What should I do?

Answer The answer to your question depends on whether the wound on your cat's paw started as a cut or as a sore. If she did cut her paw on something, it's normal for the cut to take a long time to heal. The pads on a cat's foot are composed mostly of dead tissue. Dead tissue can't heal, so the healed tissue has to grow deep inside the foot pad and gradually move out as the old, dead tissue sloughs off.

Another problem is that every time your kitty walks, she puts pressure on the foot pad and opens the wound a bit, making it very hard for the wound to heal shut. You can make an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss whether a sturdy bandage or a splint could help relieve some of that pressure. Your veterinarian can also check whether the cut is infected and prescribe some antibiotics if it is. It's possible that a tiny foreign object like a splinter or a little pebble is stuck in the wound, which would also slow healing. Your veterinarian can check for foreign objects and remove them.

The other possibility is that your cat had a sore or itchy spot on her paw and she licked it until she tore the skin on her pad open. In this case, the cut won't heal until you solve the underlying problem and get your cat to stop licking. Your veterinarian can take an X-ray and do a biopsy of your kitty's paw to rule out any problems.

Grooming Your Cat

Question My cat's long hair frequently gets balled up and she doesn't like it when I brush her - what can I do?

Answer To prevent your cat's long hair from getting tangled, try combing her every day to get her used to the experience and prevent the matts from forming. If your cat objects to this, she may benefit from a body shave two to three times per year from a professional groomer.

Ask your veterinarian to recommend a groomer who is experienced with cats. Long-haired cats often enjoy being shaved rather than trying to untangle their natty hair with a harsh wire brush. When the hair starts to grow back after the shave, use a boar bristle hairbrush, which is more comfortable on their skin, to maintain their hair.

Walking a Cat on a Leash

Question I want to teach my cat to walk on a leash. He is 14 months old and slightly obese. I have a leash and harness for him.

Do you have any tips for me?

Answer It's admirable that you're trying to help your feline buddy lose weight and stimulate him with walks. You may or may not be able to teach him how to walk on a leash. Your cat's ability to walk on a leash will in part be determined by his personality. If he is a confident or bold cat, your chances are good that he will learn. If he is skittish or shy, he may be too frightened outdoors to walk comfortably on a leash.

The other factor that will determine how well he takes to a leash is the method that you use to teach him. If his first experiences with the leash and harness are frightening or upsetting, you'll have more trouble in future attempts. Keep the training sessions very short and upbeat. Use lots of food that he really likes (this won't help with his weight problem, so cut back on his regular food) until he learns how much fun being outdoors on a leash can be.

Clicker training would probably work best to teach a cat leash walking. Clicker training involves using operant conditioning to teach an animal a specific behavior. Most information on clicker training that is available today relates to using clickers to train dogs. But clicker training also works for horses, dolphins, fish, cats, etc. Check your library or bookstore for a good book about this effective training method.