Kitten Claws!

regdog said:

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

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+1

I'd also add:

- 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.

- If they get fussy, do one paw at a time. Praise the heck out of them.

- As a side-suggestion, while getting them used to having their paws handled, get them used to having their ears and mouth looked at. For one, getting them used to having their teeth rubbed/brushed is a good idea to avoid dental issues. For another, it'll make vet visits a little less stressful.

Good luck!

An FYI so you're not alarmed. Cat's claws don't grow in a solid piece like human nails or dog claws. Instead, they consist of a series of thin layers (when cats "sharpen" their claws, they're not filing them down, but removing the outermost layers to expose the fresh sharp layer underneath). Because of this, when you trim them, you'll likely notice they seem flakey, sort of like filo dough. This is totally normal.

Tazlima said:

... Because of this, when you trim them, you'll likely notice they seem flakey, sort of like filo dough. This is totally normal.

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You'll also find these flake pieces all over the house.

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.

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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.

heza said:

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.

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On the flaky pieces: it's good to find them near your designated scratching posts, so you know your cat's using them.

As for cat claw scissors, I used a simple set without a stopper (like these). I also found they worked good for the stumpy nails on my one finger which had an encounter with a sliding glass door when I was a kid and lost the final bit beyond the last joint. (Nail still grows from two little "horns" on either side of the suture line, though. Never did understand how that worked, but I gotta keep 'em trimmed and filed or they're annoying.) And keeping the clippers around for sneaky cuddle-time clipping's a good move. That's how I usually did it... plus the one paw at a time, then lots of fussing. As they got older, they got more mellow and I could do more.

I'd start with just handling their paws, and pressing on the toes to extend the claws, it'll get the kittens used to being handled, and you used to handling the claws, and getting them 'out'. Easier to practice first, then later when you've got a wiggly kitten in one hand, and clippers in the other.
I got sooo lucky - my last cat was an old stray, but either he was the most laid-back cat in the world, or someone had trained him well. I'd cuddle him on his back in the crook of one arm, hold a paw with that hand, and just clip. He just lay there like a plush toy. Never a problem, even when I had to mess with his deformed back claws. Once he got used to it, sometimes he'd even offer the next paw when I released the previous one.

If you test the process with Mystery first, give her a treat at the end, and make sure Dashiell sees that part.

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).

I had a friend who capped two, giant Maine Coons. I think they lost a couple of caps per week and she had to reattach them. I'd considered it, but with how difficult it is to get him to sit still for clippings, I'm doubtful I could even get one cap on Ollie.

Neat trick, though. Someone suggested a thunder shirt for our recent move, so I bought one. When I put it on him, he forgets how to cat. He'll take a couple of steps and then, just fall over sideways like he can not possibly figure out how to exist anymore. If I sit him back up, it's a prime time to quickly clip his claws before he comes to his senses.

hester said:

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).

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Last time I had the Sabretooth Siamese to the vet it did not end well for me. I've never even tried to trim his claws myself.

hester said:

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).

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I've been the vet employee doing the claw trims on angry kitties. That money's well-earned.

I got married in a sleeveless wedding dress, and in the week leading up to the ceremony I was bound and determined to not get bitten or scratched; I didn't want to be all banged up in the wedding pictures. I managed to make it a whole week without getting injured. The last appointment of the last day was a cat we knew well, an absolute sweetheart. Still, out of an abundance of caution, my coworker offered to do the handling in that final visit.

Well, sweet-lovey kitty was in a bad mood that day, and she tore my poor coworker to shreds. We joked afterwards that taking that kitty beating was his wedding present to me.

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).

Tazlima said:

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).

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You can't get within ten feet of either of my two kiddos with a dremel-anything.

Glad you were scratch free for your wedding!