You may always see your cat licking their fur and paws (or their butt). This is because cats are master groomers, always keeping their self looking spick and span. But you can always lend a helping paw, especially when it comes to trimming their claws. It can be a daunting task having to hold your cat and cut their claws, especially as most cats can be finicky about it. Don’t yowl about it though, most cats can learn to tolerate claw trimming with practice (and plenty of treats).

Learn more about claw trimming and ways to support the everyday health of your cat’s claws.

Checking out your cat’s claws can be tricky as they retract back into their fluffy paws. But if you can see your cat’s claws day-to-day, it’s likely your cat’s claws are too long and it’s time for a trim. Here’s how to tell a cat’s claws are too long for them:

• • • They don’t retract all the way, and you can see them sticking out when they sit, sleep, walk etc.
    • They are very curved
    • They are incredibly sharp

If you notice any of these signs, it’s a good sign that it’s time for a trim. Your local groomer or vet can help you with trimming your cat’s claws if you aren’t looking to tackle it yourself.

Having overgrown claws might not sound like much fuss, but it can lead to some serious issues for your kitty. Think about what would happen if you let your nails go untrimmed for ages. Looooong claws can lead to:

• • • Injury to your cat’s paw pads from nails that have curled and grown into them
    • Changes in your cat’s walk and gait that can lead to joint issues
    • Getting stuck in things like carpet or their collars that could lead to broken claw or other injuries
    • Damage to your furniture as they scratch away
    • Risk of injury to yourself from your cat’s scratches

The quick is a vein in your cat’s claws—one that can cause pain and bleed if you cut it. The good news is that since most cats have clear claws, it’s relatively easy to locate and avoid. Keep an eye out for the pink part of the claw, and only trim the clear/white part of the claw.

Cutting the quick, will cause your cat to bleed and experience pain. If you accidentally nick the quick, don’t feel too bad—it happens to the best of us! Sharp tools and your cat’s sudden movements may lead to accidents like quicking a claw. If you hit the quick, apply a styptic powder to the affected claw and apply pressure for a few seconds. If you don’t have styptic powder on hand, you can use flour or cornstarch, but styptic powder is more helpful for your cat. Flour or cornstarch will stop the bleeding, but styptic powder stops bleeding while also easing the pain since it contains a topical pain reliever.

Also try to stay calm if you nick the quick—your cat just might follow your lead and remain calm enough for you to continue trimming. Your cat may be too angry to continue, though, so it’s OK to stop and try again another day.

Here are the things that will come in handy when trimming your cat’s claws:

• Nail trimmer/clipper or grinder - this could be:
  • Scissors-style nail clippers look like small scissors with areas for the nail to go to be clipped.
  • Guillotine-style nail clippers have a hole to poke the claw through before sliding the blade across to cut it. These stay sharper for longer but can be tricky to use on cats due to difficulty of inserting the cat’s claw into a hole.
  • Pliers-style claw clippers have a spring, giving them more strength if your kitty has extra thick nails.
  • Nail grinders help to file your cat’s claws smoothly — but their mechanical hum is stressful for some cats making the process of trimming less enjoyable for you both.
• Cat treats to reward and create positive associations
• Styptic powder (recommended), flour or cornstarch
• Towel to wrap your cat in (optional)
• A helper (optional, but handy)
• Calm nerves and plenty of patience!

Trimming your cat's claws can be stressful for you as well as your cat. Before you get started on the trimming, find a quiet space away from distractions like children, food, other pets, or startling noises, so that you and your cat can have less stressful trimming session. You can also utilise calming sprays or diffusers to create a calm room before you start trimming your cat's claws.

It also helps to figure out a comfortable position to hold your cat when trimming their claws. If you're a beginner, practice holding your cat in a few positions to see which feels best for you to safely clip their claws while keeping your cat relaxed. Some positions to try are:

• seated, holding your cat lengthwise across your lap
• standing holding your cat against a flat surface like an iron board or bench
• reclined with your cat lying on your chest
• seated with the cat lying face up in the valley between your legs

Practice is key to getting your cat used to have their claws trimmed so when it's time for the real claw trimming, your cat will be used to it. If you opt for a nail grinder, you should turn it on during practice sessions. Don’t actually use it on their claws at first—these practice sessions are just to help your cat get used to the noise and claw trimming.

