Never trimming your cat's claws is like never cutting your fingernails. You don't want your cat to end up like that freakish man from India whose fingernails are curling talons of horror do you? Come to think of it, even HE cut his nails in 2018. So grab some trimmers - we're going to cut some cat claws.
Meet Ernie. The subject of today's medical lesson. Ernie is a 100% purebred stray cat. A genuine feral, tortoiseshell, mutt, polydactyl cat. She's very rare.
I've owned many ( many = 3) cats and never declawed any of them. I've come close, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I try not to judge anyone who has their cats declawed, because I know how utterly infuriating it is to buy a piece of furniture that cost 3 weeks pay only to have a cat look you in the eye as it tears massive hunks out of it. Repeatedly.
Happy with its handiwork the cat usually strolls away with a wiggle in its walk, tail straight up in the air, presenting you with its anus.
I found Ernie on our front porch a few winters ago, curled up on my wicker furniture, covered in a dusting of snow. She was gone by the morning but came back every night. After months of taming, cajoling and calming I finally got that little cat into my house, only to discover she's a polydactyl. That'd be a cat with an unusual amount of toes. Many toes. A LOT of toes. Which of course means ... a lot of claws. Go ahead. Go back to the picture above and take a look at how big her paws are. That cat could take out a pot bellied pig with one swipe.
I knew for my furniture to have any hope in hell of making it, I had to start trimming her nails immediately. I was a bit worried that as a formerly wild cat she wasn't going to go down without a fight, but by the time she came to live in the house she was so happy to have a warm place to live and lots of food, she'd pretty much let me do anything to her.
So now every few weeks I wrangle her and trim their claws. I did the same with Cleo until she died. And this is how you do it ...
How to Trim Cat Claws
- Buy some cat claw trimmers at your local pet store. You can also get them on Amazon if you prefer not to venture out into the real world.
2. Holding your cat firmly in your lap, take one of its paws and push down on their knuckle with your thumb. This will make the claw extend out.
Take a good look at the claw. You'll see a dark portion in the nail. That's tissue. The quick. And you DON'T want to knick it, so be aware of where it is. If you do cut into the quick it will hurt the cat and bleed a little. It's not the end of the world, but it's not nice either.
3. While still pushing down on their knuckle to extend the claw, line your trimmers up to just before the tip of the vein and clip. You're just taking the sharp curved end off the claw.
The younger the cat is when you start doing this the easier it will be.
For first timers.
If you've never trimmed your cat's claws before, get your cat used to you handling their paws before you actually trim them. Just sit them in your lap and hold their paws for a little bit. The next day do the same thing but squeeze the paw so their nails pop out so they get used to that. Once the cat is comfortable with you handling their paws you can try trimming.
Just take the tip off the first time you trim your cat's claws. The more you trim a cat's claws the more their quick will recede. So you'll be able to trim their claws shorter and shorter as time goes by.
All of the cats I've owned have been fine with trimming their front claws. The odd time their back nails get to be so long and sharp you have to trim them, but not as often. These are a tad more difficult to negotiate, but it can be done.
To start trim your cats claws every 2 weeks or so. This will be enough to prompt the quick to recede and keep your furniture intact.
If you are bound and determined to grow your fingernails until they resemble a corkscrew tree, that's your business. Just don't let force the same sideshow fate on your cat.
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Stephanie
Declawing is illegal in some provinces and I expect it would be difficult to find a good vet that would even consider it. It's really amputation after all. Sorry if this has already been brought up.
billy sharpstick
As servant to eight cats, I agree with your method, but have found that sitting on(over) them works better. I've written it up long ago:
I use the claw trimmer that looks like scissors with small rounded notches in the ends. They are about 2 1/2 inches long. (I've hear that the squeeze type fingernail trimmers also work well.) Do this in a room with good bright lighting in front of you. First, I put the cat down on the floor on a towel or rug so they have secure footing. Kitty is generally in a sitting position, but occasionally they hunker down. I kneel over them and close my feet behind me so they can't back out. If they start to squirm, I tighten my feet a bit to reassure them that there is no escape. I gently raise one foot at a time, press under the paw to extend the claw. Carefully place the trimmer over the claw and slowly trim the tip. I usually don't trim any more than an eighth of an inch off the end. It is fairly easy to see the quick on cats. It is an opaque part at the base of the claw. Cut only on the transparent part. (I have one cat that has a totally black claw on one paw. I am extra careful with that one because I can't see where the quick ends.) I've never cut into the quick, but I suspect I would never be allowed to do this again with that cat. It helps to end the session with a treat s future sessions go more easily. I've done this successfully with all of our cats, even a couple who were rescued ferals and I've done it to cats at friend's houses. As for the rear claws, that's a bit trickier. On the more jumpy cats, I wait until they are sleeping, gently sneak up on them and trim one or two claws before they wake up and get pissy. On the more mellow ones, I can hold them on my lap sideways, back against my stomach and trim the paw that is on top, then roll them over and do the other foot.
billy sharpstick
Claw removal is just evil and unhealthy for the cat.
