We've recently adopted two new kittens and we've made the decision to not declaw them. Any tips and pointers on how (and how often) to safely trim their claws? We do have scratching areas for them and they're each about six months old now.
Start handling their paws ASAP. You want them to be used to it and not fuss or panic. I don't know if you've had cats before so I'll tell what I know, no offense intended if you have them or already know this. When you press on the toe the claw will extend. The pink inside the claw is the quick and is tissue with nerve endings and blood supply. Make sure you don't trim that it is painful and will bleed. The claw itself is like a fingernail. I always trimmed off until the curve.
I found it easiest to have someone si the cat in their lap with the cat's back to the person's chest, so the cat is sitting upright. I had the person hold the cat under the front arm pits so I could handle and hold the paws being trimmed.
You'll have to check the cat's claws weekly to see how fast they grow. We had cats whose claws grew slowly and needed trimming every three to four weeks and others who grew daggers every two weeks.
Since they're young you may want to start by just clipping off the sharp tip, so they get used to it. You might luck out and hug cats who could care less if you trim their nails. I've had both. Good luck
... Because of this, when you trim them, you'll likely notice they seem flakey, sort of like filo dough. This is totally normal.
Brightdreamer said:- Get a nice set of cat claw scissors, and try to keep them sharp. Some of them have a stopper to keep you from trimming too far, which might be a good idea if you're not used to trimming pet claws.
You'll also find these flake pieces all over the house.
There are special cat claw scissors? We bought a guillotine, which was terrible, so I just started using my clippers on him. Ollie's a handful, so I do his claws when he's sleeping. I can usually get 2-3 done before he realizes what's happening. I just keep my clippers next to where we cuddle in the evenings. I'm sneaky like that.
Because I'm a super-wimp, I take our kitty to the vet for trims (usually about every six weeks). They charge twenty bucks, but I look at it like a cat manicure (and a way of having someone else deal with her skittishness--she's not ordinarily aggressive, but she hates claw trimming with a passion).
Because I'm a super-wimp, I take our kitty to the vet for trims (usually about every six weeks). They charge twenty bucks, but I look at it like a cat manicure (and a way of having someone else deal with her skittishness--she's not ordinarily aggressive, but she hates claw trimming with a passion).
Re: Claw caps - To my mind, these have the same problem as those dremel nail grinders. If your pet tolerates either of these items, they're probably perfectly well-behaved for a regular nail trim, and therefore don't NEED the special tool (grinders are useful for other reasons, particularly smoothing down nails of pets whose owners have bleeding disorders to minimize the risk of scratches, but advertising them as a "soothing" alternative to regular trimming is, to my mind, false advertising).