Thursday, March 28, 2024

Do You Have To Clip Cat Nails

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How To Get Your Cat Used To Nail Trims

How to Clip Your Cats Nails

Its never too early to start trimming cat nails or getting your cat accustomed to having their paws touched.

It might actually be a little late if you have an older cat who has never had their nails trimmed and will never understand why you want to start now.

  • Begin by touching the cats feet. Do this well before you reach for the nail clippers.
  • Massage your cats feet, but dont get into any kind of rough play. We dont want to promote the idea of your cat clawing at you or trying to grab your hand with their claws. If they think this is play time, wait until theyre tired or resting to see if theyll let you casually pick up a paw and rub it.
  • See if you can gently press on a toe to make the nail protrude. Cats have retractable claws. There is a skill involved in gently pressing on the digit to expose the toe. More on this technique later.
  • Get Timing And Setting Right

    The best is to start trimming your cats nails when theyre still a kitten, so that they get used to it. This will make things easier over time.

    Once youre ready to start, find a calm place to trim your cats nails, away from loud noises or distractions . Trim your cats nails when they are sleepy, or after theyve enjoyed a nice meal, to ensure your cat is in the best possible mood. Let your cat sit on your lap, be gentle with them, and have some treats on hand.

    Cut Across The Topand Avoid Going Too Deep

    With one paw in your hand and applying slight pressure to extend a nail, make one snip straight across the tip. If any sharp corners remain, plan to file them afterward . It’s also important to look out for the quickthe pink portion at the base of nail containing blood vessels and nerve endingsand ensure you do not cut into it, says Kornreich, as that will cause pain and bleeding. If that happens, don’t panic. Just apply pressure to the nail with your thumb or use a styptic pencil or cornstarch to stop the bleeding, then let her go and plan to try again in a day or two.

    Otherwise, keep moving from nail to nail, snipping the tips so long as your cat doesn’t resist. If she starts to get jittery at any point, release herand yes, plan to give it another try in a few days. Offer loving praise and treats for whatever she is able to accomplish, even if it was just one or two nails. Creating a positive association will make it much easier the next go-round.

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    Essentials For Cat Nails

    Among the natural needs of cats, scratching is at the top of the list .Scratching serves several purposes. For example, cats scratch to mark their territory.They also scratch to trim their nails. Outdoor cats probably use some tree around.However, your cat is an indoor cat, a scratching post may come in handy. And if youdo not have a scratching post well, then you will find it difficult to stop your catscratching the sofa – regardless of your opinion about that.

    Here Is The Nail Trimming Process

    The Best Clippers for Cat Nails (How to Trim Your Cat
  • First Things First
    • Most cats dont like to have their nails trimmed and some will absolutely not tolerate it. If your cat wont even allow you to hold his or her paws, you may have to rely on a pet groomer or your cats vet to trim your pets nails.
    • If you take a slow and easy approach, you can succeed in time, especially if you have treats ready, and your cat may associate the nail clipping routine with yummy treats.
    • Dont attempt to clip your cats nails if your pet is upset or if you are upset.
  • Organize Your Supplies:
    • Towel You can gently wrap your cat loosely in a towel if you are afraid he or she might suddenly bolt off your lap and scratch you.
    • Sharp cat nail clippers There are a variety of good nail clippers for cats. Some of them are designed to make sure you dont clip too close to the vein that runs into the thick part of the claw.
    • Styptic Powder If you have clippers that arent designed to protect the vein and you accidently cut into it, you can apply a small amount of powder to stop the bleeding.
  • Rehearsals are Important
  • Do the Deed!
  • Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Hastings Veterinary Hospital and a clickable link back to this page.

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    Introduce Your Cat To The Nail Clippers

    Slowly introduce your cat to the nail clippers. First, set them on the ground and let your cat sniff them. Then try clipping other items from time to time to help your cat get used to the sound.

    As for which nail clippers you should use, pick whatever is most comfortable for you and your cat. Some people use human nail clippers. Others may choose a type of nail clipper designed especially for cats.1

    Are Nail Files Safe For Cats

    Yes, nail files are safe for cats.

    You can use a nail file on your cat. The emery board works well on his claws, and because claws are comparable to fingernails, a nail file would also help.

    He might even enjoy it, given cats odd attraction to nail files!

    You dont have to file your cats claws down, but a nail file will help smooth the sharp edges if you do cut them.

    If your cat does not like nail files, however, while the technique itself will not injure your cat, using a nail file on your feline companion will almost certainly cause a lot of frustration on both ends.

