothing... If anyone has a solution... For now, the only thing that works is keeping him in a cone.
    Translated from French
    D
    Dada76 Icon representing the flag French
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    Good evening. My young cat does exactly the same thing; as soon as I scratch him at the base of his tail, he licks himself like mad and nibbles his paws. If I put my hand there, he does it to me too. It must really hit the spot for him. I should point out that he can't actually reach that area to lick it himself because he weighs over 22 lbs (about 1 and a half stone). Yes, he is obese, but he still runs about and plays—he’s always active thanks to my other cat. I’m careful with his food, obviously. He's neutered and microchipped. Anyway, I was just worried that his little licking and nibbling habit might be down to some kind of illness...
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Mine do it from time to time, but never to the point of pulling their fur out. I’ve noticed it’s usually when they aren’t happy about something and want to distract themselves.
    Translated from French
    L
    Lyzzza Icon representing the flag French
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    “So, what what he wants is I stroke and scritch his back”

    So, what he wants is for me to stroke him...

    That’ll teach me for not proofreading 😳

    Translated from French
    L
    Lyzzza Icon representing the flag French
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    I’m with Syouban on this one, it sounds like a behavioural issue. I had a cat who used to do that too—giving me little love bites whenever she was happy. For them, it’s a positive thing, but she really needs to stop nibbling herself or there’ll be nothing left of her!

    😁

    Mind you, she’s got a fair way to go before that happens! ^^

    You were wondering about ringworm, but I don't reckon it's that.

    Believe it or not, my Ti'cha does the exact same thing and I was actually thinking of asking about it here to see if it was a common behaviour.

    It’s the first time I’ve ever seen one of my cats have that kind of "reflex" reaction.

    He loves a fuss and always starts by turning around and presenting his bum to me.

    I think he picked up the habit back when I was first taming him, when I couldn't actually touch him yet. He’s come a long way since then and now we're the best of friends ✌

    So, what he wants is a good scratch at the base of his tail. He lies there like a sphinx with his bum in the air (just like a female cat in heat) and immediately starts licking his front paws.

    He’s mostly licking, though; he doesn't gnaw at them and hasn't got any hair loss there.

    I’m not really sure what trick would stop Pétouille from chewing that one spot.

    I thought about trying some cohesive vet wrap:

    https://www.polytrans.fr/chats/soins-du-corps-nursery-stress/stress-peau-corps/13279-bande-veterinaire-de-soins-non-adhesive-pour-chien-chat.html

    With a bit of something on the bald patch (something to help the fur grow back):

    **Go to page 70, section 1.3.6.2

    https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01738912/document

    There’s an interesting table in there that I’m going to keep a copy of.

    Mind you, in the meantime, the cat might just start chewing the other paw... or the bandage itself! 😯

    Liza

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I’m with Syouban on this, it sounds like a behavioural issue. I had a little cat who’d do the same thing—she’d give me little love bites when she was happy. It’s a positive thing for them, but she definitely needs to stop chewing herself as well, or there’ll be nothing left of her!
    Translated from French
    S
    Syouban Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, My cat also has some bald patches in places due to over-grooming. After seeing a specialist skin vet, it turns out it’s behavioural. As long as it stays as just small patches with no sores or redness, there isn't much to be done. However, 9kg (which is about 20lbs, or 1 stone 6) for a female cat—is she overweight or is that just her build? If she is significantly overweight, she really needs to lose some weight as obesity is so bad for our cats' health... obviously, you should get some advice from your vet for a safe and gradual weight loss plan.
    Translated from French
    P
    Pétouilledu50 Icon representing the flag French
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    No worries, not at all, it’s just short fur, really. It’s the only spot where she’s like that. She only licks and nibbles her front legs when I "scratch" her. It’s because she must really love being scratched in places she can’t reach herself. I put my hand between her leg and her mouth to stop her from nibbling, and she nibbled my hand the exact same way she does her leg. Blimey, she must be hurting herself! I’m absolutely certain it’s not a skin condition. No, the skin is fine, it’s just normal skin. The fur is normal too, it’s just been chewed down by her incisors. I probably scratched her too much, so she must have over-nibbled as a result.

    For example: some cats react in a "funny" way when you stroke them at the base of their back (between the spine and the tail), which is an erogenous zone if I’m not mistaken.

    Well, when I do that to Pétouille, she sticks her tongue in and out loads of times before licking and nibbling herself. I think it’s just her way of compensating for the scratching. Since she can't scratch or lick herself there—just like under her armpits—she makes up for it on her front legs. And clearly, it feels really good for her. It’s just that sometimes she goes a bit overboard, like yesterday for example.

    Sorry about the photo quality, I’m using an absolute dinosaur of a phone :x

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Sorry, I meant grainy, my finger slipped!

    Translated from French

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