Tail twitching, growling, body stiffening and panting are all signs that your cat is becoming dangerously angry, and may bite or scratch you. Even purring can be a sign of stress. If you notice any of these, take a break and allow your cat to calm down. If you don't feel comfotable trimming your cat's claws, consult with your vet or a local cat groomer to show you how.

1. Gather your supplies: Make sure you have everything you’ll need within reach before you start. You don’t want to have to interrupt your claw trimming session—especially if your cat isn’t a huge fan of claw trims.
2. Find a quiet spot and get into your comfortable position. If your cat is especially squirmy, one way to keep a secure hold on them is to wrap them in a towel like a burrito, with only one paw outside the burrito at a time. This makes it harder for your kitty to escape or claw you. Some cats may also relax more if you drape a corner of the towel over their head to muffle the noise and keep them from seeing what you’re doing. For other cats, these tactics could stress them out even more, so do what feels best—it’s all about knowing your cat.
3. Select a paw: When you’ve found a position that’s comfortable for you and your cat, pick up one of their paws. Do your best to hold the paw in a natural position for your cat, without folding it too far back or forward or bending their leg in an awkward way.
4. Choose a claw to start with: Because cats have retractable claws, you’ll have to apply pressure to the paw pad to extend their claws out. Using your non-dominant hand, place your forefinger on your kitty’s paw pad and your thumb on the top of the toe. Squeeze gently to extend the claws, and take note of where the quick is so that you know where not to cut.
5. Cut at a 45-degree angle: Use your clippers to trim the tip of your cat’s claws. Rather than cutting straight across, aim for a 45-degree angle, which lets the nail rest comfortably on the ground when your cat walks. Use firm, decisive pressure to cut the nail; a softer, more tentative approach can accidentally crush the claw, rather than cut it cleanly. If your cat has long hair around their paws, make sure it’s pulled back and out of the way so you can see what you’re doing. This is especially important if you choose to use a nail grinder, since that tool can grab hair and pull hard.
6. Cut off a little at a time: Start by clipping the very tips of your cat’s claws, keeping an eye on the quick to ensure you don’t accidentally hit it. Clip a little bit at a time, it’s better to start slowly and work up to cutting more off later than to stress your cat out by accidentally cutting the quick. As you trim more and more off of your cat’s claws, you may see a pink (or black, on dark nails) dot in the middle of the cut area of the nail. Stop there—that’s a sign that you’re close to the quick.
7. Do the rest of your cat’s claws: Repeat the above process to trim each of your cat’s claws. Don’t forget the dewclaws! They’re a little higher up your cat’s front paws, like thumbs. If you neglect them, they can grow long enough to curl around and poke into their leg—not ideal.
8. Reward Your Cat: After each clip of a claw, reward your cat with plenty of treats. Once you’ve completed all the claws, give them cuddles, playtime or anything else that will end the experience on a positive note.

Remember: If your cat gets agitated after you’ve cut a few of their claws, you can always end your session and cut the rest in a day or two. Breaking this task into smaller shifts is totally worth it to keep you and your cat happy.

In general, indoor cats need their claws cut every couple of weeks. Kittens’ claws grow more quickly and may need to be trimmed every week, while some older cats will only need trims about once a month. Outdoor felines need sharper nails for climbing and defending themselves, so they may only need trimming a few times a year.

Once you know how to trim cat claws, it can become an easy process for you and your kitty that saves you the hassle of going to the groomer. With a bit of patience and plenty of rewards, you and your cat can become pros in no time!

A great way to maintain their claw health in between trimming sessions is to have a scratch pole or scratch pad for your cat to scratch. This will help them to naturally keep their nails looking good by helping to remove dead skin, as well as providing alternative places for your cat to scratch that's not your furniture. Learn more about preventing your cat from scratching your furniture.

Hopefully you feel more confident in trimming you cat's claws, but remember we're alwasy here to help. Simply get in touch with the team on 0800 200 240 or on support@petdirect.co.nz