    Most cats despise having their nails clipped, so they wont appreciate your efforts to file their nails, especially since youll probably want to hold onto your cats leg or paw to keep it in the proper position.

    Nail files are safe for cats in terms of safety. Filing your cats nails, on the other hand, is a slow procedure. If youve ever tried clipping cat nails, you know how difficult it is in most circumstances.

    When you touch a cats paws, they usually dont enjoy it. As a result, filing a cats nails is fairly difficult.

    Furthermore, trimming your cats nails with a nail trimmer designed exclusively for cats is far faster. As a result, when you finish filling the cats nails, the cat will not be upset.

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    How To Keep Your Cats Nails Dull

    You can keep your cats nail dull by giving it a scratching post.

    A cat with access to a scratching post, whether large or tiny, will have duller nails than one that does not have access to a scratching post in your home.

    Special protection corners for sofas and other pieces of furniture are now available, and they are specifically created for cats who prefer to scratch upholstery pieces like armchairs.

    You can always cover your cats nails with plastic nail covers.

    Naturally, if your feline pal appears to be fine with the surgery and wearing the protection at all times, this could be a good way to keep your home safe.

    The procedure itself carries a number of dangers, including general anaesthesia, tissue death, lameness, local infections, and paw pain.

    Above all, a cats claws are critical to how she interacts with the environment around her.

    Its a means for your pet to defend herself if she lives outside as well as inside.

    Furthermore, are thought to feel insecure, leading to violence. Because the surgery essentially involves removing several ligaments and rendering the fingertips immobile, it takes a long time for a cat to learn to walk again.

    The following are the finest items to use to keep your cats nails clipped and dull:

    • Cat nail clippers

    Perfect Nail Trimmers For Your Cat

    How to clip your cats nails

    When contemplating how to restrain a cat to clip its nails, you cant ignore the importance of the clipping tool. You can choose a clipper specifically made for pets, or opt for human nail clippers. In my experience, clippers for humans can be rather practical for clipping the cats nails, too, because they allow for better visibility during the process.

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    If Scratch Marks On Your Furniture Isn’t Your Idea Of An Appealing Dcor Choice Then You Should Consider Trimming Your Cat’s Nails Regularly

    Taking kitty to the groomer for regular nail clippings may be the glamorous option, but it can also be expensive. If youre living on the shabby side of chic , then home claw trimmings are your best bet.

    The easiest way to get your favorite feline accustomed to nail trimmings is to start when kitty is young. If that option isn’t available to you, then itll take patience, perseverance, and practice to get your cat used to the idea. So how do you cut your cats nails with minimal stress for the both of you? Here are some instructions to help.

    First, inspect your cats claws under a bright light. Gently squeeze the top and bottom of one toe to extend the nail. Youll see the pink tissue in the middle of the nail. You must cut below that or you will cause pain and bleeding. In the below image, you can see the area that is safe to cutbelow the yellow line.

    Image: Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine

    It is better to cut just a small part of the nail to avoid the quick rather than cut too close. This is especially true the first few times you clip your cat’s nails, since you don’t want him to associate nail clipping with pain.

    Provide Lots Of Cat Scratchers & Calming Diffusers

    Providing plenty of cat scratchers can cut down on the number of times you need to trim your cat’s claws. Try vertical and horizontal scratchers to see which one your cat likes best, and test different materials too. She may keep her claws fairly well maintained if she uses them a lot.

    A calm and happy cat will be less skittish and more able to control her nerves during a nail-clipping session. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your cat’s e-meow-tional health. Calming diffusers can help.

    Comfort Zone drug-free calming solutions are effective in helping cats feel safe, happy, and calm using signals they understand. By using Comfort Zone Calming Diffusers, you can help your cat feel happier in general, which may lead to a more peaceful nail clipping session. If your cat needs more round-the-clock reassurance, snap a Comfort Zone Calming Collar around her neck. She will take those calming feelings wherever she goes.

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    How Can I Help My Cat To Keep Their Claws In Good Condition

    Outdoor, active cats shouldnt need their claws clipping. In the wild, your cat would wear them down running, hunting, climbing, playing and scratching. Your pet should be no different! But indoor or older cats can be more at risk of getting longer claws.

    Here are our top tips for keeping your kittys claws in shape:

    We’ve put together advice from our veterinary team across PDSA.

