Claw Clipping

From: (-L.)


The method I use is this:

While standing, place the cat on a folded towel, on an *unfamiliar*++
table, with his head to your left. Put his body close to yours so
that you can lean to the outside (furthest from your body) and clip
first the fronts, and then the backs (or vice-verse - I do both).

I've found the easiest way, for me at least, is to sit the cat on my lap, much
like you would a child with the cat's backside against me and the legs pointing
outward.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

(---MIKE---) wrote in message ...
I never clip the claws. I don't think it's necessary and I doubt if
they would let me do it anyway! The old sheaths fall off naturally.

It's necessary if your cat uses your shoulders as launchpads for
ambitious leaps and landings. With untrimmed claws, the motley human's
shoulder soon has the appearance of tenderised beef.

Fortunately, my cat that does this has been exceptionally well
socialised - to trim his pointy bits, I simply tuck him under one arm
(I'm standing) and he'll usually extend his claws for me to snip. Rear
claws are a little more trouble - I flip him onto his back on my lap,
and will usually drape a towel across his front paws to prevent early
escape.

The other furry freak is a bit wary of even having his paws held.
However, he is not a shoulder-springer, so I haven't done 'owt to his
spiky weapons.

I use scissors-style clippers that have a built in guard, supposedly
to prevent the idiot human from chopping away too much claw. However
the guard is too ambitious - relying on it would soon lead to
bloodletting from both human and cat.

Steve.

(---MIKE---) wrote in message ...
I never clip the claws. I don't think it's necessary and I doubt if
they would let me do it anyway! The old sheaths fall off naturally.

It's necessary if your cat uses your shoulders as launchpads for
ambitious leaps and landings. With untrimmed claws, the motley human's
shoulder soon has the appearance of tenderised beef.

Fortunately, my cat that does this has been exceptionally well
socialised - to trim his pointy bits, I simply tuck him under one arm
(I'm standing) and he'll usually extend his claws for me to snip. Rear
claws are a little more trouble - I flip him onto his back on my lap,
and will usually drape a towel across his front paws to prevent early
escape.

The other furry freak is a bit wary of even having his paws held.
However, he is not a shoulder-springer, so I haven't done 'owt to his
spiky weapons.

I use scissors-style clippers that have a built in guard, supposedly
to prevent the idiot human from chopping away too much claw. However
the guard is too ambitious - relying on it would soon lead to
bloodletting from both human and cat.

Steve.

".oO rach Oo." wrote in message
m...
I was just wondering what your opinion is on the best tool to clip a cat's
claws. Would you use a nail clipper specifically for cats or one for
humans?
I've seen both used but since I will be starting to do this in the near
future (the vet showed us how today) I want to make sure the best and most
comfortable method is used.

I agree with Dennis C. I've used a human toenail clipper for years on
kittens and on large adults with *consistently* quick and neat results.
Frankly, I don't think there's anything quicker, because of the small size
and easy manipulation of the toenail clipper. However, just like doing
anything else, there's a right way and a wrong way to use a toenail clipper
for trimming a cat's claws.

The cross-section of each claw is an oblong shape. The verticle direction
through a claw has a greater distance than does the horizontal direction. So
if you orient the nail clipper the same way that you would orient it for
clipping a human toenail, then you will shear through the longer dimension
of the cross-section, and will run a high risk of crushing/splitting the
claw. Thus, it's imperative to shear through the narrower, easier direction
through the claw. Essentially you just rotate the clipper 90 degrees from
the orientation that it would be used for a human toenail. Quick and easy!
I've been trimming claws of my own cats and of my girlfriend's for years and
never once have I split a claw with a toenail clipper when the clipper is
properly oriented.

".oO rach Oo." wrote in message
m...
I was just wondering what your opinion is on the best tool to clip a cat's
claws. Would you use a nail clipper specifically for cats or one for
humans?
I've seen both used but since I will be starting to do this in the near
future (the vet showed us how today) I want to make sure the best and most
comfortable method is used.

I agree with Dennis C. I've used a human toenail clipper for years on
kittens and on large adults with *consistently* quick and neat results.
Frankly, I don't think there's anything quicker, because of the small size
and easy manipulation of the toenail clipper. However, just like doing
anything else, there's a right way and a wrong way to use a toenail clipper
for trimming a cat's claws.

