Patience is key to trimming feline's claws

Have you been avoiding trimming your feline's claws?

Have you delegated the task to someone else?

It is time for you to establish a routine with your feline so that trimming is a welcome experience for both of you.

First, stick to a schedule. Once a month is a good maintenance schedule to keep both you and the furniture safe. If possible, start when a kitten is young so that the pattern will be routine. If you are teaching an older feline you will progress more slowly, but persist you must to avoid the risk of the nails growing into the foot pads.

Next we need to make the experience routine and rewarding for both of you. By now, you are probably saying to yourself that is just not possible. Patience and persistence are now your friends. Never attempt the task when you do not have enough time to be patient and loving. Your feline knows when you are not happy with its conduct and is more apt to act out when he/she has displeased you.

Start with playing with your cat's toes. Start with a foot massage and gently press on the toe pads to expose the claws. Maybe the first time you do this, you do not cut the claws, but you give a treat. Next time, cut one paw at a time. The incremental approach is the best with older felines.

What part of the claw are you cutting and how far? You need to cut just above the quick, which is the vein inside the nail. That will be the clear area of the nail. If you accidentally cut the quick, styptic powder will stop the bleeding. These products are sold at pet stores. Be sure you have purchased such a product before attempting to trim.

Nail trimmers come in a variety of styles. I prefer a small scissors with a winged, handle extension for additional control. Clippers that would be used on a dog are just too awkward.

If none of your efforts are working and your feline refuses to use the scratching post, is declawing an issue? We have had people interested in adopting declawed felines because they do not wish to be the person that mandates the declawing. They feel the practice is cruel and they do not want any guilt associated with the practice.

The Buddy Foundation does not have a blanket policy on declawing. Ours is a case-by-case decision based on health and age. We fully realize we may be denying an animal a wonderful home if we had such a policy.

I would like to share with you a new procedure for declawing that will ease some of the guilt associated with the procedure. Laser surgery is the latest innovation in pain management. A laser does not crush, tear or bruise because only a beam of intense light touches the tissue.

The laser also seals small blood vessels and nerve endings. The result is a precise, shortened surgery with minimal pain postoperatively. The recovery process can be as little as less than 24 hours.

My polydactyl is living testament to that claim. She was up and literally running with the rest of my pride within less than a day. A polydactyl feline has extra toes. My polydactyl has 14 toes just on her front feet alone. If you choose to declaw, I would strongly suggest you find a veterinarian that has a laser in its practice.

Featured felines:

• Abbi is a black-and-white female born in September of 2000. She was originally adopted from Buddy 11 years ago. Her owner became allergic to cats and recently returned Abbi to Buddy. Abbi spent a couple of weeks in one of our condos, as she was initially very depressed. She has since come out of her depression and has now joined a group of other cats in one of our cat rooms. She is quite friendly, spends a lot of time in one of the cat trees and enjoys being brushed.

• Brandi is a black-and-white female with medium length fur. She and her sister June were both rescued from an outdoor life by one of our volunteers. Brandi was a little afraid at first but quickly discovered that the people here were really nice. She has become very friendly and inquisitive. She enjoys chasing small balls around the floor, being brushed and petted, frequently requesting belly rubs and, if given the opportunity, she will curl up in your lap. Brandi currently shares a "three-room condo" with her sister June. The two of them would be a wonderful pair for any loving family.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit (501c3), all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter dedicated to the welfare of stray, abused and abandoned cats and dogs. For information, call The Buddy Foundation at (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.