How to Clip Your Cat's Nails

While many cats do not enjoy being groomed, some tolerate it. One of the important tasks during grooming is clipping a cat's nails. Learn how to clip a cat's nails here.

You will need the following:

Nail clippers (preferably cat claw trimmers, but human nail clippers can work)

Styptic

Cotton Swab

Patience

Prepare

Take out the nail clippers and the styptic. Open the styptic and have it ready in case it is needed to stop any bleeding. Put a cotton swab in the styptic.

Train the Cat

Start by training the cat from the time it is a kitten, if possible. Touch the kitten's paws often to get it used to having the paws touched. Continue to touch the cat's paws throughout it's life.

Have a Treat Ready

Have a special treat ready for the cat that is only received once the nails are clipped. This treat should not be given at other times. This way the cat will anticipate the treat after having its nails clipped. It may be more likely to tolerate having its nails clipped if it knows that a treat will follow the clipping.

Relax the Cat

Never clip a cat's nails when the cat is stressed or right after playing. The cat should be relaxed, and preferably tired. Lay the cat on your lap, on the floor, or on a table.

Find a Nail that Needs Clipping

Find the cat nails that need clipping. Hold the cat's paw. Gently press the toe pad to see the cat's nail and see if the nail seems more like a sharp claw. If so, it is likely that the nail needs clipping. An example of how this looks can be found here.

Clip the Nail

Once a nail that needs clipping is found, hold the clippers at a vertical position (up and down) to the cat's nail and gently clip it half way in the middle of the white part of the nail. Avoid the pink part of the nail, which is the quick. Clipping the nail anywhere near the quick will cause pain to come to the cat. An example of how a cat's nail looks and where it should be cut can be found here. If everything goes fine, go back to the step called "Find a Nail that Needs Clipping." If the nail bleeds, go to the next step.

If There is Bleeding

If there is any bleeding when the nail is clipped, it is okay to wait for about a minute to see if the bleeding stops. However, you do not have to wait. The minute bleeding is seen, the styptic can be applied to the nail. Do this by gently dipping the cotton swab into the styptic to get the styptic on the cotton swab. Then apply the styptic on the cotton swab to the cat's nail that is bleeding. From here, go back to the step titled, "Find a Nail that Needs Clipping."

Give the Cat a Treat

Once nails are clipped, make sure to give the cat the treat that it gets after having its nails clipped.

If the Cat Does Not Cooperate

If you are able to cut only one or two nails at a time, you can try to cut the cat's nails over a few days. However, if you want the nails to be cut in one setting, take the cat to your veterinarian to have its nails cut.

Source:

How to Trim your Cat's Claws. (n.d.). Cat Scratching Solutions . Retrieved May 17, 2011, from http://www.catscratching.com/htm