So the two cats I got from my friend are great - love having them around. They’re declawed on their front paws, not on the back. I’ve noticed that Scout’s back claws are looking long - my friend said she rarely, if ever trimmed them, so I’m not sure if it’s really necessary. But if I decide to do it, how do I go about it? I know I’d need to go over to the pet supply store and get some trimmers before I even started, and I know I have to be careful about how much I trim, but beyond that, I have no idea.
The second question is specific to the boy, Jake. Everyonce in a while I’ll pick up on him breathing strangely - sort of a wheezing noise. He’s eating fine, acting like he normally does (right now he’s going nutso knocking a ball around the apartment), but when it catches my ear, it sounds odd. Is this something I should be concerned enough about to take him to the vet soon, or does it sound like something I should just mention when we happen to go (they’re due for shots in early November)?
it sounds like your cat may have a respitory infection or a virus…how long has it been going on?
as far as trimming your cats claws - the hardest part is keeping them still while you do it. You don’t need special claw cutters to do it, i use human nail trimmers myself (they’re cheaper).
When you push gently in the pad of your cats paws, the claws will pop out… you have to take a very close look and see where the “vein” type thing is, never cut beyond this point because that will make them bleed. If you’re not confident in doing it, when you go to the vets next, ask them to show you how to do it, seeing someone else do it will make you realise it’s easy enough to do when you know where NOT to cut
I’ve picked up on it every once in a while since I got them - about 5-6 weeks ago. It doesn’t seem at all consistent - he’s now settled down right next to me and his breathing sounds fine.
I’ll likely ask my friend next time I see her (that’ll be Wednesday) if she noticed it before. If she never noticed it, then I’ll definitely plan on getting him into the vet this week.
I’m not sure about the wheezing, although I think cats can sometimes have allergies or infections just like humans. It might not be a bad idea to get him checked out.
Here’s a how-to link for trimming claws. http://ca.essortment.com/cuttingcatscla_rrex.htm It’s not really that big a deal, though. We cut our cat’s (front) claws all the time.
Cats pretty much invariably have white/clear nails, so you can see the vein very easily. If you’re uncertain, however, just nip the tips of them. With my declawed cat, I just sit her up in my lap like a baby (that way she’s kind of curled around her paunch and can’t move as quickly) and have at her with my fingernail clippers. It works for her, but it might not work for other cats.
As for the wheezing, if he doesn’t do it regularly, he might have asthma or allergies instead of an URI. As long as he doesn’t have a runny nose or eyes, and is eating and acting normally, I would just bring it up at his next appointment. Unless, of course, the wheezing gets more frequent or changes in character. In the meantime, pay attention to what’s going on when he has these episodes. Has he just eaten? Has he been playing more than usual? Did you just bring fresh flowers in the house, or just cut the grass? How long does this usually last? Does the wheezing sound the same throughout, or does it change character? The more details you have, the better job your vet can do of figuring out what’s going on.
One of our cats, Max, has a heart murmur and we are supposed to note if he pants or wheezes and report it on our next vet visit. Keep in mind that we already know he has the condition and are just tracking any worrisome behaviors. Fortunately, he only has rare instances of panting and the vet and I agree that they are related to heat and activity than heart problems. Still, we keep track, and if he started panting frequently, off to the vet we’d go.
I’m guessing your friend didn’t mention anything about a heart murmur; we’ve know since Max was a kitten.
And on preview, I note that CrazyCatLady has checked in and given excellent advice–unlike me. I’m adding a “me, too” for her post and it’s back to lurking for me.
My boy cat does the wheezing thing every once in a while. I just figure he’s trying to bring up a bit of a hairball or other obstruction as he’s healthy and has clean bills of health from the vet.
I do the trimming thing with regular clippers every couple of months.
Warning: the “vein” people have mentioned is a NERVE. Do NOT clip anywhere NEAR this. The pain and distress for the cat if you hit this is indescribable (my dad accidentally did this to a former pet, and she was messed up for weeks afterwards). The good news is, as said, it’s really easy to see and avoid. Make sure you have a scratching post handy for afterwards, so the can can remove any flaky pieces of claw that are left.
