How often should a cat's claws need clipping?

[CanadianJohn]

My rescue cat is about 12 or 13, and a wiggle-worm. I find it impossible to clip his claws. I arranged an in-home visit from a young woman who works in a pet store, and she managed to get all his claws except 2. She had a hard time with the wiggle-worm, and said it would be easier at the store, where they have a kind of harness they can put the cat into.

The thing is, perhaps due to the wiggling, she didn't clip his claws short enough, and after only a week if he kneads me, he draws blood.

If I take him to the store, or a groomer, and he gets a decent clipping, how often would it need to be done? He doesn't like his travel cage either.

You guys know scratching posts don't blunt down the nails right? They help the cat keep their claws in good condition / give them something other than your furniture to attach / loosen the sheath to allow a brand new mega sharp claw underneath.

OP, in the UK (where I am) it's not normal to clip the claws but there's nothing wrong with doing it. One argument would say it's better for a sharp claw to pierce a fabric with a pinprick rather than a rough, bigger claw to stab a bigger hole into it. The other perfectly reasonable argument is you don't want to be attacked drawing blood every day by their kneading! It's up to you, there really is no harm in it either way. I can't say how regularly, though, which is your question.

My (UK) vet actually asked if they could clip the claws when they had my cat under sedation to protect themselves from her scratching as she's very nervous and wild and would need several (conscious) follow up examinations. We said go ahead but have never bothered since. I have a blanket at the ready for whenever she comes on me, there's no changing her behaviour with the claws so I've got to change mine by blankets about the house at all times!

Error!

Sorry phone went crazy!
I was going to say older cats do often need their nails clipped. They stop retracting them properly when they get arthritis in their toes. Like older people they become thickened, and often curled/abnormal. Just like they need help with their coats when can no longer groom probably, again due to arthritis.
You can't clip them short though, or at least you shouldn't, just the tips, which they will sharpen again quickly.
I do my older cat's every 2 weeks as otherwise they start getting caught in clothing/blankets. I trained her when she was young though

Claw-clipping is very much not the norm in the UK, probably because the vast majority of cats go outside and use their claws to help them climb, run and balance while they're hunting.

Saying that though, we had indoor cats for years and none of them ever had their claws clipped.

I have an indoor cat and clip her claws otherwise she gets caught on the sofa or duvet cover. I only do it every couple of months. Thankfully she is very docile so doesn't mind at all. I gave outdoor cats before and never bothered.

I’ve never ever heard of UK cats having their claws trimmed- Scratching posts are the norm here.
Every cat I know has sharp claws, despite scratching posts.

American cats can have claws amputated which thank goodness is illegal here, as it should be.

My cats get their nails cuts by the groomer, the vet and we do it from time to time too. My current Maine coon boy who does got outside is a menace otherwise to anyone working from home and not paying him attention whilst on zoom. I think we could not trim his sister at all and be fine. I don't think it's an unheard of thing in the U.K. as there are plenty of safe pets of scissors on sale and both vet and groomer seem to think it's normal. To answer the question I'd say we only do it about every 2 months.

I've only ever had to clip the claws of one of my cats - he was twenty and no longer managing them himself so kept getting them caught on carpets, clothes and furniture. Never needed to with any of my other cats past or present.

It depends very much on the individual cat, both physically and habits.

Mine are indoor only cats, Girlcat to my knowledge has never had her claws clipped, I did ask the vet to check once and they said she was fine. She used sisal rope scratching posts, and a sisal mat covered panel on the wall, every few days (that I know of). She ignores cardboard scratchers.

Boycat was a lover of wallpaper for his scratching, occasionally used the sisal posts, and would ignore cardboard. I would have to trim his claws every 3-4 weeks or so as they would a) get quite long and b) he didn't retract them all the way - you could hear him coming as his claws clicked on the laminate flooring. Took me months of gentle encouragement for him to let me clip them, but got resigned to it eventually.

