The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Clipping Your Cat's Nails The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Clipping Your Cat's Nails
Showing posts with label Clipping Your Cat's Nails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clipping Your Cat's Nails. Show all posts

Friday, April 17, 2015

Trimming Your Cat's Nails Shouldn’t be Stressful: It Should Be a Pleasant Experience


If your cat becomes Houdini and magically vanishes whenever you even think about trimming her nails, part of the problem might be she has learned to associate the procedure with restraint, discomfort, fear or even pain. Even if you do manage to accomplish the nail trimming procedure, if you’ve had to wrap your cat in a towel, enlist the help of family members to hold her down, restrain her by scruffing or have punished her in any way for being a wiggle worm, then all that just compounds the problem. If she dislikes the process now, she’ll absolutely hate it the next time and then go into full panic mode the time after that.

Nail Trimming Shouldn’t be Stressful

Ok, it may not top the list of your cat’s favorite things to do, but it shouldn’t create a wave of panic and should definitely not result in hissing, growling, biting or scratching (by the cat or by you!). When done correctly, it should be a quick, easy, and dare I say, pleasant experience.

Develop Trust

If you’re dealing with a kitten, don’t waste time – start getting her comfortable with having her paws touched and her nails trimmed. This is the ideal time because if you get her comfortable with it from the very beginning it will be a heck of a lot easier when she’s an adult.

If you’re dealing with a cat who has never had her nails trimmed or has had a less-than-happy experience with the procedure, you’ll have to take it slow and do some trust-building. For this, you won’t even get out the clippers or attempt to trim one nail. Your main objective during this phase is to show your cat having her paws touched is a good thing.

The Velvet Touch


Choose a time to begin the training when your cat is relaxed and maybe even a bit sleepy. Arm yourself with some treats. Gently touch her paw and then offer a treat. If she has never been comfortable with having her paws touched then make sure when you do touch her, it’s for no more than a couple of seconds – just one gentle stroke.

Work up to being able to pet each of her paws and then to being able to lift and hold one paw for a few seconds. When you hold her paw don’t grasp it – just let it sit in your hand for the count of three. Reward your cat with a treat for her tolerance.

The next step is to hold a paw and gently press to allow the nail to extend. Be very gentle. Reward your cat. Do this with all of the paws.

Do the above exercises a couple of times a day until you feel your cat is completely comfortable with having her paws held and gently pressed so the nails are exposed. Remember to always reward your cat with a treat for her acceptance of each move you make.

Choose the Right Nail Clipper

Get a nail clipper meant for cat nails. Don’t use a dog nail clipper (too big) and don’t use clippers meant for human fingernails (they’ll split the nails). The cat’s nails are smaller and thinner so use clippers specifically designed for their size and shape.

Avoid Cutting the Quick

There’s a blood supply running through the nail. If your cat’s nails are light-colored you can see the pink part. That’s called the quick and it contains nerves and the blood supply. If you cut the quick you’ll cause pain to your cat and it’ll also result in bleeding. Cutting the quick, in addition to causing pain, will undo the good behavior work and your cat may develop a fear of the procedure.Only cut the very tip of the nail – don’t go beyond the curve. If your cat’s nails are light-colored, it’s much easier to see the quick, but if they’re dark-colored, you have to be even more careful. Always cut less than you think you should. If you’re at all in doubt about how much to trim, have your veterinarian or one of the clinic’s veterinary technicians show you.

If you do accidentally cut the quick, stop the bleeding with a little cornstarch. Keep a small container of cornstarch with your grooming supplies just to be on the safe side. Hopefully though, you’ll never need it.

Trimming the Nails

If your cat has had negative experiences with nail trimming, you shouldn’t attempt to do more than one or nails during each trimming session. It’s better to have the whole procedure over and done before your cat even realizes what just happened. If you keep the experience quick and positive, she’ll be more relaxed next time around.

Choose a time for nail trimming when your cat is relaxed. Hold the nail trimmer with one hand and take your cat’s paw in the other hand. Gently press to expose a nail and do a quick, but careful snip. If she reacts, don’t attempt to do any more nails. If she’s calm, do another. Always end on a positive note so it’s better to come back and do a couple more nails later, rather than have her struggle and undo all the good behavior modification work you’ve been doing.

It will also help the process if you keep track of which paw you’re working on so you’ll know where you left off when it’s time to do a couple more nails. The less you have to hold a paw while you double-check whether you’ve already cut those nails, the better.

How Often Should You Trim Your Cat’s Nails?

Typically, once a month is sufficient but that will depend on how fast your particular cat’s nails grow.

The Scratching Post

Don’t be surprised if your cat races over to her scratching post after you’ve trimmed her nails. It’s actually a good way for her to complete the manicure. It’s a great way for her to displace any apprehension she may have had about the procedure. In our house, it’s standard behavior for my cat to head directly to her post as soon as the last nail has been trimmed.



What About Declawing?

Declawing is not a humane option and shouldn’t be viewed as a way to avoid nail trimming. Being able to scratch is a vital part of being a cat. Declawing is the equivalent of mini amputations. Scratching behavior serves many vital emotional and physical functions for a cat. If your cat is engaging in furniture scratching, then provide an appealing scratching post, place it near the area where she’s scratching and reward her for using the post. If you’re considering declawing your cat because you are unable to trim her nails, your veterinarian will teach you how to do it or you can bring your cat in to have a veterinary staff member do the nail trim.

You may be interested in reading: Declawing: How This Procedure Affects Cats

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