The Best Cat Nail Clippers

How to Clip Your Cat’s Nails?

The sooner you introduce your kitty to having it’s feet gently handled and nails clipped, the faster you can create the best experience. Most vets recommend that you start cutting your cat’s nails within the first six months of your cat’s life. It can be a more difficult chore with older cats if you suddenly try to clip their nails out of the blue without any warning.

Maybe you have an adult cat that you want to start clipping its nails at home for the first time, or you have just adopted an older cat. Don’t worry. Even adult cats can learn to have a stress-free nail clipping experience. However, it will take a little more time and patience to trim your cat.

We have created a step-by-step guide for clipping your cat’s claws and some great tips to help the whole process run smoothly with the best cat nail clippers. Before you jump in, you should learn a little bit about your companion’s anatomy. That way, you can understand the best way to complete the job.

Cat Nail Anatomy: The Important Bits 

Most cats have 18 claws, with five claws on each front foot and four claws on each rear foot.

Cat’s claws are retracted or hidden when they are relaxing, but they can easily extend by applying gentle pressure on the top and bottom of each paw.

Each nail has a ‘quick,’ this is a central area that contains nerves and blood vessels. The quick is the sensitive area of the claw and will bleed and feel painful if accidentally trimmed. If your kitty has light-colored nails, then the quick is quite easy to identify. From a side view, the quick is seen as a pink line in the center of the nail. You need to avoid cutting into the quick and aim to trim the nail just below where the quick ends.    

How Can You Make Nail Clipping the Best Positive Experience?

Many cats don’t like to be restrained, have their feet touched, or made to sit still for a long time. However, whether they like nail clipping or not depends a lot on their previous experiences. For example, if a cat has had its nails cut too short in the past (i.e., injury to their quick), then it will probably feel anxious about someone trying to trim its nails again.

Kittens tend to be more agreeable to handling, but most adult cats can slowly learn to become relaxed while having their nails trimmed too.

To make nail clipping a positive experience for your feline, you should start by getting them used to being held and having its paws gently stroked over a few days. Then over a few days, build up to holding each paw and applying gentle pressure on each toe to extend the nail. This process should include positive reinforcement- use treats, a reassuring voice, and gentle rubs.

If your cat becomes stressed or anxious and wants to run away, then don’t force her to stay in a situation in which she doesn’t feel comfortable. Let her go and try again the following day.

Once your cat is happy having her paws and nails touched, then introduce her to the clippers. Let her smell the clippers and hold them in your hand while giving her a treat. If she is relaxed during all this, then you can continue to clip her nails. At first, don’t try to complete all of her nails in one go; this will probably be too much. Try to trim a couple of nails, give her a treat to reward her good behavior, and complete the other nails the following day.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Clipping Your Cat’s Claws

1. Get yourself and your cat into a comfy position. Hold your cat on your lap while you are sitting, or place her on a comfortable surface at your waist height while you stand. Offer her a treat and give her a reassuring rub.

2. Place your cat’s back against your chest, hold your cat’s paw in one hand, and a treat in the other hand. Have the clippers ready and within reach. The hand holding the paw needs to place gentle pressure on each toe to extend each claw one at a time. Give her a treat with your other hand. Then start trimming the nails, taking only the sharp tip off and avoiding the quick. 

3. There is no need to rush; if your kitty gets stressed, then it is best to stop and try again later.

4. Continue to offer treats to make the whole process a positive experience until you finish trimming each claw.

Over time your cat will get more relaxed about having her nails cut, and you will become more efficient and confident at the whole process.

Top 10 Tips for Successful Nail Clipping

1.   Go Slow!

It is crucial to go slowly and make your cat feel comfortable and relaxed. Build up your cat’s trust first, by getting her used to being held and having her paws stroked. Then once she is fine with this, you can move on to trimming her nails.

2.   Offer your cat treats

It is vital to make the nail trimming experience the best it can be, and treats are a great way to reward your cat for good behavior. Choose treats your feline loves, break them into smaller pieces so that they last longer.

3.   Use good nail clippers

Using good quality nail clippers can really make trimming much easier. You want nail clippers that are comfortable and easy to use.

4.   Trim the nails regularly

By regularly trimming your cat’s nails, you will stop the nails from becoming too long and prevent ingrown nails. If you’ve ever had one, you know they are very painful. If you are frequently checking your cat’s claws, you will only need to remove the tips, and not have to struggle with cutting longer, thicker nails.

5.   Get a scratch post

Scratching is a natural and intuitive behavior; that’s why you should provide your kitty with a scratch post. Giving them somewhere to scratch means they wear down their nails naturally, and that means you don’t have to trim their nails as often. They scratch things to sharpen and trim their nails and to help remove any old nails. Allowing them to perform their natural behaviors can also help reduce stress and anxiety too. Your sofa will be scratch-free, and you don’t need to stress about nail clipping as often, it’s a win-win situation!

6.   Ask for help

It’s okay to ask for help if you need it. Get a friend or family member, or someone confident trimming cat’s nails to help you. That way, one person can trim the nails quickly, and the other person can cuddle your kitty and distract her with treats. Determine which role your helper best fits and be confident in your teamwork.

