And I thought I'd had a bad week or two

[cjsmith]

Lately I've been noticing Duchess, the largest of my cats, clicking when she walked. Time to clip her claws. She doesn't love it, but she permits it. I started in on her a half hour ago.

I was way, way too late.

Ever seen an ingrown claw? A badly ingrown claw? On a forepaw, which the cat uses to dig in the sandbox?

I just doctored one.

She is the sweetest, most patient cat in the universe. I am not speedy with this type of thing. I am positive that it hurt, probably badly, at more than one stage in the "treatment". But she didn't do more than twitch and make a little vocal complaint.

Poor Duchess! She's been walking on that thing for ages like this. And she just had it pulled out, by an amateur, with (forgive me here, folks, it's the best thing I had for the job at hand) a pair of pliers. I can only imagine how much it's been hurting. I am such a bad kittymom, letting it go that long :-( :-(. At least it's out now.

Comments

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

I've never seen and ingrown claw. Did it just curve too far?

And Duchess loves you coz you fixed it like a good kittimom!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's exactly it. Once it curves too far she can't keep it trimmed down by scratching on things, so it gets longer and wider and thicker until (basically) humans intervene. The tip was embedded in her toe pad. I was stunned at how big the piece was when I got it out of there. Poor thing! That must have hurt! My poor poor kitty!

She wasn't even limping. I wonder if she is on some really good drugs I don't know about. :-)

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

Oh, then I shouldn't have to worry too much because Spike sharpens her claws daily. Over the last 17 years of her life she has clawed about 4 inches thru a 6 inch thick bit of wood. It was from a deck project and it was extra, so we used it as a border in the garden. Little furryweaselcat uses it as her own personal scratching post. And she also uses my rug in the living room. It's a cheapy, so I don't mind. And I can't really stop her. Since she is a cat. And it's her house.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Spike's probably safe enough! Duchess doesn't scratch as much as the others. Some, but not as much. This is the second ingrown claw she has had (the first one I got the vet to fix).

I can't really stop her. Since she is a cat. And it's her house.

That sure is the way of things, isn't it? :-)

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we're merely here to provide lots of pets, food and the scooping of poop. Oh and we're warm things to attach too in winter when it is cold.