Trimming Your Cat’s Nails — 5 Easy Tips

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Trimming your cat's nails.

You might be asking, Aren’t cats supposed to keep their claws in shape either by playing or using a scratching post?

Well, cats usually give a lot of importance to self-grooming, and they are one of the cleanest pets.

But don’t assume your pet can take care of its own nails. Grooming is required. If you don’t regularly trim your cat’s claws, they could actually grow long enough to begin curling and cutting into the pads of the paws — very painful for the pet.

So let us help you with trimming your cat’s nails — 5 easy tips.

1. Get a quality set of cat nail trimmers and this is possibly the only equipment you will need. So pay a few extra bucks for a set that will last a lifetime, rather than buying cheap ones that will break and injure your cat when trimming the claws.

2. Most cats hate when you touch their paws. So it is very important that you calm your kitty down, play around with it and relax it to the extent that it will happily let you touch its paws. Have an assistant help you hold the cat gently.

3. Take the paw between your thumb and finger. Slowly and very gently push the fur back to expose the claws. Hold the clippers vertically, or else there is a danger of cutting the nails in a splintered manner.

4. Do not cut the nails too close, as it might cause bleeding and stress to the cat. If the cat starts acting too fidgety, stop. Continue later when your pet calms down.

5. How often should you trim your cat’s nails? Cut the nails every two weeks, though, of course, this may vary by cat. Just pay attention to how long your cat’s claws grow between trims. Regular trimming will actually make the nails easier to cut, and you will lower the chance of injury.

Final Thoughts

Clip the nails slowly and take care not to hurt the pet in any way. These 5 easy tips for trimming your cat’s nails will help you do the entire procedure efficiently and effortlessly, especially once you get the hang of things.

And if you want to help your cat keep its own nails trimmed, check out something called All Star Emery Cat board, a kitty scratcher that trims the nails as your cat plays.

Top photo: Jacob Davies/Flickr

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Tags cat claws cat grooming cat nails DIY cat grooming nail clippers pedipaws trim cat nails