We currently have eight cats. I use the claw trimmer that looks like scissors with small rounded notches in the ends like in Karen's picture. They are about 2 1/2 inches long. (Dollar Tree has them sometimes.)
Do this in a room with good bright lighting in front of you. First, I put the cat down on the floor on a towel or rug so they have secure footing. Kitty is generally in a sitting position, but occasionally they hunker down. I kneel over them and close my feet behind me so they can't back out. If they start to squirm, I tighten my feet a bit to reassure them that there is no escape. I gently raise one foot at a time, press under the paw with index finger to extend the claw. Carefully place the trimmer over the claw and slowly trim the tip. I usually don't trim any more than an eighth of an inch off the end. It is fairly easy to see the quick on cats. It is an opaque part at the base of the claw. Cut only on the transparent part. (I have one cat that has a totally black claw on one paw. I am extra careful with that one because I can't see where the quick ends.) I've never cut into the quick, but I suspect I would never be allowed to do this again with that cat. It helps to end the session with a treat s future sessions go more easily. I've done this successfully with all of our cats, even a couple who were rescued ferals and I've done it to cats at friend's houses. As for the rear claws, that's a bit trickier. On the more jumpy cats, I wait until they are sleeping, gently sneak up on them and trim one or two claws before they wake up and get pissy. On the more mellow ones, I can hold them on my lap sideways, back against my stomach and trim the paw that is on top, then roll them over and do the other foot.
It is good to have good scratching posts made of sisal rope or carpet scraps. I make these and screw them to the wall so they are secure. This helps keep them from clawing the furniture, but it does not dull the claws. It actually helps them shed the old layer off to reveal a new razor sharp tip. You'll know when it's time to trim again! That usually occurs around 3 AM.
Heather
just so everyone knows declawing causes arthritis and leads to biting and aggression which can be dangerous especially for children. declawing is actually illegal in much of the rest of the developed world not only for the cats protection but as a public health concern because of the aggression it can create. if you like nice furniture maybe you shouldn't have added a feline to your family. also letting a cat outside depletes the bird population and destroys the natural ecosystem.
Mandi
I laughed so hard at the furniture clawing description. I relate to it all to well.
Karen
:) Yeah ... me too sadly. ~ karen
Sally
My Oh Ren Ishi Kitty (named for Luci Lu's character in the Kill Bill movies) looks JUST like your cat and is also polydactyl! I spent a week installing beadboard wallpaper in my hallway -don't judge me - I'm a turtle - and came down one morning to find it shredded! Word to the wise...it makes for great scratching. I bought the world's most hideous and expensive cat condo, covered it in cat nip, and hoped for the best. Turns out, she loves the condo but would much rather destroy wallpaper. I was searching the web for plans for a diy tiny guillotine when I stumbled across your post. Lucky Ishi ;) Joking...love my cats but will give trimming a try. Wish me luck!
Karen
Sally - Good luck! It's not so hard. Bit of a pain to do every every couple of weeks though. A few other people suggested "soft paws", but I've never had much luck with them. Worth a shot. Glad you found my site ... ~ karen
Tina
I too had a polydactyl kitty with enormous mitts; fortunately I taught her from a young age to endure the nail clipping. I'd hold her belly up in my lap and she'd purr and fall asleep while I trimmed her nails.
I had a cat with a variety of deformities and one of them was her claws were deformed and very difficult to trim without causing cracks up the claw that would bleed. I decided to have the 3 deformed claws removed and, boy, did I ever regret making that decision. The sight of her little claw-amputated toes was horrid and the pain she experienced just broke my heart.
You are correct that training young 'uns is much easier but I've found that a lot of petting, brushing, and treats in between nail clips will work on the older ones too.
Tonia
We currently have 7 cats and none of them are declawed. We've lost one leather chair that was almost completely destroyed, but otherwise we've been pretty lucky. Four are from a litter that a feral had in our backyard and they have never completely socialized so they don't get their nails trimmed. We bought one of those scratching posts that is supposed to work like an emery board. Not as good as clipping but better than nothing. The others don't really mind it.
I think if you feel you must have a declawed cat, then consider adopting one already declawed. When my sister was looking to adopt I was surprised at the number of cats in our local shelters and rescue groups that were declawed.
Korrine Johnson
I really need to try clipping my kitty's claws but instead I put that double stick tape all over my furniture. So classy looking!
Colette
I clip my cats' claws when they are sleeping, generally they wake up a little and start purring before carefully tucking all their paws under their considerable bulk so that I can't find them (they think I'm really dumb). Sometimes I just get the very sharpest bit at the tip (one of the cats tends to start kneading before he realizes what's happening which makes it harder to line up the cut right) and have to re-clip every 7 days or so, but I'd rather have to clip more often than cut them too short
Claudine
Thanks to Ernie for being such a good model. (What goes on behind the scenes doesn't count.)
