Nails-claws: how the defiant manicure is back in fashion. Cat claw grooming: cutting a scratch

The cat sharpens its claws on furniture, tears the wallpaper, spoils the carpet ... Very often the owners complain that property suffers from the claws of pets. And few people understand that the reason for this behavior is not feline harm or lack of upbringing, but instinct.

In their natural habitat, the tailed beasts grind their claws by running over rough surfaces, climbing trees or marking territory. From the fact that a cat got into a man's house, its instincts do not disappear in any way, only they have to be realized with the help of what is “under the paw”.

The easiest way to protect things from damage is to take care of the cat's claws. This will not bring any special difficulties to the owner, but it will definitely relieve a lot of problems. Items for caring for cat claws are the simplest, as a rule, inexpensive and accessible to everyone - a scratching post (you can generally do it yourself) and a claw cutter (sold in pet stores or veterinary clinics).

Scratching post - to every home

A scratching post, in principle, should be in the house of every cat lover, but it is important to choose the one that suits the cat's taste, and does not become unnecessary trash.

Watch your pet: if he likes to sharpen his claws on the carpet - opt for a horizontal model, on the high armrests of a sofa or a door frame - choose a vertical one. The base of the "simulator" must be heavy and stable enough so as not to fall and frighten the animal, forever depriving it of the desire to sharpen its claws in this place.

Pay attention - the coating of the scratching post should not be very fluffy and not smooth, but rather rough, like the underside of a carpet or the bark of a tree. By the way, many cats prefer ordinary wooden boards to store models.

Of course, it is better to accustom your pet to a scratching post "from a young age", but an adult animal can also fall in love with this useful "gadget". Place the cat's paws on the surface, rub a little so that the smell of the cat remains on it.

Cat claw grooming: trimming a scratch

However, caring for a cat's claws is more than having a good and beloved scratching post in the house. From time to time they need to be trimmed using a special nail clipper. You need to understand that cats' claws are not so much sharpened as they are sharpened.

They consist of several layers, and when the animal launches its claws into hard surface, upper layer peels off, revealing a younger, stronger and sharper bottom layer at the end.

The cat's sharp claws cling to the upholstery of the sofa and your clothing, causing inconvenience to both you and your pet. That is why a cat, kept only in an apartment, should be clipped periodically. A special need for "manicure" arises even if the animal behaves aggressively and eats real risk the appearance of scratches in both adults and children.

However, for those animals that live in the country in summer, the claw cutting procedure is contraindicated for their own safety. In case of danger, a cat should be able to quickly climb a tree or jump to a height - this cannot be done without sharp claws.

How to cut your claws?

Regular scissors or clippers will not work: they delaminate the surface of the claw, and this is fraught with injury for the animal. In general, it is better not to save on tools - you know this from your own manicure. Nail clippers are found in two modifications - in the form of special tongs or mini-guillotines. The first option is more convenient because it has handles with which you can better control your actions.

Highly important point- determination of the boundaries along which you need to trim the claw. Those whose pets have transparent claws can be said to be lucky - in the light it is easy to see a reddish vessel inside the claw. It is surrounded by nerve endings, and if you touch it, it will bleed, and the cat will experience, if not severe pain, then very unpleasant sensations, after which the procedure will most likely have to be abandoned.

Therefore, you need to cut it off, stepping back a couple of millimeters from the place where the reddish vessel ends. If the claw - dark color, and the vessel is not visible, then you will have to cut by eye, a little bit. And remember that the claws on the hind legs of the cat are shorter than on the front ones, which means that the vessel comes closer to the edge there.

If you are not sure that the mustachioed "client" will calmly endure the manicure procedure, then it is better to immediately call an assistant who will calm him down and hold him securely. As a last resort, you can use special cat clips that are sold in pet stores, or simply wrap the animal in thick fabric or a towel.

Be sure to have cotton swabs, hydrogen peroxide, and styptic stick ready in advance. If you accidentally touch a blood vessel, then it is necessary to treat the wound and stop the blood.

How often should a cat's claws be trimmed?

The answer to this question is individual in each case. There is a very simple test that will help determine whether it is time to carry out the procedure or not. Turn the foot over and see: if the tips of the claws are not completely hidden in the pads, but protrude outward, then it is time for a manicure.

It doesn't matter what fell into your hands - an adult paw or kitten's claws, the care for them is the same, only you need to accustom to the procedure from childhood, and then no difficulties will arise. Correct clipping does not give the animal any unpleasant sensations, and yet do not forget to be sure to praise the cat for its patience, treat it with a treat or just pet it.

