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 cat’s nails if the cat is prone to kneading, scratching, etc. Some cats also like sour cream or butter. ", "Tip on wrapping my cat in blanket and detailed step by step on how to clip claws was helpful! Check your cat’s nails weekly to see if they could use a trim. Also have a styptic pencil on hand in case you cut the cat’s quick (which is less likely with a cat than a dog, as the cat's quick is much shorter). Though it sounds good and fine to get your cat used to having its nails trimmed, the reality is, many cats will still protest every single time, and you may have to get some extra help to do it. The guillotine nail clippers have a sliding blade that cuts the nails once the handles are squeezed together. Don’t try to cut them extremely short, just cut the tip off. There are no nerves or blood vessels in the ‘hook’, so it is perfectly safe to cut the tip off. Larger cats and long-haired cats that take longer to groom will also usually cost more. Each of your cat’s nails will be similar, so even if the cat has dark nails, look to find one clear nail as a reference point for the others. Many people find human nail clippers, a staple in every household, the easiest tool to cut your cat’s nails — and I agree. I get frustrated and give up. Last Updated: June 7, 2019 Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. Larger scissor clippers are suited to cutting older, tougher nails. Never cut a cat's nail close to or with flush with the toe; your aim is to clip off only the sharp point. Guillotine clippers use a sliding blade that cuts the nail when you squeeze the handles together. The quick is the living part of the nail and contains blood vessels and nerves, so cutting a cat’s nail to the quick is quite painful for the cat. If your cat is being rowdy, wait for it to settle down so that you can isolate the paw. The only reason why you shouldn’t cut or trim your kitty’s claws is in consideration of health. Trimming a cat’s nails can be downright painful, with blood loss on both sides. 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. If your cat is acting aggressively while you are trimming her claws it might be because you are inadvertently hurting her. Try not to pull your cats foot into uncomfortable positions while trimming those nails and ideally stop before he gets too cranky with the process. Snip only the white part of the claw. Always follow up your trimming sessions by giving your cat a tasty treat! Nail trimming is often feared by owners who are worried about trimming them too short or are dealing with a wiggly feline. No, this could hurt the cat more. And if you have a determined couch-shredder on your hands, why not consider some soft paws to protect the furniture. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. It is very painful for the cat. Step 4: Cut the Tips of the Nails. What if my cat doesn't like to be picked up? Buy good quality trimmers that are sharp and designed for cats. There are many different types of nail trimmers. Cats have eighteen nails, ten on their front paws and eight on their hind paws, and it is recommended to cut them every two to three weeks approximately depending on the activity and routines they have. How to Cut Cat Nails Basic Steps for Clipping Your Cat’s Nails. The cat might pull its paws away, or even get up and walk away. The pink part of a cat’s nail, called the quick, is where the nerves and blood vessels are. My cat's nail peel, with paper thin pieces coming away. I need to sedate my 14 year old cat to cut his nails. Afterward, treat your cat and stop the nail trimming for that day. Not only will using dull clippers make the job longer and harder, but you may also end up squeezing the quick, which can be painful for the cat. If your cat's nails are curled, you should clip them as soon as possible! I have no knowledge of his history. They are small, so you are close to your cat’s nail and can quickly trim a nail. The quick is the pink area within the nail where the nerves and blood vessels are, similar to the area underneath our nails. Trimming a cat’s claws should be as painless as cutting your own nails. Practice having your assistant hold your cat while you hold each of its paws and gently press each claw until your cat seems comfortable. When your cat’s claws are extended, you’ll see the thick part of the nail, and, towards the cat’s toe, a pinkish area inside the nail, called the quick. By using our site, you agree to our. Turn a human nail clipper sideways to cut the cat’s nail. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. All cats with claws should be trimmed consistently. Have your helper brush the cat’s head, under its neck, or in other places where it enjoys being brushed. I observed the groomer caring a year or so ago, and I am a registered nurse, so I think I can handle it. I didn’t even know this was an option until I mentioned to my vet that my cat hated having her nails trimmed. The claw fits into a slot and the blade slides across to clip the nail. You may only get one nail cut the first time, and that's OK. Don't try to trim your cat's nails right after play time, when it’s hungry, when it's restless and running around, or in an otherwise aggressive mood. There’s always an exception to things. Hold the clippers in one hand and hold your cat’s paw in the other. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. I trim his nails now, usually in multiple sessions. Makes the job look a lot less terrifying than first thought. Helped very much. Have your cat sit on your lap and massage one of his toe pads until a nail pops out. The smaller ones are excellent if you want to remove just the tips while the large one works best for older, more hardened nails. Signs of this include having to apply a lot of pressure to cut the nail or the nail being “chewed” by the clippers rather than making a clean cut. Reward your cat with more treats and praise. You can condition your cat as a kitten--even as young as a month old. They should be concave at the cutting edge, to avoid crushing the nail. