my cat needs her nails clipped agian and i was wondering if i could do it myself ? I know dogs you can not cuz of a vain in the them do cats have the same vain?
2007-01-05 11:14:28 · 29 answers · asked by dodonumber2 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Hi Audra...cats also have a quick (vein) and you can use nail clippers or a pet nail clipper. The pet clippers are better designed to accommodate the curvature of the pets nails which is easier to use and are quite inexpensive to purchase.
Here's a video by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on how to safely clip a cat's nail and avoid the quick (vein):
http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/trimming_claws/index.shtml
2007-01-06 09:19:13 · answer #1 · answered by ♪ Seattle ♫ 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You may cut your cats nails and also your dogs nails if you are careful. Cats also have a type of vein in their nail which is quite easy to see actually. The trick is to get your cat to not fight you. Sometimes it requires two people for such a task. As long as the second person is attending to the felines pleasure spots around the ears and head etc. the cat can be easily distracted enough to clip the nails with an ordinary nail clipper. Have fun and do not wear clothes that you do not want to get hairy.
2007-01-05 11:27:13 · answer #2 · answered by warszawakid 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats will have to have their nail trimmed perpetually. I clip my cats' nails each different week. No, they are not delighted about it, however i am organization and every time I do it, it will get easier. Use a clipper certainly designed for pets (your dog's clipper will work) and don't reduce them too brief. Simply reduce the sharp tip off, fending off the purple blood vessels at the base. Cats don't "chew" their nails like people do. They chunk out the gunk that will get under them, so that it will not happen if they are competently trimmed. They don't preserve their nails brief with a scratching publish, either. That just removes the outer layers of the claws. If the claws are allowed to get too lengthy, they may be able to develop again into the paw pad, causing agony and contamination for the cat.
2016-08-10 11:01:48 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes cats have a vein in them just like dogs. But you CAn do both yourself if you are careful.
For both dogs and cats there will be a color difference where the nail changes from just the cutaneous deposits (the nail part) and the growing part where the vein is. When the nail is clear or white, the growing part will look alittle pink. If the nail is dark colored (sometimes they are black) it will be harder to tell but you can sometimes see a difference between dark black and a lighter grey black or you can just guess by where the growth part (sometimes called the quick) is in the other nails.
Make sure you have sharp nail cutters. For cats you can probably get away with the large people kind (not little ones or baby sized ones). Or at pet supply stores they sell nail cutters for animals.
When I do my dog and my cats, I turn the cutter sideways (I use people cutters on the cat and instead of holding it the way I would for MY nails, I turn it to the side so the sharp blades are perpendicular to the floor not parallel). The nails tend to split less this way.
If you happen to cut too deep , it might bleed. You can stop the bleeding with a septic stick like what might be found in a men's shaving kit.... or the pet stores will sell a clotting agent (one brand is called Quik Stop) that you can dip the nail in to h elp stop the bleeding.
I have one cat who really does not like having the nails cut, so I have to wrap him in a towel to hold him still.... the other 2 are used to it by now and while they are not happy about it, if I hold them in my lap they will hold still while I do it.
If you are really nervous about it, you can ask your vet or a groomer to show you how. I'm sure they would be happy to teach you.
2007-01-05 11:21:58 · answer #4 · answered by boilerfanforever 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes you can clip them, but I wouldn't suggest using a standard nail clipper. You need to go to the petstore and buy a cat nail clipper. Also, there IS a vein in the nail so make sure you don't clip off too much. When you buy the cat nail clippers it have instuctions on how to cut their nails without hurting them.
2007-01-05 11:18:17 · answer #5 · answered by Garfield 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can clip them yourself..but not with a human nail clipper...there are cat nail clippers that are made for this. There are two styles of clippers..the guillotene type that look alot like a cigar cutter and the scissor style. I find the scissor style is easier to use. If you plan to do this yourself...for the first time..have your vet show you how to do this and where the vein is since they DO have the vein like dogs do. Also..you will need to have styptic powder within reach when you do this since you might slip up and she could bleed...dip her claw into the styptic powder if she bleeds to stop the bleeding quickly. It's not really easy to clip a cat's claws since they're so squirmy when they dont' want something done to them..ie..clipping their claws so you might want someone else to be with you if you're not sure of yourself while doing this at first. The scratching post is for them to Sharpen their claws and to save your furniture so this will not be a replacement for clipping.
Now that we're on this subject..my girls need their nails clipped. OYE! Wish me luck!
2007-01-05 11:27:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, cats have the same vein. And yes, you can clip their nails yourself with a standard clipper. I have done it. Use a larger pair --not the little ones. You just have to be careful not to clip too much. Generally, just clip a little off the end. You can do it once a week if they are long. Once they are shorter, you can do it once a month.
2007-01-05 11:31:20 · answer #7 · answered by Marilyn E 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats and dogs both have soft tissue in their nails called the quick like others have pointed out. Cutting an animal's nails in some cases is necessary and can be done at home. Be careful since there are some precautions in doing this (plus, they may not like it too much if not used to it!). In my opinion NEVER declaw.
Below is a site I recomend to my web site visitors. It's written by veterinarian Christianne Schelling and has excellent information you should know if you need to clip your cat's nails at home.
2007-01-05 11:32:53 · answer #8 · answered by Pet Bad Breath 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can do it your self, as long as your cat coroperates, just make sure you hold the clippers sideways, so your not crushing her nails, (hold the clippers side ways and cut the claws sideways too) usualy you can see the vien its the pink line in the claw so just be sure to stay away from that and youll be fine if you do nick it it will bleed like mad, run the bleeding claw over a bar of soap to stop the bleeding it wont hurt the cat,(the soap I mean) And youll have to push down lightly on the cats toes to get the claw exsposed try this first to see how the cat will react to having her feet handled then try clipping
2007-01-05 11:25:11 · answer #9 · answered by Big C 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Cats do have a vein in their nails, but if your cats nails are light coloured, you should be able to see a more opaque area where this starts. If you clip below there it will be OK.
I have clipped my cat's nails for years.
Unlike dogs they will also take care of any splits or rough sections by their day-to-day activities like climbing a tree.
Good luck & happy trimming!
2007-01-05 11:19:00 · answer #10 · answered by Rue 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