Conference misery::feline_v1

    I mentioned cleaning in your other note...
    
    As for nail trimming...  I find it easiest when they're sleeping.  If
    you gently take their paw when they're asleep, you can usually finish
    one before they're awake enough to notice.  Be careful not to cut the
    quick, and don't squeeze their paw too tight, and Frito ought to let
    you do it.  Just be patient.  If he starts to struggle, quit and try
    again later.  By the way, I use a normal, small sized human nail 
    clipper.  I tried the big animal clippers and they seemed intimidated
    by it.  This way they don't really notice you've got anything "up
    your sleeve".
    
    Works with our three,
    Karen, Tristan, Tenzing and Max.

    By the way, I would take the fact that he's started to lick his paws
    as a very good sign that he's becoming interested in grooming himself.
    Try not to distract him from it, and it should become a habit.
    
    Karen, Tristan, Tenzing and Max.

         If someone's available to help it would probably make nail
    trimming a lot easier.  Our kitty always hated to have her nails
    cut....growling, etc.  So...what worked best was I would hold her
    on my lap (with protection, of course!) and my fiance would trim
    the nails.  The first couple of times I held her by the scruff so
    that she couldn't struggle....and it also seems to make her very
    passive, like when a mother cat holds them....now that's not necessary
    and she doesn't struggle.  Also, get a GOOD pair of clippers...it
    can make all the difference.
    
    
    Bob

    Nippa used to be a BRAT (and she still is ) when I clip her nails,
    however, after a few times w/ lots of treats and stuff she allowed
    me to do it.  She still "sings/growls" if I take to long, but she
    does not fight me anymore.
    
    Michele & Nippa

    
    
    A mother cat stops cleaning her kittens as soon as they start eating..
    or rather she still cleans them, but they start cleaning themselves..
    its a natural thing.  So I go along with the opinion that she's
    not feeling well so she won't clean herself..
    
    
    F.

    I've found cats to be alot like people.  Some are just a little
    more concerned about personal hygeine than others.  Luckily my 4
    are very good abot keeping themselves celan.

    Be sure to make nail trimming a very pleasant experience for Frito.
    Give him lots of praise and talk to him in a quiet calm voice. 
    When you are finished, pet him, hug him, and give him a treat. 
    He may change his mind about having his nails trimmed.
    
    Jo

    Even though the breeder gave you the shaft, breaking your contract
    with her would only hurt Frito in the end.  The neutering is a *must*
    if you want to continue to enjoy having Frito living with you. 
    He will become most unpleasant if not neutered.
    
    On the issue of declawing.  It is my opinion that not declawing
    is what is best for Frito, but that is another can of worms that
    I don't want to open up again.  There are many discussions about
    it in this file, I just hope that you would think long and hard
    about it before doing it.
    
    Jo

    Speaking of claws....One of my cats is declawed (front only--nothing
    determental has come of it, and yes, I admit I did make that decision
    myself), and the other one isn't.  Well, poor Old Bonsey, the clawed
    cat, seems to want to snag a claw in anything he walks/jumps on.
    So there are little holes in my new dining chairs, in my comforter
    on my bed, just about everywhere.  He doesn't claw things (not much
    anyway) like Ashley did, and I am not thinking of having him declawed,
    but I'd kinda like not to have to put my chairs up on the table
    like a closed cafe.  So....I looked at his claws and wondered what
    it took to clip them.  
    
    My question is, what does the quick look like?  There isn't much
    of a dark area in his claws, and he's pretty mellow, so chances
    are I can clip him easily enugh (plus, I'm not one to concede battles
    to cats, no matter what).  I just don't want to hurt him or end
    up wityh kitty blood everywhere.  
    
                                                            ---kim

    Re: .9
    
    I'm curious about the need to clip claws.  My guys use several
    scratching
    posts in the house, and leave little claw shells around their base.
    I've never clipped their claws, and they don't seem to snag their claws
    in anything.  Is this a cat to cat variation?
    

