Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
START WITH THE CLAWS
Trimming the nails is important for your cat's good health. Untrimmed
nails can eventually deform a cat's feet, and can even grow back into the
pads and become very painful. Regular trimming will also prevent your
cat from accidentally scratching you or your furniture, getting snagged
in your sweater or hung up on the rug.
Proper technique for toenail trimming is to push on the top of the
toe to extend the nail, and then cut off the hooked end with a pet nail
trimmer.When you trim a cat's toenails, be careful not to cut the quick.
The quick is a bundle of nerves and blood vessels that supply the nail
and will look like a pink line or triangle inside a white nail. If you cut
the quick, you'll hurt your cat and the toenail will bleed. (If your cat
has black nails, just cut off the part of the nail that curls under.)
If you are inexperienced, you might want to start off cutting small
amounts of nail and increase over time as you gain confidence with the
procedure. You can have a veterinarian or groomer demonstrate the
technique for you.
Toenail trimming should be started when your cat is a kitten, so
that she becomes used to it. Cats know when you are not confident, so
if you are having problems with nail trimming, you may want to stop,
regroup and start over a little later. If she senses your anxiety, your cat
will take advantage of the situation by squirming, making it even hard-
er for you to trim her nails.You might consider cutting just a few nails
at a time or trying to cut the cat's nails while she is napping.
Quick
Cut here
Gently extend the nail by pushing on the top of the toe, then cut beyond the quick.