What canned food is tastier for cats?

ATTENTION, RESEARCH! Together with your cat, you can participate in it! If you live in Moscow or the Moscow region and are ready to regularly observe how and how much your cat eats, and also do not forget to write down all this, they will bring you FREE KITS OF WET FEEDS.

Project for 3-4 months. Organizer - Petkorm LLC.

Why does a man need nails? September 14th, 2017

This is how you live your whole life and you don't ask many questions. You don't examine yourself and environment... And then you looked at your nails and ask why you need them? A question that many people come to. It can be very useful to find out the answer to it. After all, nails are one of the most important indicators. human body.

Let's find out why we need nails and what they can tell about the owner.

They have several functions: protection of delicate fingertips, tactile, and also diseases can be determined by nails.

A person's hands are very actively involved in his daily activities, therefore, they are often endangered and need special protection. The nail plates give our fingers a stiffness, they are needed to protect the delicate skin of the fingertips, perform delicate mechanical manipulations, and even for such mundane things as scratching the crown or nose. They can pick up and hold objects, physically feel objects.

In addition, nails reflect the state of our body. For example, excessive bulging of the nail plate and a light halo at the base may be a sign of tuberculosis, white spots may indicate a violation of carbohydrate metabolism or diabetes, and blueness of the nails may indicate problems with blood vessels.

Without nails, our life would be completely different, so attention to them and care for their condition have existed since ancient times and are filled with a special meaning!

Oddly enough, but the function of the nail is to protect the terminal phalanges of the fingers, so as not to damage soft tissue in which the nerve endings are located. Nails are a hard cover to protect the delicate fingertips with which we grip various subjects and physically feel the bodies around us. Nails allow us to pick up something, if the object is small, then without such solid formations it is generally difficult to grasp it.

In Central Asia and Persia, it was believed that the soul is in the nails. Therefore, the clipped nails were buried in the ground, burned, so that they would not fall into the hands of witches, would not be used for conspiracies and witchcraft. There were a number of customs when it was generally forbidden to trim nails in certain time year, month, week. For example, the ancient Slavs imposed restrictions on shepherds - not to cut their hair and nails, not even to make love while grazing, observing chastity.

It is known that the total length of nails trimmed over a lifetime in men reaches 3.9 m, and in women - 4.3 m.
Nails really with physiological point vision perform protective function... And about beliefs: the ancient Scandinavians still believed that from the nails of the dead who fell in Helheim, Hel during Ragnarok would build a huge ship on which he would sail to fight with the light gods of the aces. Therefore, it was customary for the dead to cut their nails so that Hel would get less.

On Ancient East believed that each nail is associated with some organ. In particular, thumb connected with the brain, and the index could tell about the lungs and respiratory system, middle finger was a marker of the state of the intestine, the nameless testified to the health of the kidneys, and the little finger - about problems in cardiovascular system and heart.

Animals, unlike humans, boast amazingly functional adaptations: keen eyes, fangs, claws, prehensile tails - all this provides animals with excellent survival even in the most severe conditions. A person is deprived of these devices, perhaps only nails remind him of his relationship with other representatives of the fauna.

It should be noted that a person is not a unique owner of nails. All primates have this organ. The fact is that primates, to which we also belong - humans, actively use limbs in their activities, and first of all hands. Obviously, based on this, the hands of the primate are the most vulnerable and vital organ, in need of additional protection. Nail rollers prevent pathogenic bacteria from entering the growth sector of the nail and protect it from foreign bodies.

In our time, nails, to some extent having lost their original purpose, have acquired a number of new properties. For example, manicure and pedicure can be applied to them, according to their condition, a conclusion can be drawn about human health. Some owners of nails prefer to gnaw them, trying to attract fresh thoughts to their heads, or, conversely, to distract themselves from any thoughts.

A number of scientists consider nails to be an atavism, and on the feet they also consider fingers to be an atavistic remnant.

Atavisms are signs that arise in a person that were characteristic of his distant ancestors, the appearance of them in our time is explained by the fact that in any human DNA there are genes responsible for this trait, but they are suppressed by others and do not function. A genetic failure at one of the developmental levels contributes to the manifestation of these genes, which translates into something unusual for modern man property.
At the same time, the nails perfectly protect the nerve endings located on the fingertips.

The nail, or stratum corneum, is related in origin to the hair or outer layer of human skin, claws and hooves of animals.
The color of the nails can also tell about the state of health. Healthy person should be shiny, pink, smooth nails completely conforming to the shape of the finger. With heart disease, the nails become unnaturally pale or bluish. A pale nail hole is evidence of anemia. Opal nails (also yellow) - a symptom serious problems with liver.

