Do you trim your cat's nails?

[catlady34]

MIL thinks it's cruel and unnecessary. The internet is full of mixed opinions... do you trim your cat's claws and if not, why not?

Unnecessary on a cat that goes outside so no i have never trimmed cat claws.

No, my cat goes outside & does them himself by scratching on trees.

Yes.. I trim them.. they are mostly indoor cats ( they get out into cat proofed garden with supervision). It’s easy done. I wait until they are in calm sleepy mode and they just lie there and happily let me.

I do. They're indoor cats and when they get too long they start slipping when trying to jump up places. Admittedly places they shouldn't be, like the bath or kitchen worktop, top of fridge....

Never!! She never had a problem in over 30 years of owning various cats.

Only the old one who doesn’t go out much.

Fuck no, i enjoy having my arms attached to my body

I never have but my remaining cat is now 16 and she doesn’t wear down her claws as much as when she was younger and went out every day on adventures. So she’ll have them done at her next vet check.

No. I’m not ready to die.

Now he's an old indoor cat (and he can't bite his claws)I do after having to take him to the vets with an ingrown claw. Got a clipper off amazon and do it when he's asleep.

No, it would prevent them catching mice. I am happy to put the oven gloves on when I need to give her a pill.

Never.

Yep, she used to get them caught in her blanket. We used to just sort of push her fingers and clip the claws with nail clippers, she didn't mind at all.

Yes, they are very sharp otherwise and it hurts when they make biscuits on me. They are indoor cars so don't wear them down much!

I’ve always had indoor cats so claw clipping has been part of the deal for years. Just used to wait until they were dozing beside me. However, my recently homed Ragdoll is absolutely adamant that I am not going to be allowed near her feet with the clippers. She’s going to the grooming parlour attached to my vet’s next week to have her coat thinned and I’ve booked her for a mani/pedi as well. They use light sedation if necessary.

We did when our first two cats got old, didn’t go out much and so didn’t wear their claws down. We didn’t realise quickly enough, though, and one of our lovely girls had a claw growing into her pad and needed vet treatment. We felt terrible, as you can imagine.

So if the cats are indoor or not very active, it’s important to check their claws and trim regularly. But I will admit that we preferred to get the vet to do it when the cats got their check ups!

I've never ever cut any of my cats claws - I've had cats for over 30 years. If they're indoor cats they have a scratching post!
I don't know anyone who has cut their cats claws either!

Mani Pedi that's so cute. My husband holds mine while I clip. Went to a groomer at first and got the technique.

Yes , every couple of weeks and she's an outdoor cat but they get very sharp and catch on everything otherwise. When cat's scratch outside they're not wearing them down, they're sharpening them/marking territory. I would advise those with elderly cats to keep a close on their claws as they can become very thickened and curled. I work in a vets and have seen too many cats with nails curled right into their pads.

@C2205 mine have a massive cat tree and 5/6 boards scattered around the house but we still clip every couple of months.

Yep, we trim both our girls' claws as they don't go outside. Usually whet start catching on the carpet (or when 1 sinks them into my arms as she cuddles in)

Ours are indoor only and start getting hooked on curtains/ clothes if we don't trim them every few weeks.

I trimmed my old boy's when he got a bit ancient and arthritic, just to give him a helping hand.

Leroy? No. No way. Absolutely not. If forced to, only with paramedics, surgeons and operating theatre on standby to stitch me back together.

3 indoor cats. Two maintain their claws very well on their scratch posts but the other one needs her claws clipped every now and again.

It's a nightmare. She's traumatised from the one time the vet attempted it and I now have to sneak up on her and wrestle her to get it done.
Nearly lost an eye the last time (me, not the cat.)

It really does need done for some indoor cats otherwise, as someone upthread has experienced, their claws can overgrow into their paw pads.

@Emma765 I've never done it and this whole thread is completely new to me lol
I did hear about the little rubber protector things some people put on their cats claws (and I was shocked then too lol)
EscapistTendencies
I work in a vets and have seen too many cats with nails curled right into their pads.

Me too, but I've never seen it - only in dogs. Even my elderly cats that have lived to 17 & 18!
I've learnt something new today