How to Trim Your Cat’s Nails at Home Without the Stress
Is it time to trim your cat’s nails? Don’t worry—Veterinarian Dr. Yvette Huizar breaks down everything you need to know to keep your cat’s claws healthy and your furniture scratch-free.
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TRANSCRIPT
Need to trim your cat's nails? I know this can be a pretty daunting task, but we're here to help. I'm Dr. Yvette Huizar, and River is going to be helping us show you how to trim your cat's nails. Let's get into it. Before we talk tips, let's go over why nail trims are so important for cats. Long claws can snag on surfaces, fabric, and also scratch you. Older and less active cats have an increased risk of the nails growing into a curve and becoming embedded in the paw pad, which can be painful and cause an infection.
Note that outdoor cats may need their nails for climbing and protection.
However, if their nails are overgrown, trims may be necessary. When to trim your cat's nails will vary based on how active they are and how much they scratch. Typically, every 2 to 4 weeks should work. Let's talk about what you'll need. First, choosing a nail trimmer. I prefer to use a scissor type nail trimmer that's well sharpened and has a safety lock and nail guard. This helps ensure you only cut on the white part of the nail and not the pink part which contains the blood vessels. In the store, you may also see pliier type or sliding guillotine blade trimmers. There's also nail grinders which some pet parents prefer. Second, I recommend also getting a stipic pencil or powder to prevent bleeding in the event that you accidentally cut the quick of the nail.
To prepare and train your cat to tolerate nail trims, desensitizing their paws is key. This means getting them used to touching and squeezing their paws. You can do this with positive reinforcement by touching the paw and then giving them a high value treat. You can use a high-v value kibble treat or enticing them with a yummy paste. You must also get them used to the nail clippers. Similarly, you can introduce the trimmers and associate the trimmers with something positive such as yummy treats or playtime. Ideally, you start this process when they're a kitten, but if they're already past that phase or you adopted them after their kitten stage, you can still get them used to the process, and it may just take more time. Now, it's time to trim. If your cat is cool with you holding their paw, gently press the pad to make the claw pop out. You want to only cut the white part of the nail. Do not cut the pink part since that's where the quick is.
This will cause bleeding and be painful to your pet. If you accidentally cut the quick, apply a cptic powder directly to the nail to stop the bleeding. If you don't have this powder, you can apply flour instead, but sifty powder is preferred.
A few pieces of advice. Pick the right moment to start this process. Ideally, you'll do it when your cat is relaxed, maybe sleepy after a meal. And don't stress if you don't get to every nail in the first session, especially the first time. If you only get to a few, that's okay. Try to work on the others another day.
Nail grinders are another option to try, but the sound and vibration can take longer for your cat to get used to. Go slow and make sure your cat is calm while getting used to the device. First, turn the nail grinder on and bring it to the tip of the nail for 1 to 2 seconds, moving in a circular motion. You want to go a little at a time to avoid hitting the quick. Make sure to follow instructions on the device since products vary. If they absolutely won't tolerate having their nails trimmed, there are a few other things you can try. Nail caps are plastic nail covers that prevent cats from damaging furniture and potentially harming you when they scratch you. However, they won't prevent nail overgrowth. A scratching post can help keep your cat's nails from overgrowing. However, you may still need to incorporate nail trims.
Talk to your vet about medications that can help calm your cat during nail trims. This is safer than stressing your cat. As always with cats, patience is key. Remember, you're on cat time here.
It might be a slow and gradual process, and that's okay. figure out what they're comfortable with and create a grooming plan around that and you'll both have a better time when it's time for a manicure. Thanks for watching and see you next time.