Minsky hurt himself on his scratching post

[meep]

Last night, OH and I were watching TV whilst the boys were play-fighting and doing their usual stint of attacking the scratching post. It's a regular post, quite tall with a base, and made up of sisal but nothing fancy.

They both like to latch on with front paws and zoom round and round it, using front paws only on scratching post. And they often hang on with one paw, and then lean backward so their heads upside down - this is when they're very excited.

Last night, Minsky was doing just that, and we could see him out the corner of our eyes, when he let off the most heart-wrenching yowl. He has a pretty pathetic yowl when meowing normally, which makes him sound like he's in pain when he's not, but this was a much more intense yowl.

I looked down and the poor wee boy had one claw stuck in the scratching post sisal, and had twisted his whole paw /arm so it was at a weird angle but he couldn't unhook the claw. He yowled again, but didn't panic or struggle - just lay there looking very confused and yowling. I quickly took his paw very gently, pulled him forward a bit then unhooked his claw.

The poor poor silly boy!!

I was quite worried that he may have twisted the claw. But there as no blood and when I unhooked it, I didn't hear any bad noises or see anything left over on the post.

He sat under the table for half an hour, putting his paw on the floor and then lifting it up again, as if it was tender.

But then an hour later he emerged and started to chase his ball, AND use the scratching post, with his 'bad' paw. As if nothing had happened.

So I'm guessing it wasn't the claw that was sore, but that he'd twisted his paw and maybe sprained it?

A question: the scratching post is about 3 months old (the first one we've had since we got them). They LOVE it and use it a LOT. The sisal has started to fray quite a lot, but is still scratchable and has a lot of scratch left in it.

When is a scratching post 'old' and when should we get a new one? Darcy is actually in love with it, and often lies down on the base of it, head pressed up against the post and falls asleep with the most blissfully content look on his face.

I don't mind getting them a new post at all, and this weekend will go and buy a new one for them, but prob keep the old one lying around for a bit as they love it so much.

I'm worried that the old post was the reason Minsky hurt his paw, because his claw got stuck. But then, he was twisting at a weird angle at the first place and could have just been very silly?

Any thoughts? Or anyone experienced something similar?

I'm just so glad we were in when it happened and he wasn't alone int he house, and maybe tried to twist free himself or snapped the claw off :shudders:

But he is 100% better and happy now. have had a quick look at the paw, it's not swollen, have seen him using scratching post this morning and all claws look ok. Phew!

[yola]

I'm glad your fella's OK!! I had a scratching post that was lovingly destroyed over the years to the point the sisal was unwinding. It's only when one of the daft fluffs got their head stuck in a loose loop did I throw the post away.

Obviously this was safer for them, but subsequent posts just haven't received the same levels of love and destruction, they've merely been tollerated at best; and in the case of a monster cat tree that cost a small fortune - totally ignored

So, I would suggest if the post is still safe to continue letting them use it.

[Jac]

That must have given you a fright. Glad he's ok though.

I guess when mine falls to bits then I'll get a new one . I really dont know if there is an exact time to buy thingy

[meep]

Thanks Yola and Jac! It did give us a fright. When he meowed the first time, we weren't sure what it was about, as like I said, his regular meow is very heart-wrenching and sounds like he's in pain. But then when he yowled again pretty soon after I properly looked at him and realised his paw was all twisted. The weird thing was he just lay there, lying down with one paw attached and didn't try to stand up or twist out of it. He just looked so pathetic and helpless!

But yes, he's fit as a fiddle now - just a wee sprain I think.

I would hate the thought of getting rid of this scratching post as they love it SO much! We have a big barrel in the hall, which has sisal on it too, but they've never once used it to scratch and instead just sit on the top - it's their wee podium. So I can see how one scratching post isn't like an another.

All the sisal is still in place, although some bits have been dragged down slightly but still glued to the post. It just looks so frayed

Thanks for advice though! Just didn't know if I had missed something on 'life-span' of posts!

[Elaine]

Poor fella, glad all is well.
Why not get another and if they take to the new one as well as the old, then you could remove the old one once the use the new with the same relish

[meep]

I think that's a good idea Elaine, probably what I'll do. The post they have now has nothing on top of it, as a lot of them do (such as a wee bed at the top of the post) and they need that as they're so big and tall.

I'll go to the pet shop and have a look, but if they don't have one that's 'perfect' I'll just wait until they do. Last time I went and got the one I have now, they only had one of the one's they have (which I took!) the rest were all baby pink or had little beds on the top for much smaller (and girl!) cats!

[Elaine]

Have you seen the fat boy cat scratchers? I have one and the cats love it.

http://shopping.erol.co.uk/product/A...Scratcher.html

[meep]

That is one huge scratching post it looks very similar to the one we have, even with the paw print on the base, but our one is a bit slimmer. Will definately run it by OH (since he pays for half their stuff )

[angieh]

Just caught this thread meep - what a scare for you and OH, and probably for Minsky too! Please give the lovely boy a cuddle from me. So glad he's OK - what a good boy to let you disengage his claw without protesting - that shows how happy he is with you and how much he trusts you.

I would go with what Elaine has said - get a new post and run it alongside the old one and see what happens.

[meep]

Thanks Angie! I gave him lots of love this morning, although he seemed to have forgotten what happened entirely!

He was quite calm whilst his claw was stuck, just in a lot of pain. He just looked so confused, bless him. And after we unhooked him he let himself get stroked but hid under the table to tend to his wounds.

Darcy though, bless him, puffed up loads his tail was about 4 times the normal sizes! And he went sniffing round the room and just at the door way as if to find the danger that had threatened his brother! For a while I think he thought it was my OH's shoe as he kept pawing at it afterwards whilst all puffed up