HOW TO TRIM YOUR
CAT'S CLAWS
Trimming your cat's claws can become an
essential aspect of their health and grooming
regimen. However, it can be a challenging and
potentially stressful task for both you and your
feline companion.
The following tips and suggestions aim to guide
you on how to effectively clip your cat's nails,
minimising stress for both you and your pet.
1. Before you clip your cat's nails for the first
time, start by introducing the clippers to them
for a few days. Pick up their feet and massage
them, rubbing the toes, all while praising them.
Then introduce the nail clippers by touching
their feet and nails with them, placing them over
the nail but not clipping. If they behave, give
them a treat after each new step to reinforce it
as a positive experience. When your cat is used
to this you can then move on to cutting the nails.
Start slowly by just doing a few nails at a time.
2. A lot of cats don't like having their nails
trimmed and they can be very hard to hold.
Through fear or dislike of the situation they can
often become aggressive by scratching or biting.
It is often best to have someone hold the cat
while another person clips their claws. Wrapping
them firmly in a towel or blanket can help keep
them calm. It also allows you to keep their feet
secured to help avoid getting scratched.
3. Start by holding their paw and gently
squeezing to get the nail to extend.
4. Identify the quick. This is the vein that runs
from the base of the nail, and will look like a pink
line through the nail. It can be hard to identify in
black nails so check with your vet if unsure. You
do not want to cut this as it will bleed.
5. Wait until they are still and then cut the tip of
the nail off, without cutting the quick. You are
better off to take only a little at first as you can
always take more if needed.
6. Repeat the process on all nails.
7. Make the nail clipping experience a calm and
rewarding one for your cat. Give them lots of
praise, pats and treats for being well behaved.
Top Tip: have a small bowl of flour handy and if
your cat's nail bleeds dip it in the flour and it will
help slow the bleeding and help the blood to
clot quickly.
Cats can often maintain their nail length
themselves by scratching, so provide them with
a toy like a scratching post or mat that they
can scratch on. Generally as cats get older or
less playful or active they can need help with
maintaining their claws.
If clipping your cat's nails is just too hard or
stressful, most vet clinics and grooming salons
will be able to clip your cat's nails for you.
u For more information or to
check if your Cat needs their
claws trimmed, watch our
YouTube video with Dr Glenn