Nails react to various medicines... Long-term antibiotic treatment produces yellow-brown stains on the nails, X-rays make the nails dark brown, the same result is observed in Addison's disease. In case of diabetic arterial thrombosis upper limbs nails take on a mourning shade.

The shape of the nail plate is used to judge the character of a person. Fortune telling by nails is called onychomancy. Long nails those who are slow, thoughtful, distrustful, and short ones - with logical ones, prone to criticism and control. The shortest nails have irreconcilable and quick-tempered ones. Owners short nails characterized by fast career growth they tend to be leaders. Hooked and curled nails are characteristic of tight-fisted and greedy ones.

Strong nails in the form of a spatula testify to the mind of their owner and his logic is clearly stronger than emotions.

Philosophically minded people have an angular or quadrangular shape of nails, they are strong in the field of literature and art, the humanities, but the sphere of exact calculations and numbers is also not alien to them.

The conical or pointed shape of the nail testifies to abilities in the field of art, these are artists, sculptors, architects, and other plastic arts workers.

Sources:

Good day everyone!

Today, the topic of the article is our nails. Tell me, what's wrong with them? However, they play very important role... Their main function is protective. Moreover, almost all vertebrates (or their analogues) have nails. Nail care is necessary and not only for women. In addition, nails are a good indicator of various diseases. If you pay attention to them as this kind of indicator, you can prevent the development of ailments.

If we compare nails as a specific formation in the animal kingdom, then in other animals their analogs are claws and hooves. Accordingly, nails are different both in configuration and in size. In humans, the length of the nail on the hands is approximately 1.5 cm, and the thickness is 0.75 mm, and on the legs is 1 mm.

Nail structure

NAIL, ungnis, an accessory formation of the skin, which, like the hooves and claws of animals, is a derivative of the epidermis. Nails are dense quadrangular plates, consisting of a special kind of keratinized elements, located on the dietary parts of the dorsal surfaces of the terminal phalanges of the fingers and toes. (medical encyclopedia)

The nail is also called the nail plate. She lies on the nail bed. The nail has a root and a body. The root is the back of the nail plate, which is located under the posterior nail fold. The nail roller is upper part skin fold, which is advancing on the nail plate. This roller also plays a protective role, which consists in the fact that no foreign bodies nor pathogenic bacteria. Rear part the nail bed on which the root of the nail lies is called a matrix (matrix). It is here that it is formed nail plate... Therefore, the matrix consists of epithelial cells.

The thorny layer of the epithelium contains special cells called onychoblasts. Due to these very onychoblasts, the nail is formed. This occurs as a result of turning them into horny plates nail.

What is matrix

The matrix is ​​a living part of the nail, which is located at its very base. To put it simply, it is from here that the nail grows. When new cells grow, old, dead ones are pushed out. This process is clearly visible when we cut our nails, and after a while we saw that they grew back again. This process is very important for the nail plate and requires sufficient nutrition. As a result, there are many nerves and capillaries in the matrix. Moreover, it should be noted that the matrix is ​​also very sensitive. It can be easily injured and damaged. This must be taken into account when caring for your nails. Injuries to the matrix can lead to discoloration and even its complete loss, various irregularities and ribs can also appear. If serious consequences were not manifested in this case, then, in principle. After a while, all these manifestations will pass.

As already mentioned, painful changes in the human body are reflected in the nails. So, for example, experiencing painful influences, the matrix leaves grooves, irregularities and grooves of various depths on the nails.

Nail bed

The continuation of the matrix is nail bed... It got its name due to the fact that it is located on it. nail plate... The health of this very plate, as well as the shape and color, depends on the nail bed.

Hole, or moon

If you take a close look at lower part your nail (on the matrix), you will see white semicircle - crescent. That is why the Moon is called. True, it is not located on all fingers, but only on some. Best on thumbs... But on the little fingers it is not visible at all.

Nail plate

This is the largest and most visible area of ​​the nail. In general, it is in everyday life that it is called a nail. The nail plate consists of compressed cells. There are no nerve endings or blood vessels here. It is understandable, otherwise, we would not be able to trim or take care of our nails painlessly. The main color of the plate is pale pink. But influenced by how external factors... Likewise, the internal color can vary from pale to bluish.

The nail plate is presented in three layers. They differ in density and are separated by layers of fat. The outer layer is the hardest. It is on it that they build up with gel or acrylic on tips.

