Although you may love your weekly mani/pedi, cats are not so thrilled to get their nails clipped. To make it less of a fight it is important to start the process when they are young. If you start young they may sit placidly in your lap, but there are those that will need to be restrained.
To restrain a cat in your lap, use your forearms draped over the cat's neck and hind-end to keep the cat in your lap. The clipper is held in the right hand.
There are several styles of nail trimmers, including a guillotine type, a scissors cut, and a standard human fingernail clipper. Either the guillotine type or a human fingernail clipper are easiest to use in cats. The scissors-type is used if a toe nail is so long that it is curling in a circle. Long claws can grow into the toepad.
Before trimming your cats nails practice with the chosen clippers so you are comfortable and confident when it is time for the real deal. Your cats claws are retractable so you will have to push them to expose the nail. This is no way hurts them even if they act like you may be killing them!
The majority of cats have light colored paws, but even if yours does not, you need to be able to see the quick. The quick is the red blood vessel that runs through the nail. If you do cut it, it will bleed and be painful.
Placing the clipper perpendicular to the nail or cutting top to bottom will be easiest. The nail can easily be splintered if the trimmer is used parallel to the nail or used for cutting side to side. Obviously the sharper the clipper is the easier it will be to cut the nail. If you must have a smooth nail you can use a file to finish. If you notice that your cutting blade is getting dull do your cat a favor by replacing it.
The cutting blade can be replaced when it is no longer sharp.
Don't forget about your kitty's dew claws- they are found on the inner side of the foot. They (or any nail really) can grow into the foot if not properly and regularly trimmed.
If the claw is cut too short, you can use a styptic pencil containing silver nitrate to stop blood flow, although many animal object to this the styptic pencil as much, or more, than claw cutting. The black end of the stick is held to the bleeding nail and gently rotated. Even without any treatment the nail should stop bleeding in about 5 minutes or less.
To restrain a cat in your lap, use your forearms draped over the cat's neck and hind-end to keep the cat in your lap. The clipper is held in the right hand.
There are several styles of nail trimmers, including a guillotine type, a scissors cut, and a standard human fingernail clipper. Either the guillotine type or a human fingernail clipper are easiest to use in cats. The scissors-type is used if a toe nail is so long that it is curling in a circle. Long claws can grow into the toepad.
Before trimming your cats nails practice with the chosen clippers so you are comfortable and confident when it is time for the real deal. Your cats claws are retractable so you will have to push them to expose the nail. This is no way hurts them even if they act like you may be killing them!
The majority of cats have light colored paws, but even if yours does not, you need to be able to see the quick. The quick is the red blood vessel that runs through the nail. If you do cut it, it will bleed and be painful.
Placing the clipper perpendicular to the nail or cutting top to bottom will be easiest. The nail can easily be splintered if the trimmer is used parallel to the nail or used for cutting side to side. Obviously the sharper the clipper is the easier it will be to cut the nail. If you must have a smooth nail you can use a file to finish. If you notice that your cutting blade is getting dull do your cat a favor by replacing it.
The cutting blade can be replaced when it is no longer sharp.
Don't forget about your kitty's dew claws- they are found on the inner side of the foot. They (or any nail really) can grow into the foot if not properly and regularly trimmed.
If the claw is cut too short, you can use a styptic pencil containing silver nitrate to stop blood flow, although many animal object to this the styptic pencil as much, or more, than claw cutting. The black end of the stick is held to the bleeding nail and gently rotated. Even without any treatment the nail should stop bleeding in about 5 minutes or less.
About the Author:
When you own a cat, you quickly realize that cat furniture needs to offer the cat security and comfort. Finding the best cat pagoda houses provides for both features as well as being attractive for human owners.
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