Among the “enlarge your manhood” junk mail for the penis I don’t have, I notice e-mails from Pedi Paws in my spam inbox each time I check my e-mail.
Pedi Paws is a rotary nail filer that is supposed to gently grind down an animal’s nails. It’s advertised as a pain-free method of nail grooming, unlike clipping with traditional clippers.
My cat, Gigolo, has claws like talons, and I thought he and my leather couch could both benefit from this product, so I put some faith in Pedi Paws. I bought the $19 contraption with a positive attitude, even though I haven’t had much luck with other as-seen-on-TV products. I hoped this would be the one that worked.
I’ve clipped Gigolo’s nails with a traditional clipper, and he showed signs of discomfort. He doesn’t lash out with claws, teeth and hisses, but he’ll put up a struggle. On the other hand, I’m not too fond of straddling his squirming, robust, 17-pound frame to give his nails a regular trimming.
Since we both don’t like to deal with it, usually I just let them grow. However, because Gigolo is old and fat, if his claws get too long, it make things troublesome. They snag in the carpet, blankets and in my clothing when I pick him up. It troubles him the most when his nails snag on bedding when he tries jumping on the bed but doesn’t quite make it with gravity and age working against him.
It was a sad sight, especially at his age, so it was time for a pedicure.
As suggested in the Pedi Paws instruction manual, I did the conditioning experiment much like Pavlovian conditioning. While I introduced the Pedi Paws filer to Gigolo, I gave him treats.
Gigolo has a calm temperament, which is a common characteristic among his breed (Russian Blue), so I figured he’d tolerate this product. Unfortunately, he didn’t. He didn’t go berserk, but he jerked his paws away and wouldn’t sit still. The vibrations seem to bother him even when I supported the paw steadily.
Pedi Paws sanded chunks out of the nail rather than create a smooth, even finish.Separating each toe to feed the nail into the device was awkward since the filer is too big and bulky for cats, even cats the size of Gigolo. I was afraid I’d injure him, and I didn’t feel qualified to continue. After deciding that incompetence plus a cheap product wasn’t a winning combination, I gave up.
There are too many risks of injury with this product that I don’t want to take. When Gigolo jerked around, I feared his nails would get snagged in the grinding slot and injure his toe or file into the most sensitive part of the nail. Also, the instructions advise the product to be used only for 3-5 seconds on one nail at a time because the grinding tool creates friction heat.
As I researched this product, I became more wary after I found forums filled with complaints from people who bought the product and said that it didn’t work and from people who ordered through the phone or online and were scammed. Credit cards were charged with products not received.
Someone warned about inhaling the grinding dust. Pet nails carry fungus, bacteria and parasites that are hazardous if aspirated into the lungs.
Many people also mentioned this as a cheaper version of a product called Peticure, and some said it was better to buy a Dremel rotary tool specifically for pet nail grooming.
I watched the advertisement closely on Youtube.com and noticed there were no close-ups of the product working. The example was an animation. When real pets were filmed (from a distance) with the product, I doubt the thing was even turned on.
I regret buying this product, but what I regret most is subjecting my cat to this. It’s never a good idea to cheap out when it comes to pets. I feel guilty and completely understand if PETA wants to stone me to death.