7.   Don’t cut the quick

It’s essential to figure out where the quick is on your cat’s nails and do your best to avoid it. It can be more challenging to see the quick in dark nails. If you do accidentally cut the quick, then you should apply some styptic powder (or corn starch) to the end of the nail using a cotton bud. That will stop any bleeding quickly.

8.   Calm and relaxed environment

Choose a quiet, well-lit room with a comfortable spot to sit or stand to complete the trimming. Your chosen spot should be relaxing where there are no distractions, such as barking dogs or people passing through.

9.   Have everything ready

Preparing everything you need in advance will make the whole process run smoother. Have your best nail clippers, cat treats, styptic powder, and cotton buds all ready.

10.  Practice makes perfect

Over time you will become more confident and efficient at holding your feline and trimming his nails. Practice does make perfect!

Different Types of Cat Nail Clippers

There are several different types and styles of nail clippers for cats on the market these days, that’s why it can be challenging to choose which one is best for you and your kitty. First, it’s wise to learn more about the styles available for the best cat nail clippers styles. So let’s take a closer look at the three main types of cat nail clippers:

.   Scissor-style clippers

This style of nail clipper looks and functions just like scissors. Therefore, they are very straightforward to use. They are available in different sizes, but usually, the smaller scissor nail clippers are sufficient for most cats. If you want something more substantial, then choose one with larger blades and thicker handles.

Scissor style clippers allow you to have a good view of the nails while you are trimming them, unlike the guillotine style in which it can be difficult to check how far you are from the quick. 

.   Guillotine style

Guillotine-style nail clippers have a ring in which you need to place the cat’s claw. Then when you press the handle, a blade slides forward to cut off the nail at that point.

These types of clippers are best for owners with lots of experience with trimming and not the best choice for beginners. Once the nail is in the ring, it can be hard to see how close you are to the quick of the nail. You can accidentally cut off too much nail and cause the quick to start bleeding, which will be very painful for your cat. These clippers require their blades to be checked regularly and replaced if they become blunt.

.   Grinding tool trimmers

If you are worried about cutting too much off with the scissor or guillotine-style nail clippers, then the grinding tool trimmer may be the right choice for you. The grinder is made of sandpaper or emery board material. Once the grinder presses against the cat’s claws, it grinds it down effortlessly. You will be able to watch as you slowly wear down your cat’s nail, and the length of the nail decreases. Therefore, you can control how much you remove, and this reduces the risk of cutting too much off too quickly. 

Traditionally, the main disadvantage of this style of nail clipper is that there is usually quite a lot of noise and vibration associated with these tools. However, many modern cat nail grinder tools produce much less noise. They are cordless and rechargeable, so you don’t need to worry about leads getting in the way. It is essential to introduce grinding tools to your cat slowly, and get them used to the sound (with some treats, of course, to make the whole experience positive) before you start trying to trim their nails.

What Makes a Good Cat Nail Clipper?

With so many different cat nail clippers on the market, it can be a tough choice deciding which one is a good fit for you. Here are some essential things to consider before choosing:

·         Quality

A good quality pet nail trimmer can last years, and the most important part is the blade. The blade needs to be strong and sharp, if it isn’t it will crush the nail instead of trim it, and that sounds painful! Sturdy stainless steel blades are a good option as they are very long-lasting.

·         Simple to use

You want a product that is straightforward and easy to use. It should also be comfortable to hold, and rubber grips are rather useful to make sure it doesn’t slip when you are using it.

·         Safety

Safety features can be useful, especially for beginners. Quick guards are a great safety feature that helps prevent you from cutting the quicks of your cat’s claws. Some clippers also have a lock for safety, where the clippers can be stored in a closed position. This will keep the sharp blades out of the reach of children and pets.

How Often Should You Trim your Cat’s Nails?

Every kitty is different, and their nails will grow at different rates. If your indoor cat uses a scratch post regularly, then you might need to trim the nails every two weeks or so. If your cat has fast-growing nails, then you might need to check them every week. Even if your cat goes outdoors a lot and doesn’t usually need his nails trimmed, you should still get in the habit of checking his nails every 2-4 weeks. That way, you can make sure there are no broken or overgrown nails.

Once you start regularly inspecting and trimming, you will soon figure out what works best for your cat and how often he needs to have his nails trimmed.

Should You Declaw Your Cat?

In the past, people chose to declaw their cats, so they didn’t have to deal with their sharp claws. Thank goodness most veterinarians now refuse to do this barbaric procedure. Declawing can cause your cat a lifetime of pain, discomfort, and behavioral problems. Declawing your cat is not like a permanent manicure or a quick fix for unwanted scratching. It can actually make your cat less likely to use its litter tray, and more likely to bite.

So, declawing your cat is not an alternative to regularly cutting your cat’s claws. The good news is that with a good pair of nail trimmers, the right method, and some practice, trimming your cat’s nails can become a breeze.

Final Thoughts

You shouldn’t dread cutting your kitty’s nails. With some patience and lots of practice, you can both learn to have an enjoyable time while trimming. Just remember to make the process positive and relaxed, with lots of treats for rewards. Equip yourself with a high-quality pair of cat nail clippers. That way, your cat will have a faster and more comfortable trim.