Is it possible to cut the claws of cats?

Many experts believe that it is very harmful to cut the claws of a cat. After all, for them they are a very important part of the body. In the life of the animal, they perform many important functions. With their help, she can successfully hunt prey, move along the trunks of trees and other surfaces, mark their territory.

Is it worth cutting?

When we take a cat or any other animal to itself, we automatically take responsibility for it. Every owner should understand that a cat without claws will be very bad. Therefore, if you want to cut them for any reason, think, maybe the problem can be solved in another way.

If a pet sharpens its claws on new furniture, then it is necessary to provide another place that is ideal for this. After all, she still will not stop sharpening them. A cat needs this to remove dead cells.

If the cat often scratches you and the household, you need to watch your behavior. As a rule, animals do nothing without a reason. Perhaps you are acting too annoyingly, and the animal does not like it. The cat in this way tells you that she does not like something. It is not necessary to cut the claws, you can simply change your behavior.

But there are situations when you cannot do without cutting the claws. But it is important to understand that this is only a shortening of the nails, but not the complete removal of them. The removal procedure is very cruel, and in many countries it is prohibited.

In some cases, trimming claws to a pet can be called justified actions?

Sometimes a claw is cut due to the fact that it has broken off or exfoliated. For medical reasons it is pruned carefully.

Claw structure

A cat can spontaneously release and retract its claws.For this, it has a whole system, which consists of the claw itself, the joints, the ligaments, as well as special small tendons and muscles. If necessary, the animal uses this system.

If you do not go into details, we can say that the claw consists of a cornified shell and pulp, which is the “living part”. You can cut off only a few millimeters of the cornified part.

Instruments

Ordinary scissors for these purposes will not work. After all, the device of the cat's claw is significantly different from the human. Cutting it with scissors can cause some problems.

Today, there are specially designed tools for this. They can be purchased at a special store. They are called “clave clippers” or simply claw cutters.

1. Special scissors. They look like ordinary scissors. The difference is that the edges of the blades are reinforced. They have a shape that allows you to cover the nail around the perimeter, preventing its damage.
2. Special tongs. This is an improved version. They are somewhat better than scissors, as they are cut more qualitatively.
3. Ordinary forceps for people.

If you do not have special forceps, but you need to cut off the claw of an animal, you can, as a last resort, use ordinary forceps. But in the future, try to find exactly the right tools.

How to cut correctly

To properly cut the claws of a cat, you need to know a few simple rules.

1. Take the animal and put it on your lap so that it is comfortable. Wait for the cat to calm down. To the procedure did not cause unnecessary stress, the animal should be as calm as possible.
2. Take the tool in hand and check its operation.
3. Take the pet's paw, and with two fingers squeeze its finger, on which you want to cut the claw. After compression, the claw must be exposed.
4. Inspect the claw carefully. It is important to clearly understand where the claw itself begins, and where the live part ends.
5. Place the animal's claw in the instrument so that it does not hook the pulp under any circumstances, and then with a sharp and precise movement, press the instrument lever.
6. In case you touched a little pulp, no need to panic. The wound should be treated with hydrogen peroxide or another suitable agent. Such a wound will heal normally.But the following claws need to be cut much more carefully.

Cut the cat's claws only when this cannot be avoided. Remember that this gives the animal a huge discomfort.

Video: Do ​​cats need nail clipping?