My cat wheezes intermittently too, but always gets a clean bill of health. I think it might be something they just do - she does it more just before she’s about to start purring, or if she’s sniffing the air.
Trimming back claws? Good luck. I trim my cats’ front claws every few weeks with little trouble, but have never been able to pin them down for a back-claw trimming. I get the claw-clipper, I wrestle the cat to the ground, I maneuver her hind paw into the right position, and—zoom! Away goes kitty.
Well, here’s the story on the wheezing. He still sounds fine most of the time, his eyes and nose look fine. He’s sleeping a lot, but then he’s a cat and I happen to have been home more than ususal during the last five days, so I may well be observing more, but he’s not doing more.
I did call the vet whose name my friend gave me. What I learned is that they were in last October for de-worming, but that they did not receive anything else at that time, and I can only assume that they have received no vaccinations since she got them from the Nashville shelter sometime in 2001 unless this was done before she moved here from there (sometime in late summer of 2002). Basically, I have no proof that they’ve ever had any (but neither do I doubt that they have had some at some point in time).
We have an appointment next Thursday. They will receive full physicals and all necessary vaccinations.
If they get an extra set of vaccinations, can it hurt them?
Good luck at the vet! One of my cats wheezes slightly, too, but only after exerting herself heavily during play. But her problem was that she was really malnourished as a baby, and as a result, it has taken a long time for her muscles to develop as they should. She used to be a lot worse, but the wheezing, while still present occaisionally, has gotten a lot less pronounced since she’s properly fed and more developed. Whatever it is, if he’s otherwise healthy, it probably won’t affect him too much. Also, It doesn’t sound as though duplicated vaccinations will even be an issue, but you should probably mention that to your vet when you take your cats in.
Brief hijack: My cat was declawed as a kitten, and one of his claws grew back. It doesn’t hurt him, and I trim it every once in a while. My fiance suggested I take him in and get the claw removed, but I don’t want to have him in surgery if he doesn’t need it. It doesn’t seem to bother him. Any thoughts?
I try to trim the front paws every week and the hind paws every 2 weeks or so. Every cat is different, but I sit my cat in my lap and cradle her like a baby, with her head in the crux of my elbow. Her paws are sticking straight up in the air, and she lets me clip her nails with minimal fuss. Most of the time. A pile of treats at the end of the ordeal and I am forgiven.
As for the breathing, my cat also “wheezes” sometimes. She’s been to the vet and had multiple exams done for respiratory infections, asthma, etc. , and near as we can tell, that’s just the way she breathes sometimes.
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- If your cat fights claw trimming, then what you do is this:
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- You first install a sturdy mug hook in a wall, about two feet off the floor, in a convenient open spot (under-counter cabinet frames are good). It is also helpful if the floor is not carpeted, another reason to use the kitchen (if your kitchen floor is carpeted you are an obtuse freak of nature).
- You need a thin leash, and a reasonably-strong (buckle-adjustable) collar.
- You put the leash+collar on the cat, and then take it to the mug hook, and tie a loop in the leash so that when the leash is hooked onto the mug hook, the cat can back away from the cabinets only six inches or so.
- Then, hook them up and clip away. The cat will try to back up but can’t, and their head will be held high and level from the tension of them pulling against the leash. With a cat that is normally too slippery and won’t allow us to to trim any of her claws, using this get-up takes about sixty seconds to get all four feet. The cat sits still, hanging on the leash, looking really annoyed. I just trim off the last sixteenth of an inch or so, I don’t take chances by cutting off a lot because done this way, trimming the claws is easy to do. Of course, the cat now hates the leash and tries to run whenever she sees it coming, but oh well. It beats having holes in everything (-the cat has a scratching post she does use, but when her claws get too long, she begins to sharpen them on EVERYTHING ELSE as well as the scratching post).
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