Free edge

What protrudes beyond the edge of the finger, what we process and is called free edge... This is the most vulnerable area. Having broken it off, we usually say: "I broke (broke) a nail"

Cuticle

And finally, the cuticle. It can be seen as a rim of skin that frames the nail plate. It protects the part of the nail that begins to harden.

Having lost its elasticity, the cuticle grows onto the nail itself. As a result, burrs are formed, it can also crack.

What are nails made of?

What is our nail like? It is based on a protein called keratin. This protein can be found not only in nails, but also in skin and even hair.

Keratin contains a large number of sulfur, which is associated with such a density of not only nails, but also hair. Sulfur molecules forming strong ties, thereby strengthening the protein, making it hard enough. The amount of this sulfur in the body is often determined by hereditary characteristics. People who have a high enough content also have harder nails.

As already mentioned, there are layers of fat and water between the layers of keratin. These layers give exactly the elasticity and shine to the nail. By absorbing moisture, the nail often increases its thickness. If you often work with water or just kept your hands in water for a long time, then your nails can become soft and thick.

In addition to sulfur, trace elements such as calcium, chromium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc can be found in our nails.

How does a nail grow?

Growth of the nail occurs as a result of the division of matrix cells. Working hard, they release the protein keratin. But as you move to the nail plate, fluid disappears in the cells and they die off. At the same time, the rows of these cells become very dense.

If we compare nail growth with hair growth, then it should be noted that nails grow much more slowly. It is estimated that the nails grow by about 1 mm on the hands in a week, and by 0.25 mm on the legs. Completely, the nail plate is updated in almost six months.

However, nail growth can be accelerated by various hormonal shifts. This usually happens in adolescence, during pregnancy, in the spring. Nail growth can also be affected by the grinding of nails in those who constantly type on the keyboard, as well as the habit of constantly biting nails.

At the same time, nail growth can slow down if you stick to too much strict diet, which is low in fats, proteins and vitamins, various diseases.

Nails as a mirror of our illnesses

Recognizing Diseases by Examining the Nails in Tibetan Medicine

If the nails are pink [in color, to the touch] smooth, [in shape] rounded and elongated, it is common signs absence of disease.

If the nails appear whitish and rough, these are signs of Rlung disease.

If the nails are yellowish-burgundy, this indicates the presence of mchris disease.

If the nails become white in color, it is a sign [of a combination] of Rlung disease and depletion of blood [tissue]. If the nails are dark red in color, it is a sign of [fever] rims.

If your nails appear blue, this is a sign of spread bad blood or excitement [blood].

If on pink nails white dots are visible, this is a sign of the presence of pus.

If you see black dots on blue [in color] nails, this is a sign of scraning.

If the nails become convex or concave in shape, this is a sign of a disorder [from] the psyche or heart.

It has long been known that nails are a good indicator of what diseases are going on in our body.

The longitudinal grooves show that there are chronic inflammations in the body, usually either of the paranasal sinuses, or of the teeth, as well as that rheumatism begins.

Transverse grooves say that a person has diseases internal organs eg kidneys, liver, intestines. These grooves are formed due to the fact that there is little zinc in the body. And since zinc is most of all in animal products, such grooves are often characteristic of vegetarians.

If the nail has various indentations and depressions giving it the appearance of a thimble, then you have psoriasis. When the nails are shaped like watch glasses, it means that there are lung diseases and even cancer. A spoon-shaped nail indicates an iron deficiency. And if the color of the nails changes, then pathological changes in the internal organs are formed. Blue tint nails indicates that there is insufficient blood circulation in it. Yellow nails speaks of a sick liver. If you have diabetes, then the nails become not only yellowish, but also tuberous. The same happens with nail fungus.

Nail care

Nails, especially for women, have long been an object of aesthetic value. Almost every woman looks after her nails, and not only on her hands.

Moreover, proper and competent care allows the nail to look not only beautiful, but also healthy. This includes and correct haircut nail, and cleaning the nail groove. It all creates good conditions for correct growth nail and the absence of various harmful bacteria.

You can, of course, use any scissors to trim (or trim) your nails. But it is most correct to use special tweezers. But, whatever you use, the main thing is that the cut surface of the nail should be smooth and uniform, without burrs and protruding edges. Irregularities of the nail are usually grinded and polished with a special nail file. And if you, in the old way ancient recipe, rub the nail with Cologne water, it will become shiny.

