Do you trim your cats claws?

scaredy_cat

i trim my cat's claws, i always have. As you are getting kittens, make sure you touch their feet and toes often to get them used to the sensation, if you tickle between the big pad and the toes, i find they tend to spread the toes out anyway!

Also get them used to being held in the crook of your arm while you touch their feet, then after a while it shouldn't be a problem.q11

Wesker

I've only got 1 cat at the mo but did have 5 at one time and i have trimmed their claws when needed. They all used to go outside and i have various scratching posts around the house but every so often you would hear their claws getting caught on the carpet as they walked by.
I would just use a pair of my own nail clippers and just take a few mm's of the offending claw (they didnt all need doing, just the odd one got too long sometimes)
They didnt seem to mind too much, as long as you dont take too much off they shouldnt be able to feel anything

eamon

Cat1 with age turned into "Velcro" cat. Had to take him to the vets a few times a year for a pedicure. Active cats that are regularly outside and use scratching posts rarely have this issue.

lifebeginsat...

no have never done this but would pay to de teeth my jackrussell as he likes to bite stragers as they get up to leave, okok i wouldnt really, but it would make life easier until then I'll continure watching ceaser milan. LOL

Mayflower10cat

Yes, have clipped all my older cats claws as and when needed. Buy decent pair of cat claw trimmers from your vet and next time you go for a routine appointment, ask nicely if they'll show you how to do it. On some of our younger cats it's only their 'thumbnail' that needs trimming. On my older, less active cats, little and often is the easiest way to do it. (I even clipped my neighbours cats claws, after soliciting her help, as I was shocked to see how curled over they were, obviously uncomfortable and so easily remedied.)

Fridaycat

Thanks for all of your replies, they are interesting to read and there are a lot more people who either trim their cats' claws or have them trimmed than I realised! All of our current and previous cats have all been active outdoor cats, so I have never seen claws that were curling or too long before.

It seems that there are no real disadvantages to trimming the claws - sorry rising from the ashes

Mayflower - very good thinking, but I can advise that the breeder I am getting my Bengals from is actually a vet. She breeds Bengals as a hobby, not a money making entity. Of course, I am in touch with her frequently and go and visit the two little fluff balls as often as I can, so she has said that she will show me how to do the trimming. I am reasonably confident about it, it is obviously wrong to show any kind of nervousness to your cats when doing this type of thing.

Still 5 weeks to go before I get my kittens *sigh*......:p

Mayflower10cat

WE sooo need pictures!!!!!! Pretty please!!!

rising_from_the_ashes

No "sorry" needed:D

Guess I've been lucky to have never needed to do it (and certainly wouldn't with mine as they are outside a lot of the time).

Even my old boy who lived inside until he was about 9 never needed his done - not sure how now!

Now dreading that it may become necessary when they get older as there is no way I'd manage to get anywhere near their claws:eek:

Archie cut all his paw pads a couple of years ago (was in a fight) and it was a nightmare trying to clean them etc and as for Mia, oh boy, not a hope in ..........:(

Fridaycat

Mayflower10cat wrote: »

WE sooo need pictures!!!!!! Pretty please!!!

There is a link to my (rather rubbish!) You Tube video at the top of this thread - about a minute's worth of the two little sausages having a play Also, here is a link to their page on the breeder's website: http://www.tobysdenbengals.co.uk/Pages/harleypandakits2page.html

I have loads of pictures I have taken, but haven't got the hang of posting them yet lol

Fridaycat

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

....
Now dreading that it may become necessary when they get older as there is no way I'd manage to get anywhere near their claws:eek:

Archie cut all his paw pads a couple of years ago (was in a fight) and it was a nightmare trying to clean them etc and as for Mia, oh boy, not a hope in ..........:(

No, I probably wouldn't try it with my Harry as he is about 8kg of muscle and I wouldn't have much hand or arm left by the end of it :eek: Luckily, his claws are very well cared for.

I might consider with Friday, however, she is getting on a little now (13 years old) and her claws are on the long side - she has access to the outside but prefers to stay in having a snooze most of the time. She is only little - about 3.5kg - and she is such a sweetie that I honestly think I wouldn't have a problem with her.

Robbie - our ginger boy - is only 2, and he is like Harry, outdoors all the time, climbing up trees and scratching fences etc. so he is OK at the moment, though I might do the playing with his feet thing that has been suggested so that he gets used to me fiddling with his feet from a young-ish age.