Clicker Clacker in the house, time to clip the claws!
Joan Henderson
Cats tend to clean and sharpen their claws on a rough surface. If you’re a pet parent of a kitty, then having a scratching post at home is an unsaid rule! Clip those claws regularly to keep them clean and avoid scratches.
If you regularly clip your pet’s claws the problem can be lessened. Encourage them to use the scratching post and teach your pet to not use the furniture or carpets for sharpening
their claws.
Right tools to make it easy peasy
- Usually two people are needed, as it is something that most cats resent at first. Use nail clippers – either special ones from pet stores or the type used for manicuring human nails.
- It is essential to take care not to cut the quick, which can clearly be seen as a pinkish area about 1 mm (1/25 inch). Think of this task as trimming and not cutting the nails.
- Even simple trimming of the claws should be performed only when necessary, however, and not as a routine. You should encourage them to groom themselves.always found the best way to keep my cats nails short and smooth, whenever they were sitting on my lap, was to gently use an emery board (similar to a nail file) that I used on my own nails. This was done on a regular basis and my cats became used to it and never objected. Use the smooth side of the emery board and just lightly reduce the size of the nails.
Never declaw
If you’re a pet parent who’s interested in taking pets to competitions, you must know that judges will disqualify any cat who has been declawed. A caring and loving pet parent would never consider this option. How would you feel if someone removed all your nails? It’s cruel as cats have a need to claw. If you are not able to trim the nails yourself then always take your cat to the veterinarian/groomer who will trim the nails quickly and with no fuss.
(Joan E Henderson is a retired international all breeds cat judge based in Melbourne, Australia).