Review of PediPaws: Does it Work on Cat Claws?

PediPaws, an As Seen on TV product, claims it is a fast, easy and gentle way to trim pet nails. The PediPaws ads say it won't crack, splinter or break your pet's nails. The packaging shows the product working on large and small dogs and even on cats. But does the PediPaws nail trimmer really work on cat claws? To find out if PediPaws works on cats, I tested the product on my two cats, and I had my sister try PediPaws on her cat.

PediPaws is a battery operated hand tool which has a rotating emery strip. The strip removes thin layers of the nail. The pet's paw is protected by a protective cap, so only the nail touches the revolving emery wheel. The cap also collects all of the nail shavings and is easy to empty into the garbage.

The great thing about the PediPaws nail trimmer is that you don't have to worry about cutting into your pet's quick - which can hurt your pet and cause bleeding. The nail is filed off, instead of cut off like a traditional nail trimmer.

For me, PediPaws seemed like the perfect solution for trimming my cat's nails. I have one cat who is a sweetheart most of the time, but if she sees the nail trimmer she becomes a ferocious beast. I figured if I could trim her nails without her inner beast emerging, then it would surely be worth the $19.99 that I paid for the PediPaws nail trimmer.

I watched the recommended video before starting. It recommends introducing your pet to PediPaws with the power off. Then to turn on PediPaws and use treats and praise to get your pet acclimated with PediPaws.

One of my cats didn't seem to mind the hum of the PediPaws nail trimmer. She actually seemed to enjoy the vibrations it made. But my other cat took off like a bullet when I turned on the PediPaws. I didn't see her again until hours later.

Once my cat was used to the sound of PediPaws I attempted to file one of her claws. Since cats have retractable claws, you have to squeeze the cat's toe to get the cat claw to stick out. I looked at her claw, and wondered how her tiny claw was going to reach all the way through the protective cap and touch the revolving emery strip. Even though it didn't seem possible I gave it a try.

I stuck her nail into the protective cover, but the nail did not reach the emery strip. To my horror, her nail curled around the protective cover and got stuck. Since I was holding my cat's paw with one hand, and holding the top of the PediPaws device with the other, I could not reach the power switch on the PediPaws to turn it off. I had to let go of her paw and reach for the power switch. But before I could turn the PediPaws off I heard the worst grinding sound I've ever heard.

I was positive that I had just done major damage to my cat's paw. Luckily my cat was perfectly fine. The grinding noise came from the rounded top of my cat's claw as it touched the rotating emery strip. It had filed a layer off of her nail, but no harm was done. I was nervous wreck, but my cat didn't seem traumatized by the experience.

A few days later I tried to use the PediPaws again, but I still could not get the cat claw extended enough to reach the rotating strip. My other cat made sure she was impossible to find any time the PediPaws was anywhere close by.

I thought maybe my "cat stuck in the PediPaws" incident was making me too nervous to properly use the PediPaws, so I had my sister try it on her cat.

My sister was also excited to try the PediPaws since she was hoping to find an easier solution to trimming her cat's claws. But she ended up having the same problem as I had experienced. The only part of the cat claw that could reach the rotating emery strip was the top of the nail, not the curved tip. She returned the product to me and told me she wouldn't be using it again. She was glad she hadn't wasted her own money on the PediPaws.

Overall I feel PediPaws is not a good solution for trimming cat claws. I will be putting my PediPaws out at my next garage sale since it didn't work on either of my cats.