I am often asked if you can cut the cat’s nails, how to do it and when. Surely you can cut your nails to cats, but it is good to clarify the reason for doing it and how to do it the right way.
For example, if we want to cut our cat’s nails to preserve the sofa from scratches, we might be disappointed, because cutting the nails will not make the cat disappear from the instinct to scratch. For the cat, scratching is a way to communicate, it is an innate instinct that he has, and that he necessarily needs to carry out.
If we cut the nails to the cat hoping that it will not scratch the sofa anymore, we could induce in him the need to communicate differently, perhaps with urine, thus obtaining a much worse problem.
The nails can be cut to the cat, but this must be done to their advantage, that is in the case in which our cat never goes out of the house, and therefore it doesn’t have occasion to wear out the nails climbing the trees or scratching suitable surfaces, or if we have an elderly cat that can no longer get its nails properly, causing it to overgrow.
The nails of the cat grow and reform continuously, we talked about it in the article dedicated to the nails of the cat, and if we hear that our cat, when he walks on the tiles of our floor is “ticking” with the nails, maybe it’s time to give them a try.
How to cut the cat’s nails
Given therefore that it is necessary to cut the nails to our cat, we must meanwhile provide us with a special nail clipper, learn to use it, and proceed calmly.
The best thing would be to accustom the cat from an early age to the cutting of the nails, so that it does not get scared or stressed when we have to do this. If the cat is not used to it, it is better to have a veterinarian or a professional groomer cut the nails.
In any case, the nail should not be cut in its entirety, but only the needle should be cut. If you look at your cat’s nails, you will see that the nail is covered to a certain extent by a pink color, which is a blood vessel. If we mistakenly cut this vase, it will hurt the cat.
So let’s cut only the tip, being careful to make the cut with the angle you see in the image below.
How to make the nails tick from the cat’s fingertip? Just gently press the fingertip, and we will see the nail come out, you can try it yourself with your cat, I recommend it gently.
If you want to cut your cat’s nails, approach him with calm and sweetness, perhaps while he is relaxing in a nap, and try to cut off a nail after the other with great tranquility. If you force him, if you hurt him or if you hold his paw tightly, the next time he sees the nail clipper he will run away before being touched
When to cut the cat’s nails
As explained before, if the cat regularly wears its nails on trees, scratching posts or other surfaces, it is not necessary to cut its nails, perhaps only those behind it, because if it is always at home and always walks on carpets and tiles, it will not have the opportunity to consume them on natural soils.
If you feel the cat’s fingernails walking, or if they seem to be ruined, or worse yet ingrown, maybe you need to cut them, but consult a veterinarian or an experienced groomer first for safety.
Cut the nails, but don’t take them off! Deungulation
Unfortunately there is a barbaric practice in the world called deungulation, which consists in the total removal of the nail from the cat. In Italy, thanks to heaven, it is prohibited by law, as cruelty, but still exists in the world.
This practice is absolutely to be condemned, as it consists in a real amputation of a phalanx of the cat’s paw, a true mutilation, which often causes psychological problems to the cat that will no longer be able to put its normal feline behavior into action.
Having a cat that doesn’t scratch is impossible! Be well aware, if you want to live with a cat, that his scratching behavior is completely natural, like scratching yourself when you itch, so prepare many surfaces at home that you can do it freely and without feeling constantly being scolded.
And you cut your cat’s nails? Or are you thinking of doing it? Write me your experience and your comments below this article. And if you have questions about grooming, write to me and I’ll be happy to ask Simone the groomer questions!
