I get my nails clipped every month. My humans used to trim them for me, but I'm a squirmer, and that turned this task into a major hassle for all of us.
So now I visit a nail tech (she’s one of my veterinarian’s techs), and the entire process takes less than five minutes!
I didn’t think much about having my nails clipped until I learned about the alternatives. OMG! Some humans declaw their felines. I guess they didn’t know that declawing is a surgery where a cat’s toe bones and claws are amputated. Despite its name, declawing isn’t just the removal of a cat’s claws. If the same procedure were performed on humans, their fingers would be amputated at the last knuckle! Thank goodness the banning of declawing is starting to become more popular in the USA. It has already been banned in most European countries, as well as in Israel, New York, Maryland, and many cities in California.
I’ve also heard about nail caps. This product was supposedly created to stop cats from damaging furniture, but in some places, it has morphed into a gimmicky fashion accessory allowing cat parents to have matching manicures with their pets. Really? How weird! Besides, caps aren’t a permanent solution. They can cause paw pads to be infected and must be applied and removed by a veterinarian.
I am thankful that my humans and I have worked out a compromise. They put scratching posts in every room, I go for a mani-pedi monthly, and it’s ok if I scratch on the chair in the bedroom BUT not on any other piece of furniture. Seems like a win-win to me.
You are a lucky cat Smokey! You have the best humans taking care of you!