Cat owners often wonder: do their pets' nails need to be trimmed? After all, you can protect the walls and furniture in your house from cat tricks by accustoming your animal to a scratching post. But how to protect against injuries - accidentally pulled out or ingrown claws? Experts insist that nails need to be trimmed regularly. To make this procedure easy and painless, you need to accustom your cat to it as early as possible. If you have doubts about your own abilities and fear of injuring the animal, you should consult a veterinarian.
When should you trim your cat's nails?
Animals that roam freely outside do not need pruning. Claws are a cat's tool. Until now, free-ranging cats use them to help them climb trees and other surfaces, serve as a means of protection, a tool for holding prey, and prevent slipping when moving on slippery surfaces. Trimming a street cat's claws means seriously complicating his life. He grinds them down himself.
Another thing is completely domestic pets. If the owner has not trained him to use a scratching post, then the procedure for trimming cats’ claws is carried out in order to preserve not only furniture, floor coverings, but also the health of the pets. But even with a scratching post, the claws are not worn down enough.
How to trim your pet's nails at home?
It is recommended to cut a kitten's claws from two or three months of age. Small pets have soft nails that are easier to trim. In addition, if you accustom your pet to hygiene procedures from childhood, there will be no problems with performing the procedure in the future. At the same time, sometimes there are cats that have a negative attitude towards manipulation at any age.
Preparation for the procedure
To trim your cat's nails at home, you need to choose a time when she will be calm. It's good if the pet is sleepy and peaceful. It is not recommended to “catch” your pet during play; this will create additional problems.
Before the procedure, you need to establish emotional contact with your pet. To do this, you need to stroke the cat's paws, moving to the pads. When light pressure is applied to the paw pads, claws will appear. This exercise should be performed not only before cutting your nails, but also in everyday life. The cat should get used to this kind of touch.
Required Tools
Before trimming your pet's claws, you should prepare tools and accessories. They should be at arm's length so that the owner is not distracted and does not make the cat nervous. If the procedure is being carried out for the first time, it is better to stock up on a whole set of tools. Each of them must be well sharpened so as not to cause splitting of the nails. You can trim your cat's nails using the following accessories:
- regular scissors;
- nail scissors;
- nail clippers;
- Guillon trimmer;
- blister (scissors for cats).
Most cat owners prefer to use pet-specific tools. The most common devices are sickle and guillotine nail clippers (see photo). The first ones are designed for trimming very strong claws. The latter are more versatile and convenient. Using a guillotine you can achieve a better, “clean” cut.
In addition to the basic tools, you need to prepare a hair clipper, cotton swabs, hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine solution, a manicure file/emery block, and a small towel. The file is useful for filing sections of claws. Cotton wool, hydrogen peroxide and a towel will be needed for possible damage to the paw.
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Basic Rules
The manipulation should be carried out at home in a well-lit place, preferably near a window, so that the claws can be clearly seen. Before starting the procedure, you must treat the instruments with an alcohol solution and wash your hands thoroughly. Then you should sit the cat on your lap and stroke its back. Step-by-step instructions for trimming nails:
- lightly press the pad so that the claws appear;
- take a nail clipper with the other hand and cut off the claws one by one in one motion;
- do the same with the other paws;
- lightly file the nail plate, then treat the sections with an antiseptic solution.
If hair has grown between the toes, it is removed with a special machine. You can only cut off the nail plate by 1-2 mm. Inside the claw there are soft tissues consisting of nerve endings and blood vessels. Together they form a pulp, which, if damaged, can cause bleeding and the animal will experience severe pain. After unsuccessful manipulation, the cat may limp for several days. If the instruments have not been properly processed, an infection can penetrate into the soft tissues, which is dangerous for the pet’s health.
An adult animal's nails should be trimmed monthly. Kittens need manipulation twice as often. In any case, you should take into account the individual characteristics of the animal and perform the procedure as necessary. After trimming the claws, you can treat your pet with a treat, praise it for its patience, and cuddle it.
What to do if damaged?
If the cat has a negative attitude towards the procedure, there is a high probability of causing damage to it with manicure tools.
