Scratch marks on your curtains, couches, and even your arms are a common sight when you're a cat owner. And since I'm not an advocate of declawing cats, the best way I can think of to deal with sharp cat claws is regular trimming and encouraging your cats to refrain from clawing on certain items.
Trimming a cat's nails can either be no big deal, or a big production, depending on your cat and your attitude and state of mind. One of the best things you can do for you and your cat is to start them young. Begin trimming your cat's claws when they are kittens.
CAT DECLAWING
Get Your Cat Used to Handling Its Feet
You will need to start working with your cat as young as possible. Don't worry if your cat is now an adult. It will just take longer to acclimate your cat to handling its feet and nails. Just follow these same guidelines.
Start off by gently holding your cat and stroking his paws. You want him to get used to being handled and having his paws touched and manipulated. Always give a treat when you do these exercises so they associate being handled with something pleasant. At all times, use lots of praise.
As your cat gets used to having its feet handled, and is at ease with this, begin gently squeezing your cat's paw to expose the nails. Simply do this by using your thumb on top and your forefinger on the bottom of the paw and gently squeeze. This will cause the nails to stick out. Use praise and treats.
Keep practicing this technique until your cat willingly lets you do this, and has no issues with it. You should practice how much pressure you need to exert on the paw to fully expose your cat's nails without pressing too hard.
Next, start playing with your cat's nails. Simply handle the nails, hold the nail, and see what your cat will allow you to do. Don't forget to use praise.
Look at the nail carefully and note that toward the tip, the nail is a whitish or clear color. Further in, a bit toward the paw, you will see a pinkish color, called the 'quick.' That pink part is what you want to avoid when clipping the nails because it contains nerves and blood vessels. You just want to trim the very end of the nail to get rid of that super-sharp tip, just before the 'quick.' If you cut into the 'quick' of the nail, your cat will feel a lot of pain and the nail will bleed a lot. Your cat will be fine, but it will bleed heavily.
This part of training your cat to let you work on it's nails may take a while. It may take a few days before you can move on to trying to trim the nails, or it may take several weeks. This depends on your cat, and on you. Very young kittens will adapt more quickly than an adult cat who has never had its nails trimmed before.
You also need to be confident and relaxed. You should not rush, and if you are very nervous about this, maybe another member of the family should be in charge of clipping your cat's nails.
Trimming Your Cat's Nails
To trim your cat's nails, begin by doing the deed when your cat is in a relaxed state, not a wide-awake, playful state. I like to trim my cat's nails when I see them just starting to settle down. If I'm gentle and quick enough, they barely budge during the whole process. You do not want to sneak up on them when they are sleeping to try to clip their nails, because this will startle them and they will lose some trust in you.
Be ready with extra special treats to give your cat during the trimming and afterward. You want your cat to associate nail clipping with something very positive.
Be sure to use proper animal nail clippers that are sharp. You can have your cat on your lap or on a table or chair. Make sure you are both relaxed.
Make sure you have towels and styptic powder, or a styptic pencil right where you are working.
Gently take one paw and push on the pad to extend the nails, like you have been practicing.
If you accidentally cut the 'quick', soothe your cat and use a styptic pencil or styptic powder to stop the bleeding. Make sure you have towels on hand too. Keep an eye on the nail over time to avoid infection.
When you cut the nail, use the clipper perpendicular to the nail, and use a decisive, fast motion to avoid crushing or splintering the nail. If you are hesitant, your cat may squirm, and you may cut into the 'quick.'
Do this for all nails, including the dewclaw.
You can trim the back nails, but most pet owners find it unnecessary to trim them often. I usually only trim my cat's back nails every other trimming.
If your cat just doesn't want to cooperate, you may have rushed the process. Go back to the 'handling your cat's feet exercises' and don't try trimming again until you are sure that you and your cat have bonded and that your cat is likely to cooperate. Also, you may be able to wrap your cat in a sheet or blanket to trim their nails. Being wrapped up may calm them down, or it may irritate them more. This will depend on your cat.
Some cats are just very difficult to trim their nails. If you have done all that I have taught you, and your cat is just not receptive to getting its nails trimmed, you might want to try a trip to the vet or a professional groomer. They are used to dealing with all types of temperaments and may be able to quickly and efficiently trim your cat's claws with a minimum of hassle.
If you are reading this, you may be saying that the point is that you want to do this yourself, not have someone else do it for you. Some cats need to be worked with for quite a long time before they are calm enough for you to trim their nails. Don't be discouraged. Just keep working with your cat, and use lots of praise, and possibly treats. It may take months before you can easily cut your cat's claws.
Trimming your cat's nails every three to four weeks should be sufficient. Every cat is different, so you may need to clip the nails sooner, or you may be able to go a little longer in between clippings.
Clipping Your Cat's Nails
Rick Delgado is called "The Pet Care Guy," and has a vision that every single pet gets the love and care they deserve. Rick has owned a dog walking and pet sitting business since 2005, and you can get pet care tips at http://thewoofblog.thewoofpack.com. Download a free report on disaster preparedness for pets at https://www.thewoofpack.com/sign-up.html.
CAT DECLAWING
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