i just ask a question about declawind a cat and........?

Question

i never realized all the pain they go threw i thought in out and home ,sorry this is are first , we are just learning and the vet never told me about it when he had his first shots well any way I AM NOT GOING TO DO IT TO HIM but everyone says about special clippers i can get but are they like a dog where you can cause harm if done wrong or is there cat groomers out there that will do it

Answer 1

Hi there...any pet groomer can trim your kitties nails as well as any veterinarian clinic for a nominal fee. You can also learn how to do this yourself after they show you as it isn't that difficult. Here's a step-by-step video on how to trim a cats' nails by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/trimming_claws/

The nail clippers can be found at any pet supply store or you can also use human nail clippers as well.

Answer 2

Well thank goodness I saw your second question. This is one of the things I truly love about this site--it DOES help people! There are clippers made especially for cats. Mine came in a kit with some "powder" to apply if by accident I cut too deeply. Happily, I never have. It can cause extensive bleeding. It's best to clip more often, & just the very sharp tips until you're sure of what you're doing. I may have gotten this kit from a pet store, or even a catalogue like FOSTER & SMITH--published by vets with some good tips. (Once, however, they did have an ad for a "covered" litter box, & that isn't good for your cat.) If you're "new" please keep on learning! I just answered another question, & if I can find it, there's lots more advice that can help you. Sigh. Now I can stop worrying.

Answer 3

Cats have clear claws, so it's very easy to clip them. Go to a petstore and ask for cat nail clippers, any good petstore will carry them, and they are not expensive at all- maybe $5 at most.

If you go to your local Petsmart and visit the grooming salon, they probably have a cat groomer available who can clip your cat's nails for you or teach you how to do it. Your vet can do it for you as well. It's easy to learn, all you do is gently squeeze the foot until the claws pop out, and you will see the base of the nail, which is thick and has a pink color under it, and a long curved hook, which is clear. Snip the end of the hook off to leave a flat end to the claw, without going too close to the pink part. That's all there is too it.

I'm so glad you decided not to declaw your kitty- he'll thank you for it!

I've used a product called Soft Paws on my cats for years, and they are a great way to prevent scratching without declawing. They are removeable and totally painless. Check out this site if you're interested, again, your vet can teach you how to use these.

http://www.softclaws.com/

Answer 4

Thank you so very much for not de-clawing.

It is very easy to rim a cat's nails. You only have to do the front ones as well. You press gently on the pad so that the nail comes out and just clip off the tip. Dont go near the pink part as that is where the blood supply is. Get him used to you playing with his paws before you have to do it. Some cats never need their claws clipped. You can get special claw clippers or just use human nail clippers.
Groomers should be able to do it safely - it is their job, but ask around before you get it done to make sure you go to someone who knows what they are doing

Answer 5

Thank you for deciding to not declaw your cat! You can buy claw trimmers at any pet supply store, and trimming their claws at home is relatively easy. Human-style clippers work okay, but tend to split cat claws. Claw trimmers are designed to cut rounded claws effectively, while human nail clippers are designed to cut wide flat 'claws'. Take a look at the shape of the trimmer blade and you'll see what I mean.

Flip your cat over on his back (he will probably struggle to remain upright). Hold his head in the crook of your non-dominant arm and hold the cutters in whichever hand you write with. Gently but firmly hold one of his paws between your thumb & fingers of the hand attached to the arm holding his head, and spread the 'fingers' out, which will extend the claws. He will probably grumble at you, but "stay the course"!

Watch for the cuticle (or 'quick') inside the claw, it's sensitive and bleeds easily if cut, and they will let you know how much it hurts by hollering and glaring at you. If the claws are pale you can usually see it as a light pink area in the middle of the claw. With dark-clawed cats it's a matter of feeling it out, you'll have to trim the claws a nibble at a time until you get the feel for it.

Start by trimming just the tip of the claw, about 1/8 of an inch, flat across the claw to get a feel for performing this little pedicure on each claw. The hind claws are thicker and not as sharp, but the process is much the same. You can also check for damage to their feet, split claws (which are more sensitive and require a shallower cut than healthy claws), and dirt or fecal material caught in the groove under the claws which can usually be scraped out with the tip of the cutter or a tool from a manicure kit.

We have six cats and do this about once every seven days without too much trouble. The oldest one was two years old when we started this, the younger ones all started when they were kittens. All complained at first but now are used to it and they usually sit quietly until I'm done, with only an occasional grumble & glare if they think I'm getting too close to the quick or just taking too long.

Answer 6

Groomers or even your vet can trim you cat's claws..also at some pet stores there are things called soft claws..you apply them to your cat's claws so that they can not scratch the furniture..If you choose to clip them on your own you can get clippers at a pet store. Be sure to only cut the pointed tip off and you should be fine..Good Luck.

Answer 7

Hooray for you! Cats nails are much easier to trim than a dog's. They are just like ours - white is OK to cut, pink is where the blood and pain will be.

Someone at your vet office will be happy to show you how to do it. Even a volunteer at the desk at a shelter could show you. I know I would just go get a cat and demonstrate it for you.

I said before I think you should put that declaw money into a really great cat tree for your guy and I still think that's a good suggestion.

Answer 8

Your vet should clip his claws for you, any that I have gone to have always done it for free. But if you want to get the clippers and do it yourself, they make them that have a guard on them so you can only cut the tips and not hurt the cat. There are also claw covers that you can buy, I've heard that they work really well. They are little plastic caps that do not disturb the cat and keep him from digging and clawing. I think I have seen them at www.petedge.com if you wanted to check them out.

Answer 9

I love using just regular human nail clippers for clipping cat claws. I teach my cats when I first get them to sit on my lap with their back towards my stomach and their feet in the air, then I just clip their nails starting with the front paws first. My cats got used to it almost right away and they don't fight me at all when it's time to trim their nails. I also put aluminum foil on my sofa where they would try and scratch to discourage them and put 2 cat posts one on each side of the sofa since they were already attracted to this area. Now they only scratch the posts and leave the sofa alone, they're such good cats. ;o)

Answer 10

Groomers are best if you are new to cats. Sometimes cats will scratch more if you clip the claws trying to resharpen them. Get a good scratching post and a spray bottle and spray him everytime he scratches where he's not supposed to. Thank God you changed your mind about declawing. Your kitty will be very lucky to have someone who cares about his well being! Good luck!