Is It Bad To Not Cut Your Cats Nails
Maintaining your cats nails is an important part of your weekly grooming ritual with them. Most cats like getting their claws trimmed, as you might see your own cat chewing them or claiming your poor furniture to try wear the tips down when they get too long.
If not maintained, your cats nails can curl back towards their toe pad. This can cause discomfort when they walk or threaten to puncture their toe pad. Cats can sometimes even hook their nails on their lip while grooming their paws if they are too long.
Examining your cats claws periodically is a good thing. By following our tips above, more and more your cat can feel relaxed in this process.
Trimming A Cats Nails By Yourself
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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Develop A Relationship And Gain Trust With Your Kitten
Developing a trusting relationship with your kitten is fun and rewarding.
If you have a very young kitten living with you, you will naturally be developing a relationship as you ensure that his needs are met. You shouldnt need to start clipping the kittens nails until he is about 4 weeks old.
If you have an older kitten, you may need to work on getting her to trust you. Feeding animals is always a great way to develop trust. Have the person who is to trim kittys nails give food and treats. Spend lots of time petting and cuddling with your kitty.
Play with your kitten with toys. Cats love to hunt and play. Its very important to make sure the kitten is hunting toys during play, and not your hands. Many cat owners love to wrestle and roughly handle their cats. If this works for your and your beloved animal, Im not going to tell you to stop but if it works for you, then youre not likely to be reading this article! Be sure your kitty gets enough movement and fun playtime to fulfill her by giving her attention during playtime with toys. Kittens need even more play time than adult cats. They will love you all the more for an extra half-hour of playing with a wand toy.
How To Trim Cat Claws
2. Holding your cat firmly in your lap, take one of its paws and push down on their knuckle with your thumb. This will make the claw extend out.
Take a good look at the claw. ;Youll see a dark portion in the nail. ;Thats tissue. ;The quick. ;And you DONT want to knick it, so be aware of where it is. ;If you do cut into the quick it will hurt the cat and bleed a little. ;Its not the end of the world, but its not nice either.
3. While still pushing down on their knuckle to extend the claw, line your trimmers up to just before the tip of the vein and clip. ;Youre just taking the sharp curved end off the claw.
The younger the cat is when you start doing this the easier it will be.
For first timers.
If youve never trimmed your cats claws before, get your cat used to you handling their paws before you actually trim them.; Just sit them in your lap and hold their paws for a little bit.; The next day do the same thing but squeeze the paw so their nails pop out so they get used to that.; Once the cat is comfortable with you handling their paws you can try trimming.
Just take the tip off the first time you trim your cats claws.; The more you trim a cats claws the more their quick will recede.; So youll be able to trim their claws shorter and shorter as time goes by.
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How To Trim Cat Nails In 5 Easy Steps
Step 1;
Sit on the floor or in a chair;in a well-lit room where your cat is comfortable. Have all your supplies ready. And make sure theres a special treat for kitty for after the trimming.
Step 2;
Put a thick towel on your lap and gently restrain your cat there. Take hold of a paw and gently squeeze one toe from the top and bottom to extend the claw.
Step 3;
When you have a good view, position the clipper at least several millimeters away from the end of the quick.
Step 4;
Clip the claw vertically . This lessens the amount of pressure your cat will feel. Clip the nail;in one smooth motion.
Step 5;
Reward your cat with praise and a treat.;Repeat with each claw as your cat allows. Dont worry if at first it takes you several days to trim all of your cats nails. Its more important to keep the process stress-free than to finish quickly.
If you do trim your cats nail too short and it starts to bleed, dont panic. Simply press some styptic powder or the silver nitrate stick against the end of the nail and give your cat a treat and a break from nail trimming for the rest of the day.
All cats who have claws should have them trimmed on a regular basis. The frequency depends on your cats activity level . In general, you should trim your cats nails before they develop sharp, needle-like tips. Waiting too long between nail trims increases the risk that your cat may damage a claw or injure a person or another animal. Check your cats nails weekly to see if they could use a trim.
How Often Do I Need To Cut My Cats Nails
A cats nails continuously grow. If not trimmed, they will grow downward and sometimes into a cats paw. It will eventually become painful for a cat to walk if their nails are not regularly cut. The time between routine nail clippings will depend on how fast your individual cats nails grow, but on average it should be every 10 to 14 days.
Keeping your cats nails short is an important part of feline hygiene that requires your help to complete. Although they might be reluctant to cooperate at first, with the proper training techniques, your cat will be thankful that youre around to trim their nails for them.
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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.
What Kind Of Nail Trimmers Should You Use On Your Cat
You can choose from among several kinds of pet nail trimmers and human nail clippers. Five options appear below.
Personally, I prefer human nail clippers for cat nails. They are less cumbersome and give you a good visual of where you are cutting.
