SM Johnson ~ Fuzzy Friday ~ clipping toenails

Photo by Panda Jones, used with permissionYeah, yeah, laugh at me if you want to, but I am obsessed with animal toenails.

With the exception of the current dog, I have always managed to accomplish toenail maintenance all by myself.

The current dog is 65 pounds of boxer/rottweiler mix, however, and she thinks toenail clipping time is playtime, and she has way too many knees and elbows, and a head like a brick, and I've been injured every time I've attempted to clip her nails myself. So SHE goes to the groomer every 3 months. Which works out okay, because that's right about the time she becomes unbearably stinky, so I have them give her a bath at the same time. Yep, that one I send to the professionals.

I even manage to clip the toenails of Colby Cat, a.k.a I hate you all and believe me, that is plenty challenging. I had to get really creative with that one, let me tell you. Colby Cat a.k.a People Suck hates being picked up, manipulated, and held down with a very wiggly, scratchy, stabby passion. But we've got a system. Our system is called, "Pinning." Have you ever heard of "pinning the cat" ? No, I hadn't, either.

But out of sheer desperation and moments before ordering a "cat bag" from Jeffers pet catalog, I did a google search on how to clip a cat's nails, and I discovered Pinning. It's the only way I have managed to trim the nails of my non-compliant kitty.

Pinning is an English (and I mean the country of England) term for attaching 4 - 6 clothes pins along a cat's neck in order to make him calm and docile so you can clip his nails. Seriously. It's like a clothes pin mohawk. Just line the pins up down the back of his head, starting pretty much near the base of the  skull and going down in a line along the back of the neck. And wha-la, you can push you cat over and clip all his toenails with a people nail clipper, turned sideways.

Well, the first time I was able to clip ALL his toenails. These days he's onto me and my wily ways, so I have to hide the pins and the clipper. And once I get him pinned, I still have to pretty much hold him down -  and sometimes I only get 5 nails trimmed in one session - but before I discovered "Pinning" I not able to trim even one toenail.

And let's be clear - the sound of a cat's toenails getting caught in my new rug, or on my new bed comforter, or scratching the carpet on the stairs - gives me the heebie-jeebies and makes me want to call the vet and get hi de-clawed. Which I really don't believe in.

(photo - these guys look like they're waiting for treats. Hmm, who wants a raisin?)

Photo by Panda Jones, used with permissionBut trimming ferret toenails? Let me tell you, if you gather the right tools and take the right approach, it's a breeze.

I may have mentioned we had business of FIVE ferrets. We did nail trimming every 1 - 2 weeks, and it would take about 15 minutes to trim all 20 toenails. Not too shabby, especially considering carpet sharks are very, very wiggly. And non-compliant, although not nearly as gruesomely non-compliant as Mr. Cat a.k.a I hate strangers even more then I hate the people who live here. Back in the day when our zoo keepers were city employees, I told them about this method. I think they were grateful.



Okay, so what should you have on hand when you want to trim a ferrets toenails?


Three things you need:

1. A towel to put over your lap

2. Simple human nail clippers. Small ones are fine.

3. Ferretone or Linatone Skin and Coat supplement (Ferrets love both of them)


1) Lay the towel on your lap, 2) Grab a ferret. 3) Put a line of ferretone on the ferret's belly (he will immediately start licking his belly and his focus will stay on his belly until every trace of ferretone is gone).  4) Grab the clippers, turn them sideways (to prevent the toenails from splitting) and clip away.

If you have additional ferrets, repeat steps 2 - 4 as necessary.

Happy ferrets. Happy mommy. Happy Friday, darlings!



Image stolen from Tumblr