Do you need to cut cats claws ? if yes can you do it your self or will you need it to be done at the vets?

Question

my cat seems to be catching her claws on her blanket pluss other things i have not noticed this before she is 14yrs old i have had her for 6yrs Thanks,

Answer 1

You can trim them yourself or you can have your vet or a groomer do it. Just clip the tips but not into the pink area of the claw

Answer 2

If you meant 'without' permission and his claws are like completely removed then there is something to worry about. This would mean your cat has been declawed. They usually do this at the same time of a neutering. Just check that and make sure... Otherwise, a trim of the nails is good. Keeps kitty from clawing off anyone's faces.

Answer 3

You can definitely do it yourself if you feel comfortable. If not, your vet or a groomer can do it for you. There is usually a small fee, but nothing too outrageous.

Basically, hold the kitty and gently push on each paw to get the nails to come out. Take a look at the nail - most of it will be clear, except for a pink part. That pink section is called the "quick" and contains all of the blood vessels that feed the nail. If you cut into the "quick", it will cause pain and bleeding. It's best to cut off just the sharp end of the nail, but as long as you do not cut into the quick, you can cut back farther. Don't forget - there are 5 nails on the front paws. The 5th nail is located off to the side of the main nails - almost like our thumb.

You can use human clippers since a cat's nails are about the same thickness of ours, but it's best to use clippers designed for cats. The blade is shaped differently and helps prevent splitting of the nail when cut.

If she goes outside at all, you probably won't have to trim them as often. If she's strictly indoors, I would recommend doing it every few weeks, and also getting her something to scratch on, like a post or cardboard.

Answer 4

Take her to the Vet, she may have problems retracting her claws (due to age) and if her claws need attention they will show you how to cut them without hurting her! Only the very tip should be cut as a cat can bleed excessively if the living 'quick' is cut accidently. They will also be able to show you which clippers are best. You may find it quite difficult to do yourself though as it will be new for her and fighting with an angry spitting cat isn't fun. They don't LIKE having them clipped but people do it to 'blunt' them and normally start it when they're kittens.
Does she have a scratching post? That helps keep the claws at the correct length.

Answer 5

You don't have to, you can get a scratching post which should keep the claws at a good length. If the claws continue to snag, the pet stores sell clippers for cats and dogs so that you can do it yourself. You have to make sure you do not cut them too low (to the vein) which is easier with clear nails.

Answer 6

Sounds like she may need them trimmed. If you are able to hold her still, wrap a towel around her apart from the paw you are dealing with, this helps if she wriggles alot.

Use proper nail clippers from a pet store as they will cut clean and safely with no tags. Do not cut below the red line or the nail will bleed. Only remove the tips if neccesary as usually cats manage to scratch their nails down by themselves.

If you arent comfortable clipping them yourself ask at your vets, I doubt they would charge much.

Answer 7

cut only the tip off but to be honest if she has never had her claws trimmed before take her to the vet my vet charges about £5.50 for this and they will show you how to do it properly and safely. buy clippers made by mikki they are the best as they have a safety gaurd so you can't cut away to much. i have cut my cats claws since they were twelve weeks old even tho they have a scratching post as they are totally indoor cats but we have had cats for years and i am on about sixth pair but only really my second since moving away from home. so was taught by my mum who was a professional feline groomer. when you do trim stay away from the quick it bleeds alot and is painful for the cat it is usually pink / reddish clearly seen in light coloured claws but more difficult in dark ones. gently press on paw to extend claw and trim the tip just before it curves downward or just trim the tip of what ever is nessecary. it sounds like she can no longer retract them properly due to her age. hope this helps

Answer 8

Sure, you could probably cut them yourself. Just make sure that you don't cut it to close to the pink part! If you aren't feeling to sure for yourself then I'd have a vet do it, though. And our cats claws get caught even in our T-shirts. So don't be alarmed if while your holding her her claw gets stuck in your shirt. So I would recomend doing her claws as soon as possible.

Answer 9

It does need to be done if cats don't wear them down themselves or if they tend to scratch on things excessively and you want to protect furnishings. I also keep my cat's trimmed because he sometimes (rarely) takes a swing at our dogs and it protects them from being hurt as seriously. You can have a vet or groomer do it or you can do it yourself. The important thing is to not cut to close to the quick where it can bleed. I taught my cat to tolerate it by giving him a treat each time I trim a claw. Now he thinks it's a game. This works well if a cat is very food motivated. Some cats fuss but he doesn't anymore.

Answer 10

You can cut them yourself. I cut my cats' claws all the time.

One of the items I found that works best is a set of these clippers:
http://www.petmountain.com/show_product/509670

I got them at the local PetSmart, and they are only $3. I use them for my rabbit and my cats and are very safe and easy to use. Plus it has a magnet on the back of the holder so you can stick it on your fridge!

Make sure you don't cut off too much. If your cat has whitish claws, don't cut near where you can see the blood vessel line. When in doubt, cut a little at a time.

Answer 11

Her claws probably do need trimming but it is an incredibly difficult thing to do. There is a feeder vein in each claw and if you cut too much off it will bleed and hurt your cat. The best thing to do is to get a vet to do it for you. They shouldn't charge very much to do it.