    
    
    	This is kind of a different problem but it has to
    	do with claws so I'll put it here....
    
    	We have an 8 week old kitten.. (Duke)...I noticed yesterday
    	that he only has one claw on his left paw....he had them all
    	when we got him.... I called the vet and they said that unless
    	there's blood, not to worry about it...I haven't found any...
    	I told them that he catches his claws on everything...clothes,
    	curtains, furniture etc....so I was told that they might be
    	"pulling" out..... has anyone else experienced this?
    	He doesn't appear to be in any pain and he doesn't bite at
    	his paw or lick it more often than when he's cleaning so I
    	don't know what to make of it...
    
    	I trust the vet as they have been wonderful with Sasha....
    	what do you experts think?
    
    	Thanks
    
    	JJ
    

    re: .11  We had one experience with this when Isis ripped off a
    back claw fighting with another cat through the kitchen screen.
    In our case we came back from getting and ice cream to kitchen
    counters with blood on them.  I, of course, nearly had a heart
    attack, but then I looked down at three innocent faces (before
    we had Dundee) who didn't look much the worse for wear.
      We took Isis to the vet who gave us antibiotics.  We tried to
    keep the paw bandaged, but that was hopeless.  The vet said he
    expected that the claw would be deformed, but you can't tell it
    from the others now.
    
    re: what does the quick look like.  Most cats claws I've seen
    are clear.  The quick is the pink part nearest the foot.  Just don't
    cut back that far and you won't cut the quick.
      If you do and the paw starts to bleed, don't panic.  I used to
    cut our dog's BLACK nails and occasionally cut too far back.  The
    vet gave me some steptic powder which I used, but he told me I
    could also use talcolm powder.  You put some in the palm of your
    hand and then press the bleeding claw into it.  It will make a
    plug at the end of the nail and stop the bleeding.
      Its not really serious if they bleed, but it is messy and it
    stains.
      Nancy DC
    

    
    
    .....We experienced clipping too close once; will never do that
    again!  The lesson learned was to take your time, relax, and don't
    force it.  Just the idea of it...whew!
    
    
    Cat(hy) _visiting
    

    Re: claw shells...
    
    bones leaves those all over too.  I've noticed it seems that the
    older males (I used to reside with an OLD cat named Sam) leave bits
    and pieces of their feet (yuk) all over.  Last one I found was in
    the vent to the VCR (no wonder he fell off).
    
                                                            ---kim

RE:  Note 2364.10 by CIRCUS::KOLLING "Karen, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif." 
    
>   My guys use several scratching
>   posts in the house, and leave little claw shells around their base.
>   I've never clipped their claws, and they don't seem to snag their claws
>   in anything.  Is this a cat to cat variation?
    
I suspect it is a cat-to-cat variation.  Daisy's claws will catch if
they are too long.  Daisy stays real close when I eat and sometimes
nonchalantly stretches out and catches a claw in my placemat and then
starts dragging the placemat with my food on it across the table.  I
take that as a sign to trim her claws.  I know it's time to do Shamus
when he makes a clicking sound as he walks across the linoleum floor.
I find they both need to be trimmed about every 3 weeks.

What I find interesting is that not all claws are equally long and sharp.
In addition, it seems as though Shamus is left-pawed.  That is, his left
front paw has much sharper claws than the right front paw.  Anyone else
ever notice that?

Pam

    Nebula's claws grow much faster than JFCL's.  I didn't cut JFCL's claws
    until after I got her needle-toed little companion (JFCL is about 6
    months older).  Now I cut both cat's claws when Nebula begins to click
    when she walks on the kitchen floor, or if I catch either of them
    clawing something that is forbidden (like the sofa).  JFCL usually
    doesn't really need it, but I like to treat both kitties the same;
    Nebula hangs around after I cut her claws to make sure that her buddy
    gets the same undignified treatment, and then they both vanish until
    their respective dignities have recovered!