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She needs a peticure

post #1 of 8
4/20/10 at 4:12am
Thread Starter 
okay, so I tried to search the forum, but I didn't get a hit for what I really want which is how do I trim Butzie's paws? Going to the vet and having her talk to me while she calmly clipped them seems a waste of time and money I don't have. Take pity on me and Butzie. I can walk to a place and get a special on a pedicure for $20 but it will cost more than that to drive to the vet and take care of my beautiful girl. Help! She doesn't need polish either! Dusty pink would be her color, though.
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post #2 of 8
4/20/10 at 6:04am
First you get her used to having her paws touched. Hold on I just wrote this out for someone else, let me find the thread for you.
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post #3 of 8
4/20/10 at 6:07am
Quote:
I trim all my cats claws regularly. Mazy was the only one who needed several years of Paw Work to accept it and I don't do her hind feet, only front, Tolly and Jennie get hind and front done.

Mazy cat's Paw Work was: daily I would hold her and touch her paws, giving her little dots of mayonnaise as treats while I did it. It took time for her to even allow me to touch them long enough to press them and extend the claws. It took over three years to actually get to the point where she would allow me to clip them. At first I could only clip one claw at a time, then gradually she would accept a whole paw at a time (continuing with the mayo treats, she can't bite if she's licking mayonnaise off her mouth) and now I can do both front paws in one session.

I advise you to start getting Cappy used to having his paws handled in the way I did with Mazy. Hold the paw between your thumb and fingers and gently press to extend the claws.

This not only gets him used to it, but gives you a chance to observe his claws. Observe how they grow and where the quick is (the pink part)

When starting, just snip the tips until you develop more confidence and skill. Eventually you should be able to cut them a bit shorter, always avoiding the quick-which is the pink part.

I use these clippers, and replace them yearly, as they do get dull with use.:

the other thread has the picture of the clippers I use



http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=215174
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post #4 of 8
4/20/10 at 9:51am
I'm lucky enough that all three of mine tolerate a clip, as long as it's fast. My biggest boy (Domino) actually just sits there like a human and waits. It's adorable!

I did start young. My past cat, Oreo, never let me. It was a huge problem. She was very picky, and we didn't try until she was about 7 or 8, so I think starting young and going slow is key.

I've been trimming for a few years, and even I get a little nervous that I'll nip the quick. I haven't yet, so that's good, but I want to cut the nails back pretty short to avoid cutting them that often. How far away from the pink do I need to go? I normally leave a little white after the pink, just to be safe.
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post #5 of 8
4/20/10 at 11:55am
If you can't afford to go buy special clippers for cat claws, human toe nail clippers will work. That's what many of us use anyways.

I'll never let anyone trim my cats claws again. If you do it yourself you know no one is hurting your kitty. This last time made me mad - next time I'll probably blow up at them, so there better not be a next time.
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post #6 of 8
4/21/10 at 8:21am
Thread Starter 
Thanks. Butzie is well used to me touching her paws as I do it regularly. Quite an obliging lass I have. Actually, she is a sweetheart and is now judging all my "boyfriends, me being single again. She is not very discerning, though. If they pet her, she likes them! But I like all 4 of them, too.
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post #7 of 8
4/21/10 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Staceyloobug View Post
I'm lucky enough that all three of mine tolerate a clip, as long as it's fast. My biggest boy (Domino) actually just sits there like a human and waits. It's adorable!

I did start young. My past cat, Oreo, never let me. It was a huge problem. She was very picky, and we didn't try until she was about 7 or 8, so I think starting young and going slow is key.

I've been trimming for a few years, and even I get a little nervous that I'll nip the quick. I haven't yet, so that's good, but I want to cut the nails back pretty short to avoid cutting them that often. How far away from the pink do I need to go? I normally leave a little white after the pink, just to be safe.
I leave a tiny bit beyond the quick, then smooth the end off with an emery board. Doing it that way most of my cats only need their claws trimmed every two weeks. Shareena's grow faster so she gets trimmed about every 10 days.

Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
If you can't afford to go buy special clippers for cat claws, human toe nail clippers will work. That's what many of us use anyways.

I'll never let anyone trim my cats claws again. If you do it yourself you know no one is hurting your kitty. This last time made me mad - next time I'll probably blow up at them, so there better not be a next time.
I think you should have blown up this time.
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post #8 of 8
4/21/10 at 11:29am
When I first started trimming Holland's claws, I had to hold her in my mouth by her scruff. It was the only way I could use one hand to push her pads and one hand to clip, while still keeping her under my control. I bought two different pairs of specialty clippers, but I currently use my own human nail clippers. They're just easier for me to handle - on the kitty clippers I could never tell if I was above or below the quick.

After several months of having her claws trimmed every couple of weeks, Holland will now be pretty patient with it. I can hold her like a football, using the hand I'm holding her with to push the pads and my free hand to clip. The biggest thing is to keep calm - I used to get very nervous when I had to trim her nails and I know she could sense it, and it didn't make things any better.

I sympathize with you about taking her to the vet for a "pedicure" I was scared to trim Holland's claws when I first got her so I called her clinic for help. They charged me $25 for the "vet tech visit"!!! After that, I vowed that I would deal with it myself.
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