wingin' it
well, after my coyote-shootin acquaintance never showed up, ...and no replies here, i spent an hour on YouTube.
FEET: apparently, the common treatment is to nip each toe just behind the 1st knuckle, leaving just an inch of bone with the claw. lots of connective tissues in the feet, but it came apart alright.
note: dikes/side cutters suck. they slip off. i used heavy wire cutters. the parrot-beaked bypass kind, which encircled the bone.
EARS: good thing i didn't let a pelt hunter help with my ears. he woulda cut the inside fur out. that would've been fun to try and fix. with patience, they turned out good. i did blow out one ear tip when i wasn't gentle enough with my tool inside the ear. se la vi. it'll mend.
so, today i'm stretching the 6' kitty.