    What If I Make The Nails Bleed

    How Often Should I Clip My Cat

    If you accidentally cut the nails too short you can use styptic powder, or simply use a clean bar of soap and run it under the damaged nail. The soap will plug the vessel and stop the bleeding. Usually if you have made your cat bleed, they will be a bit nervous next time, so make sure you have lots of treats at the ready and take it slow the next time you try trimming those nails. First you might need to just get the nail trimmers out, show them to your cat then give a very high value treat like a piece of BBQ chicken. Work on gradually regaining your cats trust and confidence with the nail clippers and just do one nail at a time very gently. As your cat is more comfortable you may be able to do a couple of nails.

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    How To Trim Your Cat’s Nails

    This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 95% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,098,932 times.

    A cat may need its nails trimmed to keep them from splitting or breaking, and you may find it productive to trim off the sharp points of your cats nails if the cat is prone to kneading, scratching, etc. Trimming a cats nails is fairly easy once you get your cat accustomed to it. Read on for detailed instructions.

    How To Trim A Resistant Cats Nails The Easy Way

    Flickr: Chris Gin

    Though some cats are very cooperative when it comes to nail clipping, others maybe very resistant. I have three cats, they give three different responses to nail trimming. Shadow lets you clip his nails with ease. Flip may flinch once in a while, but he is mostly calm and does not move around too much if the person who cuts his nails is gentle and someone he can trust. Jackie, our fluffy kitty does not like nail clipping with a passion. He would resist so hard that we almost never get to do it while he is awake.

    So that got us thinking maybe we shouldn’t do it when he is awake. He just would not let us touch his paws. Then a light bulb went on in our head. Here is how it went when we attempted to trim his nails when he was asleep 🙂

    Play the video below:

    When cats are in a state of stress, the best way to calm them down is distraction. Besides trimming their nails while they are asleep, you can also try to feed them treats such as mayonnaise , they’d be too busy licking off the treats to worry about having their nails trimmed. However, if your cat is as resistant as my kitty Jackie, the nail trimming while asleep technique should work the best. Here is a clip of a stray kitten who is still in the process of learning to trust people, getting his nails trimmed:

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    Get Your Cat Used To Having Its Claws Clipped

    Cats experience a variety of sensations when their nails are clipped.That is why they need to get used to each of them individually.

    Steps to get your cat used to nail clipper:

  • Get your cat used to having the paws handled
  • The sight of the cat nail clipper
  • The sound of the clipper
  • The feeling of the clipper on the claw and the pressure at the end of the claw.
  • Be careful when actually cutting claws or your cat may be harmed. Make sure not to break a claw or cut it too short. The vet can help you out too.

    How Often Should My Cats Nails Be Trimmed

    How to Trim the Nails of a “Difficult” Cat (Kitty Burrito Method)
    • For indoor cats, nail trimming in general should be done every ten days to two weeks.
    • A senior indoor or outdoor cat will often develop thick, brittle nails that need to be trimmed more often than when theyre a kitten. Stay alert.
    • . It is now understood that declawing means that the ends of the toes are amputated during the surgery, which has been stated as ethically problematic and not an appropriate means of dealing with feline behaviour issues. So now if you live in BC you must learn to trim your kittys nails properly, or either pay a groomer or visit your cats veterinarian to perform this task.
    • An outdoor cat may become more of an indoor cat when he or she is old and arthritic, so regular nail trimming will become a necessity.
    • Usually it is only the front paws nails that need to be trimmed, but if you notice that the back paw nails are digging into you when your cat jumps up into your lap, you should trim those nails as well.

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    Cat Nail Bleeding: What To Do If You Accidentally Cut Too Short

    In case you cut your cats nail too short and it starts to bleed, stay calm. To stop the bleeding, apply a styptic powder, silver nitrate stick, or cauterizing powder.

    Not sure what these are? No worries. Someone at a pet store or pharmacy can guide you in the right direction.

    Dont have any of those at home? In a pinch, you can also try using baking powder, flour, or a bar of soap to stop the bleeding.

    In any case, visit your vet to have the wound treated professionally.3

    Help Your Kitten Get Used To Having His Paws Handled

    If you can, make things easier for your cat by helping him get used to having his paws handled as a kitten. Cats are usually a little skittish about having their paws touched, so expect some hesitation at first. Play with your kitten a lot, touch his paws and hold them gently. Lightly press and hold his paws for a few seconds and then let them go. Give him treats to help build positive associations with having his paws held. Let him get used to the feeling before you graduate to gently clipping his claws with a nail clipper.

    If you start when your cat is young, it will be much easier to continue the practice once he’s an adult. Of course, you can also go through these steps when your cat’s older, but the process might take longer.

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