Domestic cats lead a less active lifestyle than their wild relatives - and do not have time to grind their claws. Therefore, the owners periodically have to trim the cat's claws - and this must be done so as not to damage the pet.
Why cut a cat's claws
Cat claws, like human nails, are constantly growing. Street cats constantly grind off "surplus", running on the asphalt or climbing trees, but pets do not have this opportunity, so the claws are constantly growing back. And this happens even if the cat constantly uses the scratching post: the claws become sharper, but not shorter.
If the cat's claws become too long, they can interfere with the cat's movement, clinging to the carpet or bedspreads. Sometimes cats try to "bite their nails" while washing their face in an attempt to shorten them. This, as well as the increased desire to sharpen claws on furniture and other hard objects, may be an indication that the time has come for "manicure".
In addition, cats also have a fifth claw located on their front legs. It does not grind down during normal feline play and grows freely. If it reaches excessive length, they can begin to grow in or stick into the pads of the cat's feet when walking, causing unpleasant sensations to the animal.
The growth rate of claws in animals may differ, respectively, and the required frequency of clipping may vary. In most cases, the owners have to do a cat's "manicure" about once a month.
Can cats cut their nails at home?
Most veterinary clinics provide a nail clipping service for animals. The help of doctors in carrying out this procedure is sometimes resorted to by owners of animals with a complex character, which are difficult to keep in place during a haircut, as well as novice cat owners. But the procedure for cutting nails in a cat is quite simple, and most owners do it themselves.
Sometimes the claws of cats are cut with ordinary nail or kitchen scissors, but this makes the procedure rather risky: the animal can get hurt during the cutting process. In pet stores and veterinary pharmacies, you can purchase special guillotine shears (they are also called trimmers or clippers). It is much more convenient and easier to trim the claws of cats with them, in addition, trimmers do not have sharp outer corners and the animal will not be able to cut itself on them.
How to trim your cat's nails
Take a close look at the cat's claw before trimming. The nails of most cats are light and translucent and by looking at the light, you can see the pulp - the darkened area where the blood vessels pass. When clipping, it must not be touched: damage by a vessel can lead to bleeding and inflammation, not to mention the fact that it is very painful for a cat.
Trimming the edge of the claw, where there are no blood vessels, is painless for the cat. But, nevertheless, most animals react to the "manicure" procedure very nervously, sometimes aggressively. In this case, two people can cut the cat's nails: one holds the animal, the second trims it. You can also wrap the cat with a towel, leaving only one paw outside - but in this case, of course, the animal will be greatly outraged. Therefore, it is better to still try to come to an agreement with the cat in the world. After your pet realizes that there is nothing wrong with cutting nails, she will begin to take this procedure more calmly. At first, you can only trim your cat's toenails on one toe at a time.
The sequence of actions when cutting cat claws will be as follows:
- Place the cat on your lap, calm it down, pet it, and then take one of the paws in your left hand. Place the cat's toe between your fingers (thumb and forefinger) and gently press down on the pad. The nail plate will slide outward.
- Look at the lumen to determine where the blood vessels end.
- Position the nail clipper perpendicular to the nail just below the pulp level and cut the tip of the nail in one motion. It is not necessary to place the tweezers parallel to the claw, otherwise it may then begin to delaminate.
- Sharp cut corners can be smoothed and rounded off with a regular nail file.
- Treat all claws in sequence.
- After the end of the procedure, praise the cat, give it a treat, pet it. If she has pleasant memories of this procedure, it will be easier for the cat to trim the claws next time.
