Cats living in their natural habitat trim their nails climbing trees and walking on hard ground. Domestic cats often don’t have such opportunities to maintain their manicure in perfect condition. Too long nails may peel off, break or bend that would cause pain to your cat. That is why the owner needs to know how to trim cat’s nails cat to prevent any discomfort.
List of needed items
Gauze pads and hydrogen peroxide you may need to stop the bleeding, in case you affect a blood vessel while trimming cat’s nails. Nail file is required to make the nail tips rounded and to prevent them from peeling. You should cut off the nail tip using sharp scissors with blunt tips or special trimmers for pets.
Since you should trim your cat’s nails cut very carefully, trying not to break the tip off, it is better to use special trimmers of a guillotine or nipper type. Such trimmers are much more convenient in use that scissors: a comfortable grip, high-quality sharpening, neat cut. Nail isn’t crushed, and cut edges are smooth.
Trimming cat’s nails properly
Many cats do not tolerate any stressful manipulations, so we recommend preparing your cat for the procedure as a kitten. First, just stroke its paw so that the kitten got used to pleasant touches. Then gently press down on the finger releasing the nail. And only when the kitten gets used to that, you can trim one nail, immediately treating the little one to something delicious. There is no need to force your pet not to move and continue the procedure. To get started, you may simply trim the nails on one paw, and leave the other ones for the next day. Don’t forget about trimming the 5th nails on the front paws: these ones grow faster, because they aren’t ground when walking.
Sometimes nail trimming in cats may cause intense fear, aggression or a desire to escape. In such a case the cat can be wrapped in a dense blanket with only one foot outside. Keep in mind that cats are most active in the evening, so it’s not the best part of the day to trim their nails. You need to find the moment when your pet has played enough, has had a nice meal and is going to sleep.
Inside the nail, a bit closer to the base there are nerve endings and blood vessels called nail quick. If you affect this area it will cause severe pain to your pet. Remembering this unpleasant feeling, next time the cat most likely will fight desperately during the nail trimming. Therefore, all you need is to trim the nail tip very gently, you should only affect the curved down part – there are no nerve endings or blood vessels there. If the nail is light-colored, the live part can be noticed with the naked eye. If the cat has dark-colored nails, you need to act especially carefully. In this case you should make the cut, holding scissors or pet nail trimmer parallel to the nail plate.
Some owners don’t trim cat’s nails as they are scared of hurting their pets. Now this problem can be solved due to the novelty in pet industry – quick finder pet nail clippers! This device contains LEDs which are responsive to the sensor. The sensor is able to show the live part of the pet’s nail. A red light appears when you’re within the live part of the nail, and a green light is a signal showing you that trimming in this place will be safe, without guessing and causing pain. It is desirable to remember how fast the nails grow, because you need to trim them regularly. If there is a cat scratcher at your place, the nails should be trimmed every 2-3 months. If there is no – the procedure should be carried out more often, i.e. every three weeks.
A broken or peeling cat’s claw causes severe pain. You should lubricate the damaged place with any antiseptic ointment and visit your veterinarian. The vet will treat the nail under local anesthesia to prevent further damage.
