Do cats nails need to be cut?

[Felix]

Hi i am a new owner of a pet cat.I was wondering if i need to get my cats nails cut:confused:

[catmandu]

I think,that the answermis Yes,or they may get too long,and dig,into thier paws.But then again,I have never been able to Do John
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/catmandu/catphotos684.jpg
,or Rocca,and have,to wait,for the Vet,to do the job.

[Felix]

Thank you for the information.Felix is going to the vet to be neutered on wed so i'll get them to cut his nails then if needed!!:D

[janelle]

Sure cut them, not hard at all. Ask your vet to show you. They have special clippers for animals but I use just a clipper I use on my nails.

Cut the ends and DO NOT GO PAST THE PINK PART OR THEY WILL BLEED. I have always clipped my cats nails and it's so easy. The hardest part is getting them to co-operate. With my first cat I waited for him to be sound asleep and he just laid there and let me do them. With my second Siamese he is a light sleeper so I need to take him into the bathroom and let him sit on the counter top. I pick up each paw and clip the nails. He likes that position better than holding him since he doesn't like to be held. Then with my little cat I hold her under my arm and clip her little nails before I put on her soft claws. She is a little demolition derby that scratches furniture so she has to wear claw protectors,

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

First of all:http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabriels/images/smilies%20801%20welcome_cat-yarn.gif to Pettalk!!

Yes, it is necessary to cut your cat's nails. If your cat is stricktly indoors, it has to be done more often. My Maya is very easy to do this. She just sits there on my lap while I do the cutting. Inka, that is a different matter...:rolleyes: . With her, I can only do one paw per day, as she can get so wild; so if I don't want to end up full of scratches..... ;) !! Buy a special cat-nail clipper. You can buy those at any petstore. Take the smallest one you can find (the larger ones are for dogs!).
Good luck with the neutering!! What's the name of your kitten?

PS. Of course, it is always easier to let your vet do the chore ;) :D

[janelle]

It's easier but expensive. LOL :eek:

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Originally posted by janelle
It's easier but expensive. LOL :eek:

I know ;) , but the cat is going to the vet to be neutered, so ...:D

[Felix]

Thanks everyone for the information!!;) I dont think id be able to do my cats nails myself...too wild:eek: after the vet does it i'll get it done at a pet grooming shop....to be on the safe side;) poor fella got to go in tomorrow.Im sooooo nervous cuz i dont know what exacly is being done!!!!:confused: WISH FELIX LUCK!!!!!!!:p

[ramanth]

Good luck Felix! :D

[cruisetime]

I actually had to return the cat nail clippers - couldn't really see what you were doing with them. A lot easier with small regular finger nail clippers. Actually a lot easier with two people. Hubby holds cat and I cut nails.. :) :) Debbie

[IRescue452]

Its easier to cut their nails then to take care of their paws when they rip their nails out getting them caught on something or to buy a new couch/wall/door/bed/carpet when they use it for a scratch post.

[Felix]

My felix has never scratch on the furniture im lucky that way!!I bought him a scratching condo and he barely uses that.....he a GOOD kitty cat :D

[RedHedd]

I do my two's nails myself. It's not easy, they're both wiggle-worms and scream bloody murder - you'd think I was killing them! I wonder what my neighbors think :rolleyes: but it's a lot cheaper than having the vet do them and it's realy not THAT difficult.

I find the small scissor-type of clippers easier to use.

My RB Goldie was impossible to do - one time it took THREE techs at the vet's office to hold her down to clip her nails while she yeowled <sigh> I do miss her.

[janelle]

I had to fight with my Simon to clip his nails. Only one trip to the vet for neutering so only one time for the vet to clip. LOL

But when I clipped his nails the way HE wanted them clipped he was fine. I was holding him upside down on my lap, He is a claustophobia, don't hold me tight kitty so that was way too wrong for him to behave for me. I learned he wanted to stand on the Bathroom counter top and let me pick up his paws. Then he will stand and be patient for me.

I think it's all in learning what is comfortable for your cat. They are dolls and very sweet when we understand them and how they want to be treated.

[catnapper]

Welcome to PT!

Trimming nails is oh-so fun! LOL... but it does get easier with practice. And I've found that the better the trimmers the easier the job. I started out with the small ones that you can find anywhere, and now have "professional" ones that fit my whole hand. All I can say is "WOW, what a difference" You have more control and things go much faster.

Depending on how low on the paw you go, depends on how often you trim. I can go fairly low on Harry's paw, and need to trim his nails less often than anyone else's - for some reason, his veins are not as far into the nail as the others.

Sorry if its a bit blurry, but here's Harry's nails. you can see how far back I go on him. I trim him about once a month.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/kasdesign/nails.jpg

Feel free to PM me for help.