And lastly. If you do not want to see your nails brittle, splitting, if you do not want them to change their color, then quit smoking, eat poorly, and also use synthetic detergents without gloves.

represent dense horny formations of the cuticle of vertebrates, sitting on the last joint (phalanx) of the fingers of the front (or upper) and hind (or lower) limbs. N. are called flat plate-like formations of this kind, sitting on the upper side of the fingers; claws - formations, also sitting on the upper side of the fingers, but narrower, convex and more or less bent, often hooked, more or less pointed at the end; hooves - solid horny integuments that dress the end of the toe not only from above, but also from the sides and below. Between these three forms of horny formations, there are also transitional ones. In particular, N. and hooves are characteristic only of mammals (namely, nails of monkeys and humans and semi-monkeys, hooves - of ungulates, proboscis, and hyrax), while claws, in addition to mammals, are characteristic of birds (on which they are on their feet) and reptiles (on both pairs of limbs ); in amphibians, claws are an exception (Daclyletra has). In addition, claws are called more or less bent or hooked appendages of the limbs of articular legs, consisting of chitin (sometimes impregnated with lime salts). The horny formations of the fingers of vertebrates are a modified part of the stratum corneum of the skin, which is more dense, but also consists of keratinized flattened cells and constitutes a direct continuation of the cuticle. Under the dense outer layer there is a layer of non-keratinized cells, at the expense of which N., hooves and claws grow.

N. person. The deep part of the skin on which N. sits is called nail bed, a fold bordering the N. from the sides and back - with a nail fold or bend, and the protruding upper side of this fold - with a nail roller. The skin under the N. is rich in blood vessels and nerves. Part N., sitting in the nail fold, is called the root. Under it, the nail bed in a person forms 3 - 6 rows of thin and long papillae, which further anteriorly (towards the end of the N.) passes into longitudinal ridges, 60 to 90 in number, going to the apex of the fingers; they correspond to the grooves on the underside of N. N.'s growth is determined by the division of cells in the nail root, and the keratinized plate of N. gradually moves forward. It is usually assumed that N. of the hands grow by about 1 mm per week, on the legs by 1/4 mm; but the rate of growth can be very different (for example, in children N. grow faster than in adults, and most slowly in the elderly; in summer N. growth is faster than in winter, by right hand faster than the left). In general, N.'s growth depends on pruning them, and if they are not pruned, then it slows down or stops.

• - flat horny protective formations on the back of the terminal phalanges of the fingers in semi-monkeys, monkeys and humans. They grow from the groove at the root of N. ...

  Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary

• - I Nogti dense horny plates on the dorsum of the terminal phalanges of the fingers and toes ...

  Medical encyclopedia

• - claws and hooves - represent dense horny formations of the cuticle of vertebrates, sitting on the last joint of the fingers of the front and hind limbs ...

  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron

• - horny protective formations covering the dorsum of the terminal phalanges of the fingers in semi-monkeys, monkeys and humans. N. - modified Claws ...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - flat horny protective formations on the back of the terminal phalanges of the fingers in semi-monkeys, monkeys and humans. They grow from the groove at the root of the nails ...

  Big encyclopedic dictionary

• - to be penniless Wed. Beware of one thing: so ... not to be led under an answer, otherwise he went, immediately out and went to the pavement to blow his nails, even though you yourself go to the mazuriki ... Dal. Pictures of Russian life. 4. See whistling into a fist ...

  Explanatory phraseological dictionary of Michelson

• - pl., R. nail / th ...

  Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

• - nails pl. Flat horny protective plates on human fingertips ...

  Explanatory dictionary Efremova

• - Blowing in your nails to be penniless. Wed Beware of one thing: lest ... he should not be brought under the otvet, otherwise he went, immediately out and went to the pavement to blow his nails, even though you yourself go to the mazuriki ... Dal. Pictures of Russian life. 4...

  Michelson's Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original orph.)

• - see Pulling your hair ...
• - See THOUGHT -...

  IN AND. Dahl. Russian proverbs

• - See SUPPLY -...

  IN AND. Dahl. Russian proverbs

• - He sharpens his nails on me. He has been biting his nails for a long time ...

  IN AND. Dahl. Russian proverbs

• - Perm. Show annoyance, confusion. Podyukov 1989, 54 ...
• - Psk., Sib. Shuttle. Sit back, spend time idly; sit around. POS 10, 176; SRNG 21, 266; Mokienko 1990, 65 ...

  Big dictionary Russian sayings

• - Perm. Work hard, exhaust yourself with hard work. Podyukov 1989, 80 ...

  A large dictionary of Russian sayings

"Nails, claws and hooves" in books

Paws and claws