How To Clip Your Cat’s Nails?

A cat’s nails require regular trimming, and if left unchecked, the nails will grow sharper and longer. If not careful, adults or children may be accidentally injured. If the cat is not dewormed, vaccinated, etc. in time, the body is infected with Hanse-Bartonella. It may also get cat’s claw fever. Also, sharp claws can damage furniture such as sofas, and curtains. Therefore, in addition to the sisal fabric scratching post and cat scratcher cardboard, it is very important to trim the cat’s nails regularly. But clipping a cat’s nails is not an easy task. A cat’s claws are its weapon. If you want to cut it off, you may be strongly resisted by the cat. And if you are not careful, you will be scratched. Many cat owners face the problem of not knowing what to do. Below I will teach you in detail how to clip your cat’s nails.

1. Preliminary Preparation

1.1 Establish Trust

First of all, clipping your cat’s nails is like clipping your own children’s nails. You must gain the trust of the cat and make the cat more obedient. This will make the nail clipping process smoother. If you don’t gain trust, you may face resistance from your cat. If possible, start consciously training your cat about clipping nails. Gently stroke cat’s paws frequently to get your cat used to holding them before trimming. The best time to trim your cat’s claws is when he is relaxed or sleepy. Never try to trim your cat’s nails in a stressful environment or immediately after an energetic game.

1.2 Food Temptation

Get your cat a treat to turn his attention to the treats. Before cutting, you can give the cat some snacks, preferably cat candy, which can make it lick for a while. After all, cutting nails is not something that can be done right away. Draw your cat’s attention to the treats and prevent it from seeing its feet. Then use special cat nail clippers to trim its claws.

Reward him with a little treat after cutting his nails. It can be a fixed special food that are only available by trimming the nails. Do it gradually, so that the cat will make good associations when clipping its nails in the future.

1.3 Suitable Tool

Prepare a pair of cat-specific nail clippers. These nail clippers are designed like scissors or a ring hay cutter. The best nail clippers have very sharp edges and comfortable handles. Cut your cat’s nails at the proper angle without risking the nails to split or chip. Do not use our own kind of nail clippers, otherwise it will easily cause the cat to be injured. Only in this way will the effect of clipping your cat’s nails be better. At the same time, the efficiency can be improved in a short time.

2. Specific Operations

2.1 Immobilize Your Cat

Before clipping your cat’s nails, be sure to immobilize its body so that it does not move around. It’s best to keep cats from seeing their paws. Here I recommend several practical and easy-to-operate methods for you. You can wrap the cat’s body in a large bath towel so only the head and paws are exposed. Or put the cat in a cardboard box and make a small hole just enough for the cat’s paws to stick out. Of course, you can also lock the cat in the mesh door, and its sharp nails can pass through the mesh. In this way, you don’t have to worry about cutting the flesh of the cat when you start. No matter which method you choose, as long as the body is fixed and the cat cannot move around, it is convenient to start.

2.2 Fast, Accurate And Gentle

Hold the nail clipper in your right hand and gently hold one of the cat’s front paws in the other hand. Gently press the cat’s toe pads, and the cat’s paws will automatically stretch out. Hold the clippers in a vertical position to trim the claws from the bottom up. This position helps prevent splitting. Be sure to hold the cat’s claws firmly during the trimming process and not let go. Identify where your cat’s nails are sharp and cut them off. It is best to do it in one step, and do not trim it repeatedly. After trimming, you can use a nail file to smooth the ends of your cat’s nails.

Be careful not to cut too deep when cutting your cat’s nails. Because the inner layer of its nail shell also has blood vessels, that is, the pink tissue inside the claw. If you cut too deep, the cat will bleed. If you make the cat hurt and bleed, and then cut the cat’s other nails, the cat will not cooperate. And it is more likely to show resistance.

If the cat’s nails have been rounded by itself, there is no need to cut them off, as long as they are not sharp. Sisal fabric scratching post is a great option for sharpening your cat’s claws. You can reduce the frequency of trimming your cat’s nails, which is not an easy task after all. Especially when you own more than one cat.

2.3 Unexpected Situation

Don’t panic if you accidentally cut your cat’s claws too short. Paws may bleed for a while, but usually stop quickly. Soothe your cat by talking to it softly and stroking its head. The nail should stop bleeding naturally in about 5 minutes or less. If not, you can use a hemostatic pen that contains silver nitrate to stop the blood flow. The black end of the stick is fastened to the bleeding nail and spun gently. Or dab on hemostatic powder to help stop bleeding.

3. Points For Attention

3.1 Pay Attention To Safety

The cat is an animal that is not particularly easy to control, so be careful when trimming your cat’s nails. On the one hand, don’t let the cat get hurt. On the other hand, don’t let yourself be accidentally scratched. If you get scratched by a cat’s nails and bleed a lot. Go to the epidemic prevention station to get the vaccine in time, just in case.

3.2 Frequency

How often you need to clip your cat’s nails depends in part on how many tips you remove. Of course, each cat’s nails grow at a different rate. Usually every 2 weeks or once a month is enough. Nails are neither too long nor cracked or broken. Be careful not to be too hard on the cat while cutting the nails. If your cat becomes impatient, take a break and try again later. In fact, even if you can only cut one or two claws a day, you will eventually get the job done. Therefore, in daily life, you also need to pay attention to the maintenance of the cat’s paws. You can’t just rely on regular nail clipping. You can use sisal fabric scratching post for your cat so that the cat can sharpen its claws at any time and is also good for the cat’s health.