This is a great post Karen. I clip my cats' claws, albeit not as regularly as I should to prevent minimal discomfort on guest's legs, when my very happy cats knead to show their appreciation of a comfy lap.
Great photos. My condolences to your furniture.
I have several cat trees in my house, and The Boys are really good about not scratching the furniture - at all. They have destroyed the leather ottoman, not by scratching, but by gaining traction with back claws as they leap off of it to charge madly through the house.
carolmcc
just don't let nice kitty bite you. infection rates from bites that break the skin - humans: most (eww) cats: second in line, something like 75% dogs: if you have to get yourself bitten, choose a dog. considering that a dog will eat anything, including cat poop out of the litter box and dead carcasses, this is amazing. but true. i don't even want to know why most human bites get infected. but we are always most concerned about those in the ER. as for WHY we get people coming in with human bites, that's another story.
Nathalie
This works fine with claws that you can see the quick but what about dark claws???
Karen
Nathalie - Just take the point off. The quick is going to be where the nail is the widest, so just clip off the thinner tip. ~ karen
Gayla T
I was taught the art of cat care by an expert. She told me ths was and she started by putting her cat head down into a cowboy boot. I didn't need any further insttructions and went home. She also used the head in the boot to neuter male cats by putting a tight rubber band around their balls. The balls eventually fell off and the cat was neutered. My kitties get all that stuff done at the vet while I sit in the lobby too sick to watch. LOL I'm the crazy old lady who has 3 cats 4 dogs and a cleaning fetish. Never a dull moment.
Melissa
Rubber band around their balls? (Mouth agape), that seems crazy...
My cat only sharpens on our dingy entry rug, thank goodness. And he was neutered when he arrived.
Your friend sounds like a good character for a Cohen film, heh.
Rae
I have 2 very old cats, one with front claws and one without. the one with gets her nails trimmed once a month now (I found that after she turned 15 a few years ago they grow slower) and will protest but doesn't claw. She also gets nail covers which have worked perfectly so no torn furniture for me. My 21 year old watches and I think sometimes she is laughing at her sister for having to get all that done.
Karen
21 years old. That's amazing! ~ karen
Deb
Thank you for enduring scratches to take pictures! Amazing you got such clear photos. Our cats are so good - our first, a Siamese Snowshoe, is very trainable. She never scratched furniture after she learned we didn't want her to (nothing bad/mean was done - just firm "no" and sticky tape & aluminum foil & me demo'ing scratching on posts) The 2 pieces of furniture she's not allowed on, both leather couches that scratch easily, took 2x of water spray & no more cat on couch ever again. Our 2nd cat didn't need training - I think he observed and followed what the 1st one did! They have cardboard scratching boards and vertical posts around the house. It would be great for people to know they don't have to declaw their cats! For us trimming is a 2-person job, 1 holds the cat and 1 trims with same clippers you have. It's pretty much drama-free.
kathryn
wow, Ernie is a very beautiful cat! i wish i had a naturally gorgeous blue nose.
kelliblue
sorry, I love kitties, but no cat will ever live in my house without at least being front paw declawed. Call me barbaric if you want, meh.
of course I'm *completely* spoiled because i got my current kitty 4-paw declawed! (wasn't me!) which is great when she wants to give me the dreaded 'bunny kicks' with her back feet. Now...it's just cute instead of painful.
they can do so much with genetics...why can't they make claw-less cats???
Please Select
You are absolutely disgusting. Declawing a cat is evil. It is amputation of a significant portion of their fingers. It causes great psychological disturbance and physical discomfort. If you do not want to navigate a world with cat scratches, don't get a cat. Get a stuffed animal. For you to be so flippant about what you've done to your animals is horrific- you know it's a terrible procedure and you do it anyway and laugh about it. You are selfish and inhumane. I hope you get your karma soon, tenfold.
CC
Thank you for posting this information Karen - it's really helpful. I volunteer for a cat rescue who doesn't permit declawing for those wishing to adopt. I've had cats declawed in the past, but after researching what is involved with this surgery will never do it again.
It does take more work to clip their nails, but pets are work…same as kids, same as spouses (lol). We do the work because we love them…hopefully more than the furniture. :)
Carrie
My kitty, Tucker, passed away last month, I had a couple of tricks I used with him. To trim his nails, I would first wrap him in a beach towel, then pull out one paw at a time. It prevented him from wiggling, and me from getting scratched.
For furniture, I would cover their favorite scratching surfaces (or sitting surfaces) with a piece of tin foil. One jump on that stuff and they will stay away for ever. It is also easy to pick up and hide in a closet if you have company come over.
kathleen
Closets are good, but I would recommend hiding in the bathroom when company comes over. You'll have use of the facilities if they linger, a door that locks, and reading material . . .
Sandi Remedios
LOL