What are the best ways to clip a cats nails?

Question

My cat is very frightend and will never stop moving-and taking him to the vet all the time is too costly!:(any ideas or tips?

Answer 1

My cats are the same way, and it gets difficult, but patience is the key. I sit down on the couch, and place the cat in my lap facing outwards with my arms wrapped around them. Then very gently, take one of their paws in one hand, keeping the other wrapped around the cat, and extend the claws so that I can clip them. I take my time so that if they get scared I can stop for a little bit so that can calm down. Having them sitting on my lap like that with my arms wrapped around them also limits their movement and makes them a little easier to handle.

Answer 2

You must be very careful when doing this.If you cut the quick it hurts very much and the cat will bleed.If you look carefully at the cats nail you will see a dark line on the inside, thats the quick. I strongly suggest going to the pet store and buying quick stop. Its fairly inexpensive and will stop the bleeding if you should cut to far down.Hold the cats paw firmly but gently extend the claw,(just push on the toe) and with a pair of nail clippers,( i use human ones but you can buy ones made just for pets),cut just the tip of the nail off.You may feel inclined to cut off more than just the tip so you wont have to do it as often but don't.If you cut to far down you may cut the quick.Make sure you have plenty of time to do this,as it can take a little while the first few times you do it.I hope this helps.Good luck.

Answer 3

Get a cat nail clipper. Wrap the cat in a towel in case you're fearful of having scratched or if the cat isn't accustommed on your manicures. My cats enable me to take their paws and clip their nails without a lot as a 'meow'. communicate soothingly on your cat even as clipping the nails. In time, your cat receives used to this procedure, and also you should do it once a week or 2 and shop those claws short.

Answer 4

With cat claw clippers don't use finger nail clippers!! And do it when they are really relaxed and half asleep. Or have someone else hold your cat and you clip it's nails, or wrap a towel around him making sure you cover the head so you don't get bit and pull a paw out gently and clip the nails but you might have to do this two different times before you get them all clips because your cat will get too stressed out to hold them down long enough to clip them all.

Answer 5

I take my cat to the bathroom or kitchen sink where I can contain her easily and she can't get away. I sit her in the sink and wrap my left arm snuggly around her back, under her front leg and under her torso and use that arm to hold whichever paw I am clipping. Push on the large pad of the paw and the cats toes will spread and the nails will naturally push out where you can reach them. I just use well sharpened human nail clippers. Be sure not to cut too far back, just a couple of centimeters is enough to get rid of the sharp tip. If you cut too far back you will catch the quick and it will be painful for your kitty.

Answer 6

My cat gets freaked out like this too, only she hates the vet also, so we HAVE to cut her claws ourselves. I suggest talking to your vet about a gentle feline sedative that you could give your cat to calm him down a bit. Then he may be more willing to let you clip his claws. When you hold his paw, squeeze gently below the claw to extend it, and only clip just the tip of the claw with the clippers (there is a nerve lower in the claw that would hurt the cat if it were cut). Good luck!

Answer 7

You will need someone to help you. My friend and I cut my cats nails. When you pick a cat up by the back of its neck (some call it the scruff of its neck) it will go limp. That's the way the mother cat carries them around. So when they go limp have your friend take a paw and clip the nails. Try it. That should work. Good Luck!

Answer 8

well, these are the two tips that have always helped me. get on your knees and shins (sitting like that on the floor/ground) and sit on your feet so there is a space between the floor and your butt. place the cat in that space and DONT SIT ON IT!!!! just apply enough pressure so that the cat feels like it cant run and place the rest of your weight on your legs and feet. do the front claws that way. press the cat's paw like you hold a coin between your thumb and pointer finger. put slight pressure on the tops and bottoms of the paws and the claws will extend. see the pink in the claw? that is blood. dont cut down that far or you may hit a free-bleeding vein in their claw and youll have to put talk powder in the claw. just snip enough to take the sharp end off the clow. or... wrap the cat in a blanket and do the bottoms first (cats kick when they panick.. use the kicking feet first so they find out its worthless to kick cause you have their foot clipping it) they will eventually calm down and just try to pull away by the time you get to the front claws. then wrap the back feet in the towel and pull out one front leg at a time. keep the other wrapped till you get to it, lowers risk of getting clawed. i know this seems like so much, but really its not. ive always clipped my cats claws. its simple really. just have to be fast yet gentle. and good luck :)

Answer 9

You can wrap the cat in a towel, sort of like a baby, or a burrito and then fine one paw, pull that paw out and cut the claws using nail clippers. We have to do this with our rabbit, the cats are pretty calm but the rabbit hates it. It usually takes two people, one to hold the rabbit and one to cut the nails.

Answer 10

Take Your Cat To The Vet.