The cross-section of each claw is an oblong shape. The verticle direction
through a claw has a greater distance than does the horizontal direction. So
if you orient the nail clipper the same way that you would orient it for
clipping a human toenail, then you will shear through the longer dimension
of the cross-section, and will run a high risk of crushing/splitting the
claw. Thus, it's imperative to shear through the narrower, easier direction
through the claw. Essentially you just rotate the clipper 90 degrees from
the orientation that it would be used for a human toenail. Quick and easy!
I've been trimming claws of my own cats and of my girlfriend's for years and
never once have I split a claw with a toenail clipper when the clipper is
properly oriented.

From: "Knack"

I've been trimming claws of my own cats and of my girlfriend's for years and
never once have I split a claw with a toenail clipper when the clipper is
properly oriented.

Question: When you say toilnail clipper, are you talking about the ones that
look like fingernail clippers but larger in size? Or are you talking about the
toenail clippers that are a bit similar to regular scissors but have the thick
head? I use the cat scissors but I'm not happy with them because they just
don't seem sharp enough.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: "Knack"

I've been trimming claws of my own cats and of my girlfriend's for years and
never once have I split a claw with a toenail clipper when the clipper is
properly oriented.

Question: When you say toilnail clipper, are you talking about the ones that
look like fingernail clippers but larger in size? Or are you talking about the
toenail clippers that are a bit similar to regular scissors but have the thick
head? I use the cat scissors but I'm not happy with them because they just
don't seem sharp enough.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

-L. wrote in on 10 Jan
2004:

From an old post (link has a pic to the scissor clippers):

My experience is that the more you do it, the more they get used to
it.

Good technique and tools are esssential. I like to use the
small, blunt-nosed, notched, scissor-like clippers (Groommax Cat Nail

snip


Thanks, Lyn. I'm always on the lookout for an easier way to do this.
Shadow, as you know is ~11-12 and I've never been able to clip his so
they're always done at the vets. Shamrock is a little easier and I do his
myself but I always have them do them when he's at the vet, too. Now,
Bonnie, she is a different story. Her claws have never been clipped but
I've been getting her used to having her paws handled and she sort of likes
it. She is semi-feral but loves being touched... on her own terms. But
she likes her paws rubbed. She just can't be picked up, yet. Little
squirmy girl is very fast when she thinks I'm going to try to pick her up.
She climbed up on my lap tonight for the first time.

--
Cheryl

I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy.
Come here Squishy. Ow. Bad Squishy.
- Dori

-L. wrote in on 10 Jan
2004:

From an old post (link has a pic to the scissor clippers):

My experience is that the more you do it, the more they get used to
it.

Good technique and tools are esssential. I like to use the
small, blunt-nosed, notched, scissor-like clippers (Groommax Cat Nail

snip


Thanks, Lyn. I'm always on the lookout for an easier way to do this.
Shadow, as you know is ~11-12 and I've never been able to clip his so
they're always done at the vets. Shamrock is a little easier and I do his
myself but I always have them do them when he's at the vet, too. Now,
Bonnie, she is a different story. Her claws have never been clipped but
I've been getting her used to having her paws handled and she sort of likes
it. She is semi-feral but loves being touched... on her own terms. But
she likes her paws rubbed. She just can't be picked up, yet. Little
squirmy girl is very fast when she thinks I'm going to try to pick her up.
She climbed up on my lap tonight for the first time.

--
Cheryl

I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy.
Come here Squishy. Ow. Bad Squishy.
- Dori

Jon C wrote in on 10 Jan
2004:

http://tinyurl.com/ytcjb


Thanks Jon. You and Lyn posted a link to the same tool and I think I'll
try that. I've been using this one:
http://tinyurl.com/2ee55

I doubt I'll ever get Shadow used to getting his claws clipped at home;
even the techs at the vets office have a hard time with him and his claws.
He has literally no voice when he meows but I can hear him hollaring when
they take him to the clipping room when they do it. He HATES it. I hope to
be able to do Bonnie's some day... soon.

--
Cheryl

I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy.
Come here Squishy. Ow. Bad Squishy.
- Dori