Scratching

[kitti688]

Hi

Harrie seems to be getting little scratches by her neck and ears recently, not deep, they dont seem to bother her but Id obviously like to eliminate this.

I thought she'd been rubbing up against something that was scratching her and also leaving browny marks but Im now unsure if perhaps shes scratching herself with her back claws as shes scratching? Is this likely?

Maybe cutting them is leaving sharp edges? Anything I can do to stop this happening?

 

[sydkat7]

My cat Piglet has been having the same problem! I think she's causing these abrasions when she scratches herself. Unfortunately, I don't have any good suggestions for you, so I'll be curious to see what others here say about this.

 

[ElGatoLoco]

ButterBall has the same issues. I think he scratches himself when he scratches. It usually goes away after a few days. But it does leave a pretty ugly mark that gets full of dirt.

 

[Brooke]

Hi

Harrie seems to be getting little scratches by her neck and ears recently, not deep, they dont seem to bother her but Id obviously like to eliminate this.

I thought she'd been rubbing up against something that was scratching her and also leaving browny marks but Im now unsure if perhaps shes scratching herself with her back claws as shes scratching? Is this likely?

Maybe cutting them is leaving sharp edges? Anything I can do to stop this happening?

Yes, I've seen some scratches on Walter, too, in front of his ears. I pretty sure it's from him scratching himself. It doesn't happen very often with him, but they look like 2 or 3 short scratches all in a row that go away after a couple of days.

If it's happening a lot, you might try using a nail file or a dremel to soften the sharp edges of Harrie's back nails, though a lot of animals don't like the weird feeling of having their nails filed! Or, you might try something as simple as getting a different pair of nail clippers that may leave a cleaner cut.

Good luck!

 

[silly4lilly]

milky does this too. she always scratches her neck which is one of the reasons we started using soft paws.

 

[PitRottMommy]

Hi

Harrie seems to be getting little scratches by her neck and ears recently, not deep, they dont seem to bother her but Id obviously like to eliminate this.

I thought she'd been rubbing up against something that was scratching her and also leaving browny marks but Im now unsure if perhaps shes scratching herself with her back claws as shes scratching? Is this likely?

Maybe cutting them is leaving sharp edges? Anything I can do to stop this happening?

If you have two cats, they are likely playing a little too hard. If Harrie is your only companion, it's time to break out the nail trimmers AND an emery board. You can also try SoftPaws. We, personally, use a Dremel and buff them all down smooth. You can give this a whirl if you're brave, it takes two of us generally because there's so much skin to pull back + the foot to hold. Otherwise, the emery board will be safer and less hassle.

 

[kitti688]

Thanks for the replies! Glad to know its not just us, I was worried I was doing something wrong

I tried the emery board but that did not go down well at all! Even with someone else to hold her

I think I might try the soft claws and see if that does the trick, thanks

 

[PitRottMommy]

Thanks for the replies! Glad to know its not just us, I was worried I was doing something wrong

I tried the emery board but that did not go down well at all! Even with someone else to hold her

I think I might try the soft claws and see if that does the trick, thanks

An older cat will be harder to switch over to learning to tolerate an emery board. A young cat, however, may not tolerate it to begin with--but they'll learn. SoftPaws are harder to get used to once they're on than using an emery board is. You may soon learn that your companion will hold still for the initial application of SP and then realize what you're doing upon subsequent applications and refuse to sit still or tolerate it. Broaden your methods in whatever you're doing, try wrapping all but the head and the foot you're working tightly in a towel (such as one might swaddle a baby). Cats learn very quickly the word "NO" when accompanied with a tap on the nose. We have 3 cats, two of which we acquired as adults less than a month ago...all of them tolerate the Dremel and the older two have had it done three times total in their time with us. They weren't too happy to begin with, but they began tolerating it better with time.

Also, remember, that the SoftPaws will fall off. So, trimming the nails is a wise decision BEFORE applying the SoftPaws. Directions on the label will tell you that they recommend NOT trimming. I've trimmed for many years without any problems in how long the SoftPaws stayed on (given the pet wasn't trying to pull them off). At any rate, if you choose not to trim and they are either pulled off or fall off--you're back to square one because the nail beneath the cap will be sharp and your companion, again, will damage the skin once she scratches herself.

 

[admin]

Yes our male cat Leo has scratches quit a bit, its because they don't have the fur to protect them when scratching them selves. Clipping nails once a week will help some!