Claws are out: Battersea plea to stop ‘cruel’ pet manicures
OWNERS should stop giving their pets “cruel” manicures, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has pleaded, after the trend gained popularity on social media.
The craze, which involves gluing fake nail-style “claw covers” to pets, can leave animals in pain because they are no longer able to retract or extend their claws, experts warned.
Battersea issued the plea after a fiveyear-old cat was brought in with red claw covers. Staff were unsure how long the cat had endured the nails, which were firmly fixed to each claw. Vets were forced to place the animal under general anaesthetic to remove the nails.
Lindsey Quinlan, head of catteries at Battersea, said they were “concerned” the craze was becoming “increasingly popular with pet owners”.
“It’s extremely cruel to inflict this sort of thing on your cat as it stops them from displaying their natural behaviour,” she said.
“It’s worrying that claw covers for both cats and dogs can be so easily sought from the internet.
“Pets are not fashion items. We want to spread the message that claw covers are unnatural for both cats and dogs.”
It is thought that some pet owners are using the covers to prevent their pet scratching their furniture. But staff at the centre insisted they should instead use a scratching post.
♦ Scientific testing on “pets” including dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs increased last year, potentially fuelled by a demand for animal medicine, Home Office figures have shown.
Researchers at universities, companies and government laboratories completed 3.94 million animal procedures in 2016, a 5 per cent overall decrease compared with the previous year.
While rats, mice and fish – which make up the vast bulk of animals used in experiments – were used in fewer procedures, testing carried out on guinea pigs had risen by a fifth, rabbits by 9 per cent, domestic fowl by 9 per cent, and dogs by 6 per cent. Tests on cats fell by 9 per cent.