Are there any products that make their claws less sharp?

[Bob34]

Hi,

As you can see from my previous posts we've just got some baby bucks and we're really enjoying holding them and playing with them but they're claws are already quite sharp and we're worried they're only going to get longer or sharper.

Does anyone have anything in their cage that files them down? We have a couple of lava ledges already but I don't hinkk they spend enough time on them or maybe aren't moving fast enough on them.

Any recommendations of products you have experiences of working would be much appreciated

Thanks

Bob

[ElizabethW]

You might find that they nibble the ends off themselves as part of their grooming routine if they get too long; a few of ours do this. Otherwise there are some useful tips in this thread:
http://www.fancyratsforum.co.uk/viewtop ... harp+claws

[[cub]]

I've got various rough surfaces in my cage, including very rough concrete perches, and I don't think they do anything for sharp claws. In normal use, rats' claws just don't have enough of the right sort of contact with them for them to do much. So I just clip their claws myself, using a normal set of nail clippers. I've now got my older rats accustomed to busying themselves with a treat while I give them their pedicures, and the younger rats are (slowly) learning to do the same. It takes a lot of patience and persistence to begin with, but it's not as hard as it looks provided you do it in a well-lit environment. Having a good working relationship with the rat in question helps a lot, so if your boys are still getting used to you I'd focus on getting them used to being handled and restrained first (e.g. for health checks).

[cyber ratty]

I don't use any blunting accessories, if claws were a problem I'd just clip the very ends off with nail clippers, but if you do that bear in mind that they won't be as capable of gripping, so might not be able to climb as well as before.

[Bob34]

OK it sounds like there not much more I can do except clipping them if they get too long. At the minute they're not too bad so I'll hold off for now and see how it goes.

Thanks everyone