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Though your cat will be sharpening its claws and keeping them in good shape on its own, keep an eye on their nails nonetheless. We enjoy helping animals and technology. Older cats need special attention because their nails are thicker and can sometimes press around into the pads, cutting into them. Because these claws don't get used much, they tend to overgrow and should be checked monthly in a healthy young cat. The best way to calm your fears is to ask your vet or a professional groomer to train you in the proper techniques for nail trimming. You do this by gently pressing the cat’s toe between your thumb and index finger. Begin gently petting its paws while simultaneously petting the cat in its favorite spots (the back of the neck, under the chin, where its back meets its tail, etc.). Styptic pencils are readily available from pharmacies (typically in the shaving section). Make a note of it and wait for your cat to get relaxed before trying to cut it, or you could make it worse. Older cats tend to end up with longer, thicker nails and often a greasy exudate around the nail bed. Most cats have two dewclaws, one on each front leg. Both of you should talk calmly and reassuringly to the cat. Look for a pink or red tinge at the base of the claw and ensure that you do not cut too close to it. I have three cats, they give three different responses to nail trimming. Older cats are also more likely to have problems with the nails growing into the pad. If you can remember to keep the clippers nearby, you may be able to accomplish this very necessary bit of cat care without disturbing the cat's important rest. Whenever you handle your cat’s paws, reward it with treats and praise to help build positive associations. To have a better view of the claws, press her paw gently which will push the nails out and furs upwards. If you are unsure exactly where to cut, ask someone to show you how it's done. ", how to hold him will help me get more than one nail clipped at a time. Just clip off the ends. There was no bleeding, and he seems to be fine, b … read more It is simply not worth the risk of injury to either of you. Fleas are a problem for most of our pets. So let's jump into the first question and that is, it's very hard to get a cat's claws cut as he's becoming upset and aggressive. Read on for detailed instructions. As you press down gently, the retracted nail should slide out. You should first cut just the tip of the nails, and as you get more comfortable, you can cut closer to the quick, but never cut all the way to the quick or you can hurt your cat and make its nails bleed. So let's jump into the first question and that is, it's very hard to get a cat's claws cut as he's becoming upset and aggressive. You want to concentrate on cutting the part of your cat’s claw that doesn’t have this blood vessel in it, and it shouldn’t be too hard because most cats have white or clear nails. And 3 things you can do instead. This article has been viewed 1,070,755 times. If you do cut it, it’ll heal by itself. Acclimate your cat to the sound of nail clippers. Covering the cat's eyes or obscuring the cat's vision of the trimming process may help for some cats. Here are some examples of cat grooming average costs: Shave down or lion cut: $35-$60. If your cat enjoys being brushed, the other person can brush the cat to distract it from the fact that it's getting its nails trimmed. Older cats need special attention because their nails are thicker and can sometimes press around into the pads and cut into them. Vet Tech Anne is back at it again, this time with our resident cat, Tardis. You could try getting on "their level," like if they're napping on the couch, you'd kneel on the floor in front of the couch so that you could easily reach them without having to pick them up to hold them. This will help prevent splitting. Can I trim my cat's nails when it is sleeping? Cutting the quick hurts and causes the nail to bleed, sometimes a lot. The average cost of trimming your cat’s nails at a grooming salon is around $10-15, but some areas may be more expensive. For those of you who understand how you’re supposed to clip cats nails, but just can’t for the life of you manage to do it on your cat as he or she seems to hate getting his or her nails cut, this article is for you.. On my last article on how to give medicine to cats, I received not one, but two commenters, Jean and Olivia, who requested an article on the topic of clipping cat nails. Common Causes, Symptoms and What to Expect. Trimming a cat’s nails is fairly easy once you get your cat accustomed to it. You would be taking away his defenses he could not explore the terrain to be able to return home and leave him in a position of inferiority against possible attackers. % of people told us that this article helped them. 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. Massage the paw, then press down gently to expose the claws. For instance, if your cat resists nail trimming, don’t force it. Make the treat special: vacuum-packed salmon, or chicken. Trimming off less of the nail more frequently is better than taking the chance of cutting too deep. Is your cat obsessed with scratching your furniture? VetBabble is a site run by veterinarians to provide helpful, fun and reliable information for pets. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. ", "Very thorough. The soap will plug the vessel and stop the bleeding. Always take a little bit at a time if you can’t clearly see the quick beneath the nail. Know How to Use the Clippers Both you and your cat should feel comfortable with the sound of the clippers long before you start trimming his nails. If you cut too deep, it's going to be harder to trim the nails later on. Cutting Your Cat’s Nails Support wikiHow by If your cat has black nails, you will notice that the base of the nail is roughly triangular and it comes out to a pointy hook. I have never, "The pictures showing how to hold the cat while trimming the nails helped a lot. Going too fast will not only make your cat feel stressed, but it … It was my first time, so I hope I didn't hurt my cat. Cats have retractable claws, so to get the nail ‘out’, simply push on the top of the foot so that the nails come out of their little sleeves. You may only be able to trim one or two nails at a time at first. Occasionally, you may cut your cat's nails too short making them bleeds. If you don’t feel comfortable trimming your cat’s nails your vet or groomer will be happy to do this regularly. But as the cat grows, you should use nail clippers for cats. I'm sure your kitty is fine. The is no bleeding, pain or swelling. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b0\/Trim-Your-Cat%27s-Nails-Step-5-Version-7.jpg\/v4-460px-Trim-Your-Cat%27s-Nails-Step-5-Version-7.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b0\/Trim-Your-Cat%27s-Nails-Step-5-Version-7.jpg\/aid9391-v4-728px-Trim-Your-Cat%27s-Nails-Step-5-Version-7.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"