In case of bleeding, it is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic (iodine, hydrogen peroxide, horhexidine), sprinkle with talcum powder and carefully bandage the paw. You need to try to calm the animal by stroking its back and talking to it affectionately
If suppuration appears in the area of the wound or prolonged lameness or poor health of the cat, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian.
Why do you need to cut your hair?
Animals mainly choose door frames, furniture, and wallpaper to sharpen their claws. Trying to protect their property, breeders buy scratching posts, make scratchers themselves, take the cat to a groomer, or master the grooming technique themselves.
However, besides damaging things, there are other good reasons for trimming your cat’s claws:
- ingrowth of horny formation into soft tissue.
- injury to blood vessels and nerve endings;
- delamination or disruption of the claw plate.
Most often, the problem is caused by the fifth toes, which are located slightly higher than the rest. They are not used by cats every day, but are used only for climbing on vertical surfaces. In pets, such claws can grow into the skin. At the site of ingrowth, the inflammatory process quickly begins due to the penetration of bacteria. Other, heavily grown claws can also damage the pads. This happens when walking. It is difficult for a cat to hide long processes, and the pressure when walking forces the claw to curl inward.
Long sharp claw plates cling to everything they can. The cat, trying to free himself, often tears them off completely.
Step-by-step instruction
Kittens are accustomed to grooming from the age of 2 months.
The place for the procedure should be well lit. A cat's claws are a keratinized layer that hides the pulp, a collection of nerve endings. When trimming the nails, it is advisable not to touch this area, since then the pet will experience pain. In some cats, the pulp is clearly visible, and in good lighting you can see a pink, crescent-shaped area on the nails. Haircuts with dark pigmentation are more difficult - in this case you will have to act at random. You can cut off 1 mm at a time - when the color becomes lighter, it means the pulp begins.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Having taken a comfortable position, the owner sits the pet on his lap. You can put a cat on its back, but not all predators accept this. If the animal is too active, you can wrap it in something.
- Press down on the cat's pad until the claw appears.
- If your cat doesn't flinch at the sight of a nail clipper, you can cut off the nail. The animal may become agitated by what has happened, in which case it needs to be petted and calmed down.
- With quick movements, the nail clipper is set to 1 mm. to the pulp. The claws are trimmed so that the edge remains pointed. If the claw is cut incorrectly, there is a risk of damaging the pulp.
- At the end of the procedure, the claw is rounded using a regular file. If you make it a rule to sharpen the animal's claws, their trimming will be reduced to a minimum.
Many cats hiss because they are afraid. Preparatory procedures are required. To prevent your cat from becoming stressed, you can trim 1 nail every day.
Haircutting tools
There are several types of devices that can be used to trim a cat’s claws:
- Guillotine claw clipper. The instrument has a ring at the end into which the keratinized part is placed. After pressing the handle, a blade appears and cuts off the fragment. The guillotine is more suitable for experienced breeders. Without the skill, it is easy to cut off an area larger than required.
- Nail clipper-secateurs. Looks like pliers. There is a spring between the handles, which greatly facilitates the process.
- Nail clipper-scissors. They resemble a human device, but with indentations on the cutting surface. The claw is placed in the notch and cut off. This design eliminates slipping and the risk of crumbling the plate. For trimming at home, this is the best option.
Stationery or manicure scissors, as well as wire cutters, cannot be used. They will crumble the plate.
Alternative Methods
If your cat categorically refuses to get a pedicure and it is inconvenient to take him to the veterinary clinic every month, you can consider alternative methods:
- Antitsapapki. Special overlays (caps) prevent damage to the furniture, but it is uncomfortable for the animal to walk, and the horny plates still grow and need to be cut off.
- Onychectomy or soft paw surgery. A difficult procedure for the animal, during which part of the cat’s fingers is taken away. Animals' paws become deformed, they lose coordination, and suffer from pain. Condemned by many veterinarians and breeders. In a number of countries the operation is prohibited.
What can't you do?
Cats, like all people, are sensitive to their environment. They also read the emotions and mood of their owners.
What not to do during a haircut:
- scream and get irritated - the pet will experience even greater fear, and in the future it will be very difficult to get him to agree to the procedure;
- force by force - there is no need to force the animal to submit by violent means;
- catching a kitten during games - he will not say “thank you” for this, but indignation and aggression on the part of the pet are guaranteed.
