Kitties claws

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  • 18 December, 2007 at 10:56 pm #13310
    Karenopa
    Participant

    I have an 8 mo. old kitten who from very early on seemed to have a problem with getting her claws to retract whenever she came in contact with furniture, fabrics, throw rugs,pant legs, etc. I used to think it was only because she was very young, yet her 3 other sibblings don’t seem to run into the problem. Yet she continues daily to get hung up in things. Does she have a problem…and is there something that should be done?

    18 December, 2007 at 11:11 pm #123488
    Leeny
    Participant

    Have you asked your vet about this, to make sure that she doesn’t have some sort of problem with the muscles or nerves?

    My cats get hung up on things when their claws grow too long. I keep their claws clipped; that way, there are no sharp ends to get stuck in fabric.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:16 pm #123489
    feral
    Participant

    Karen…Hi sis…have the man/friend built some scratch posts & rub them with a smidget of cat nip. If your not able to clip their nails,(you wouldn’t catch me trying to clip any cats nails) then I suggest you get them the heck away from the furniture,pant legs,etc.,before it’s engrained that it’s okay to do so. I have a couple of kitties here that get hung up from time to time. I just unhookum & there on there way.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:22 pm #123490
    Karenopa
    Participant

    Thanks Eileen and Susie…I suspect Oreo may need a clipping but like you…there’s no way I feel confident in doing this so the next best thing would be to get pops to built a cat-scratch-tower for her and her sibblings. I sure hope there’s not a problem with her nerves or muscles. She’s incredibly healthy in every other way.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:23 pm #123491
    Leeny
    Participant

    Scratching posts that are covered with rope or sisal, and scratching pads made of corrugated cardboard, are good. This keeps the cats from associating scratching with cloth. If they scratch carpet on a scratching post, it’s harder for them to understand why they can’t scratch it on the floor.

    My cats have gotten used to claw clipping with time. Buttercup hardly protests any more, and I don’t have to put Penny in a grooming bag as I did at first.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:25 pm #123492
    Leeny
    Participant

    You can also ask the vet to clip cat claws. The last time I looked, though, my vet was charging $10 per cat for the service, so I learned to do it myself.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:30 pm #123493
    anncetera2
    Participant

    Karen, if this is a concern, I’d first suggest asking your vet. There could be some muscle/tendon weakness or malformation of some sort, that causes this behavior. It’s not good that it’s a daily problem; does she get hooked up and completely unable to unhook?

    If there’s nothing physically wrong, I’d go the sisal-scratching-post route (might strengthen paw/toe strength, you know) and get the kitty used to nail clipping.

    It may simply be that this particular kitty’s claws tend to grow longer or more hooked before they shed. I’ve noticed a huge difference between some cats’ claws. Some are just average, others are at least half-circle plus talons of DOOM.

    I know I posted somewhere in just the past week or so, photos and diagrams and explanations of what’s needed to clip kitty claws. First, I would get this particular kitty used to having her paws handled by you in a calm, quiet way with lots of petting and praise for her behaving calmly and not pulling her paw away.

    Then I’d proceed with clipping one or two nails, with lots of praise again for her behaving calmly. (I know those diagrams & photos are on here somewhere.)

    If you can train her to this, and do it on a regular basis, clipping her claws will probably help. But if this continues to be a significant problem, you’ll definitely want to go back to your vet about it.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:30 pm #123494
    feral
    Participant

    Eileen…I know what you mean by the carpeting confusing them. I’ve made both types of scratchers for them. I do have a couple of adult cats that prefer flat scratching. Just showing them where they were was enuf to keep them using them thank goodness. Plus I put double-sided tape at corners of the sofas for awhile & they quit using those spots.

    BTW…Eileen,how are you healing up from surgery? Well,I hope.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:32 pm #123495
    Leeny
    Participant

    I’m fine from the surgery now. I went for my follow-up appointment with the surgeon on the 10th, and he officially discharged me from his care.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:33 pm #123496
    feral
    Participant

    Good to hear. 🙂

    18 December, 2007 at 11:35 pm #123497
    Leeny
    Participant

    Thank you! 🙂

    18 December, 2007 at 11:37 pm #123498
    Karenopa
    Participant

    Thank you Anncetra…I’ll go look for the diagrams that you posted..with 4 kittens in house…I certainly can’t afford to have them done by a vet, yet realize it’s an important part of their continued health maintenance. Thanks again Ann

    Susie please email me and let me know how you’re building these different scratching posts. I’m new to all this.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:41 pm #123499
    Karenopa
    Participant

    Oh and Ann..Oreo does manage to unhook herself from her entanglements but I’m not positive it’s from shaking it loose or eventually retracting.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:45 pm #123500
    feral
    Participant

    Karen…trust me when I say the less,the better. Since I’ve got zilch to buy one (they’re completely overpriced anyways) I simply take a 4×4 of whatever height you want it to be,bolt it to a big enuf board as a base,& I secure carpeting around it using screws. I don’t use staples because they work them out scratching the posts & my feet always seem to find them.

    As for the floor ones. I just attach carpeting to a 2×6 in.board & it lays flat on the floor.

    18 December, 2007 at 11:47 pm #123501
    Karenopa
    Participant

    Thanks Susie…sounds easy enough. Wish me luck…

    18 December, 2007 at 11:53 pm #123502
    feral
    Participant

    Always Good Luck to you. Now quit hoggin’ the puter from Jeff. lol

    19 December, 2007 at 12:18 am #123503
    Karenopa
    Participant

    Never!!! Besides…he has his own puter!!! Tee Hee..Otherwise, we’d never survive!

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