[Jayna78]

Welcome to PT! :)

We have 4 cats, and my husband always holds each cat and I trim their claws. It's really routine - we do it about 2 times per month - if sometimes certain nails don't need to be trimmed, we skip them, but we find that it's good to at least check the claws on each of the cats' paws every 2 weeks or a little more often if they start to feel really long and pointy.

Sometimes it's a little bit of a struggle, but last time, it was really easy - we had all 4 done in under 10 minutes. Leo, who is the most easy-going, friendly cat, under every circumstance (even at the vet - they love him), turns into a little holy terror when we trim his claws, and Leila is kind of mean, but as long as hubby restrains her from biting my hands, we can get her done pretty quickly.

We tried using the cat clippers a long time ago, and we didn't like them that much - we heard that the dog clippers at PetSmart would work better from another cat owner we talked to - they're still pretty small - they're the Bargain Hound Nail Clippers - I'm pretty sure they still have them. They've worked out well. They're easy to use and they stay sharp enough for a long time.

[carole]

I have never needed to clip either of their nails, and I have owned Ash for over six years, but because they are indoor/outdoor they sharpen them and keep them trim I guess on the lovely giant scratching posts, aka the Trees.

[kaoK'okung]

i hope this doesn't mean that i am a bad catdaddy, but i have owned both my cats, Zip and Shy, for over ten years now and have never trimmed their nails once...they have so many things to scratch(besides my furniture), and i constantly find nail sheaths around, i have never seen the need...they have never had any kinda of medical problem from them not being clipped...i LOVE them SO much, am i wrong, will this cause them problems???:eek: :eek: :confused: :confused:

[Uabassoon]

This is just my opinion. Unless the nails are growing too long then you don't need to cut them. I trim both Corkscrew and Tibby's nails every other week because if not their nails hurt me. Both love to cuddle with me and knead on me, if their nails are sharp then I get scratched. If you don't mind scratches and they are provided with enough scratching posts and such then they should be fine as long as you check their nails every once in a while to make sure they are growing so long that it bothers them.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I can't trim my cats nails so I take them to a grooming school. They only charge $9.00 per cat so it's not too expensive and I take them about every 7-8 weeks or so. I can't take Cirrus though because he's semi-feral and is too scared and can't be handled. He's had his nails trimmed 2 times by the vet and he had to be sedated. Luckily he has plenty of scratching posts to use.:)

[Felix]

Thanks for all the information everyone!! felix will be going to the vet today o get neutered :eek: so i'll get his nails done there now!!!:p POOR FELIX hope he feels better soon!!!:(

[Felix]

I have only one question when i post how can i get to see my siggy without putting it in a attachment!!:confused:

[rosethecopycat]

I think if you decide to not cut Felix's nails, it is still important to inspect them.
The 'dew claw' is high up the front paws, and if that nail grows around, it can puncture the pad or skin. If nothing is happening to the surrounding tissues, I guess it doesn't matter how sharp the nails become. Personally, I don't like getting shredded when they jump on my back. So, I walk around like a 'gunslinger', clippers in my pocket, ready to clip anyone's nail that looks too long.

Welcome to PT.

[Felix]

Thanks Rose for the information mf.:)

[kaoK'okung]

i just have to say that you all are awesome...i always feel good when i come to read posts and always leave feeling even better...i don't feel like a bad catdaddy now...ty...their nails are not too long(i inspected, as suggested), and frankly i don't mind the pain...it's tough love!!!..lol...tya!!!!!!:D :D :D

[2dog1cat]

Here's a couple of hints to assist you:

First of all, once you start doing the nails, don't stop otherwise your kitty will figure out if they put up enough fuss, you'll stop.

Give lots of hugs and kisses while doing it, and treats when finished.

If pussycat is realyy defiant, try this: wrap him up in a towel so he is confined and can't scratch you. Do this a lot so he gets used to it and doesn't mind. THEN start taking one paw out at a time and trim the nails. This will control his movements and well as secure your safety. Remember the loving and the treats.

It's also a good idea to have a bottle of Kwik Stop handy, just in case. Much cheaper than an emergency vet visit.

I started doing Baileys when we got him at 10 wks. Now he lays on my computer desk while I do it, almost like he's getting a manicure.

[Felix]

Felix got his manicure done yesterday at the vet :p He had to go there to get neutered so they done it there for me and never charged me for it either!!:D Thanks for all the tips.I'll keep them in mind if i ever get the nerve up to cut them myself!!

[janelle]

LOL my hubby knows how you feel. He once cut his rabbits claw and it bled. Now he won't even go near a clippers and the cats. I guess they can bled really bad and he felt so bad


Also everyone, do you cip the back claws? I just clip the front and leave the back alone. They do most of their scratching with the front ones.

[2dog1cat]

I trim all 4 and the dew claws as well.

Bailey only scratches with the front, however, he bats the dogs with his back and I don't want any vet bills.