Trimming claws?

[MrsHoolie]

We have acquired a stray male cat in the last few months. He is SO affectionate and as soon as anyone sits down he is on their lap.
Unfortunately his claws are like needles and it's agonising!
Can I trim his claws myself or should I go to te vet?

Will it make any difference?

Do I need special scissors/clippers?

Thanks.

[fackinell]

The vet. I wouldn't risk it, they have a vein close to one of the claws that can bleed quite nasty if cut. You could check if he's chipped whilst there, but prepare yourself incase he's just wandered off from his original home. Hope not though, sounds like he's made himself right at home.

[cozietoesie]

I do my own boy's claws but if in doubt, the vet (usually one of the practice nurses) will generally do it for you real cheap - even free sometimes if you're a regular.

As fackinell said, it would be good to combine with a checkup and chipping visit if you haven't been before. Has he been neutered?

[MrsHoolie]

We took him to the vets when he first moved in,no chip and he's neutered. About 10 years old.
I can't imagine he'd leave a home willingly as he loves company. You never know though with cats do you?
I will ring the vets about clipping.
Thanks for the advice.

[cozietoesie]

He may have been abandoned - some poor animals are, sadly.

[tb]

We take our elderly cat to the vet for a manicure and pedicure - he has special gloves with chain mail on the back to protect him. Just to get her own back, she usually pees on him when she can't either bite or scratch instead.

[droitwichmummy]

We did our 2 recently - a young strong wriggler and a feisty tortie - and lived. We were recommended small animal clippers ( like for hamsters etc). It is definitely a 2 person job but it can be done. If you gently press the larger pad in the centre of the paw, the claws come out which makes it much easier

[JustDanni]

We trim our boys claws with standard nail clippers. just take the very tip off. They don't particularly like it though and can struggle. Might be best to have a vet show you the best way to go about it

[cozietoesie]

I do it as a one person job - over on their backside (leaning back against my chest) when they're relatively relaxed.

I would always do it in a businesslike fashion - in the same way I put them in their boxes - so as not to make them distrustful of me in the future (I actually say 'Be Quiet, it's business' to them) after picking them up brusquely (but not meanly) and settling them. I also have a phrase which is used after all unsettling things to indicate Back To Normal and use that to effect. (It's a good idea to develop one of those phrases except that you have to be completely consistent when you use it.)

I'm also pretty careful about the type of clipper I use. (Definitely not scissors or anything like that because you want an implement that's strong and fast so that you minimise splintered nail and time taken.) I'm not keen on those clippers which have a sort of hole into which you put the nail: it would take forever to position with him and I don't want to push it.

Seniorboy had had his nails clipped maybe twice in 13 years before he came to me - and practically expired each time. He now has the tips nipped regularly and although it's not his favourite thing, he puts up with it with reasonable grace. I think because he knows that he just has to grit his teeth and it will soon be over.

[Megbeth]

I do my cat. I sit her on lap & my DD helps to hold her too. I sit in the light & press on the paw so the nail splays out. You can see the blood in the nail so know to only take the ends off. I have the scissor type & just cut off the ends. My cat is very placid though. My other cat didn't like it & would struggle & bite so the vet had to do it. I watched them do it & thought that I could do it but it definitely depends on the nature of the cat.

[trinity0097]

I always get the vet or nurse to do it.

Our first cat was a two vet, or vet and a nurse, job for claw trimming!

[akachan]

I do mine but I got the vet to do it twice and I watched. I use the clippers they sell for the purpose and just take the very ends off. I do it every 6 weeks or so I suppose, when she starts sticking to the carpet!

[Megrim]

The vet showed me how to do it - you can clearly see the pink quick inside the claw, which is the bit to avoid. I just nip off the tip with a pair of standard (human) nail clippers. I have done the Siamese from being a kitten, the tortie was introduced to it much later, she's not too happy about it but she does submit. I find the back claws don't tend to be as sharp, so often it's just the front ones that need doing.

[cozietoesie]

I think they always do their own back claws by chewing them so they shouldn't need nipping regularly. (Although I do Seniorboy's these days because he has so few teeth left for chewing and is a bit stiff for curling to get to his back feet.)