Sticky Paws

Hi,
I have a 15 year old tabby called Rosie. She is still very fit and
healthy and enjoys scratching anything that comes her way. However,
over the past couple of months she has started to get her claws stuck
in clothing, carpets, etc. as she can't retract them properly. She has
never been one for going outside much and her back paws in particular
are very long. My partner has suggested that we cut her claws but she
isn't the most mellow of cats (I value my hands!!!). Am I best taking
her to a vet to do this or are their other ways of doing this that
won't cause her too much stress? Will this even help with her problem?
If anyone has been in the same situation or can offer any advice, it
would be much appreciated.
Thanks

Hi,
I have a 15 year old tabby called Rosie. She is still very fit and
healthy and enjoys scratching anything that comes her way. However,
over the past couple of months she has started to get her claws stuck
in clothing, carpets, etc. as she can't retract them properly. She has
never been one for going outside much and her back paws in particular
are very long. My partner has suggested that we cut her claws but she
isn't the most mellow of cats (I value my hands!!!). Am I best taking
her to a vet to do this or are their other ways of doing this that

I cut my cats' claws myself but I've been doing it for several years so
they're used to it. If you do decide to do it, never cut below the lighter
colored part near the base of the nail. That will be
painful and will cause
bleeding. You only need to cut the tips off. You can come up behind her and
kneel down on the floor so that she's sitting in between your legs or you can
put her on her back or side on your lap to do it. If you really don't feel
comfortable after trying it yourself, take her to the vet for a clipping.

Anna

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...ealth/200602/1

Yep, and there are two of you so you should be able to do claw clipping
easily.

Get a towel out and catch the cat. Then throw the towel over the cat,
and the one not holding the cat can clip the sharp little bit off the
tip of the claws. Don't forget the dewclaws. Come back a week later
and do it again. After that, it will be once a month. This should
help. It's a whole lot better than going to the vet which can be
traumatic, and the clippers for cats aren't very expensive. Just be
sure to not clip into the pink part and leave a little free claw past
that. There are tiny blood vessels in there. If you do happen to cut
into the pink, the cat will yowl and struggle, and the paw will bleed.
Apply some styptic to stop the bleeding. If that happens, let the
claws get long again and start over. This usually happens when the cat
moves just as you are snipping.

Good luck!