1. Scissor-Type Trimmers
These nail trimmers look like a pair of scissors made specifically to cut nails on small animals. You might find these easy to use.
Quality matters, however, and the cheap ones can be dull and not give you a nice cut.
2. Nail Clippers for Dogs and Cats
Professional nail clippers like your veterinarian uses on your dog and possibly your cat are a good investment.
Check out Millers Forge, for example. These strong clippers will usually last a lifetime, and they have user-friendly handles, surgical steel blades and a safety lock.
Some people find these too big for cat nails, but I like them.
They come in various sizes. Again, quality matters.
3. Guillotine-Style Clippers
This type of clipper is also considered professional grade, but I dont think the guillotine design is as easy to use as some other devices are. I think it is easier to hurt your cat with these.
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Old Cats Or Deformed Nails
Older cats tend to end up with longer, thicker nails and often a greasy exudate around the nail bed. This can be cleaned off with a dilute chlorhexidine solution or gentle pet shampoo if it is difficult to remove. Older cats are also more likely to have problems with the nails growing into the pad. Thickened nails or deformed nails can also be a sign of underlying health problems, so if your cat has started growing unusually thick nails, particularly if this is combined with an increase in thirst, please get your feline friend to the vet for a check-up. Nails can also grow back a bit deformed if there has been some sort of trauma to the nail bed, such as when the dew claw has been caught in something and torn.
Whenever you trim your cats nails remember to make the whole experience rewarding by having treats at the ready. Always take a little bit at a time if you cant clearly see the quick beneath the nail. And if you have a determined couch-shredder on your hands, why not consider some soft paws to protect the furniture.
Use The Clippers You’re Comfortable With
When the cat can easily stay put while you lift and hold a paw, you’ll know she’s ready for a nail cutting. Although there are several types of clippers out therethe guillotine-style cat ones, human ones, scissor-shaped onesKornreich and Farnsworth agree that the best option is the one that feels easiest for you to use. Sharpness is key, as well; a worn-down pair can squish the nail, rather than slice through it.
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Types Of Nail Trimmers
There are many different types of nail trimmers. Buy good quality trimmers that are sharp and designed for cats. They should be concave at the cutting edge, to avoid crushing the nail. Blunt or poor quality trimmers will split and crush the nail. If the nails arent that long but are sharp you can simply file them or use a pumice stone to take off the tips. In the US it is common to use a dremel to slowly burr down the nails and this can be more gradual and safer than clipping.
Preventing Problems With Your Cat During Trimming
If you accidentally cut too close to the pink part of the nail, your cat may experience brief pain and have some bleeding from the nail. Apply the styptic pen or powder to the area until the bleeding stops. If your cat seems upset, the nail trim session should be stopped. You can try again another day.
If your cat is too wiggly to handle for nail trims, you may need to get help from someone else. It may be easier to have one person hold your cat on a table while you focus on the nails. If you hear growling or hissing, it’s best to stop so no one gets hurt.
If you continue to have trouble getting your cat to be still for nail trims, or if you are still uncomfortable with the process, get some help from a professional. Consider;bringing your cat to the vet or a groomer for regular nail trims.
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How To Cut Overgrown Cat Claws
When you’re ready for a trimming session, find a position that’s comfortable for you and safe for her. Many cats do great if allowed to lie on their side or in their owner’s lap. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tells cat owners the best time for nail clipping is when your cat is relaxed, maybe even sleepy after she’s eaten. That way, you won’t have to figure out how to trim a squirmy’s cat’s nails.
Before doing any clipping, examine your cat’s nails and find the quick, the pink, fleshy section that runs through the center of clear or light-color nails. It’s where all the nerves and blood vessels are so it’s important to NOT cut into the quick to avoid causing pain and risking infection.
Clip one nail , give her a treat, and take a break. If you do accidentally clip through the quick. dab with some styptic powder to stop the bleeding.
As she gets more comfortable with the process, you’ll be able to trim more than one nail at a time. Follow each snip with a tasty snack. If she gets restless, let her leave, and plan to finish the job another day.
Choose the right tools to cut your kitty’s claws. If her claws are long enough to curl into a circle, use a scissors-type clippers for the job. Otherwise, you’ll find it easier to use guillotine-type clippers. In a pinch, you can can cut cat nails with human nail clippers, too.
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
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Desensitizing Paws To Touch
While your kitten is in a restful state and accepting pets and scritches, begin by gentle touching his paws. Slowly build up over time until you can gently squeeze the paws, and get each claw to extract. A good time to start this is after a meal, when the kitten is happy and sleepy. At first, the kitten may startle and pull away when you touch her paws. This is normal! She is not used to it. Over a few days or weeks, the kitten wont take more notice of her paws being touched than she does of her ears being scratched.