Tobias loves wallpaper. He quite likes sisal. and he loves loves LOVES cardboard for scratching. No cardboard box is safe from the scratching, and I have those corrugated cardboard blocks scattered in various places including a couple attached to the wall with command strips in his favorite wallpaper places. His claws are perfectly short which is A Good Thing as I would never be able to even think about trimming them myself without risking hospitalisation. Last time he was at the vets and very sedated for a blood test, they checked & said though the length was perfect they'd just taken the tip as his were exceptionally sharp

Cats claws should never need clipping unless they are very elderly and unable to get about as much due to arthritis or other age related disease. My cats are 15 and 17 and not once have I ever clipped their nails. If them drawing bloody when he kneads you is a problem I suggest you stop him from doing that rather than cutting his claws

Never.

My cat doesn’t put her claws out when kneading? If she occasionally does I say OW loudly and move her off me unceremoniously.

Claws are supposed to be sharp. Scratching posts etc are to help them shed the outer layer of claw, which actually helps keeps them sharp, rather than blunting them.

I’d never cut my cat’s claws - not least because she’d be at the mercy of the local bully cat without them.

Came on here to check whether I should be clipping my cat's claws, glad to see no as I've never done it!

So much crap on this thread! All cats are individuals and SOME will need their claws trimming.

I have three cats, all related. One of them needs her claws clipping twice a year, as otherwise they will overgrow into her paws if left. the others never have needed it. They all go outdoors daily.

My mum has two housecats. One of them needs her claws done every year and has been known to have one claw curl and grow into the paw a couple of years ago. Very painful!

The vet is absolutely running up the bill. I hope there’s no UK vets reading this thread, it might give them ideas.

Mine too. Cats need their claws to protect themselves and to climb.

I am in the UK and have only ever had outdoor cats.

I've clipped their claws on a "need for" basis. I'd never actually heard of claw clipping until I was reading up on how to care for very elderly cats. Then I clipped the claws of our 2 very ancient old boys, much to their relief - they were thickened and overgrown and not retracting properly. After clipping, the claws were in much better condition (the thickened bits kind of gradually fell off from the remaining claws) and they walked more easily without their claws hitting the floor all the time. After that I clipped them every few weeks or every month to keep them comfortable.

Another, younger cat I used to clip every few weeks for purely selfish reasons - she was a carpet-scratcher and our floors got a lot less damage if just the razor tips were taken off her claws. She didn't choose to go out much, she did have a wide range of large indoor scratching posts and mats though (she just preferred the carpet).

Our other cats have never needed clipping. They aren't overgrown, don't scratch the furniture or carpets, and in any case I don't think they're docile enough to allow me to do it!

Cats being outside is viewed differently in other countries

In my Canadian city the cats aren’t allowed legally to roam outside our garden so a lot of cats are indoors only. Vets recommend they stay indoors for their own safety too.

it’s also bloody cold this time of the year. No one wants the door open when it’s -15

we clip in winter monthly. We started when we realized our old girl had a claw that had overgrown and was poking into her pad 😞

I'm in the UK, and our cat has his claws clipped regularly at the vet.

However, he is old and no longer goes outside. His claws now reach length where they get caught in everything and also really hurt when it's your legs!

My vet doesn't charge for claw clipping if it's part of the annual MoT when they get their jabs. It's the usual check heart, lungs, belly, ears, eyes, teeth, temperature if you have any worries, check & clip claws if necessary if you ask. Then vaccination, strokes/cuddles if that cat accepts them, recrate & home. Costs the same whether you have claws checked & clipped & temperature taken or not.

My cat grows needles on the end of her paws. That's despite using a scratch post and the carpet! She definitely needs them clipping.

Of course it is. Vets offer free nail clips as part of health plans.

We've never, ever been offered a nail clip for any of our cats.

Yes, please desist from removing your pretty kitty‘s claws. They are there for a reason and they have the fancy post you’ve got for them. Scratching your furniture and you is them being a pain in the rear but all normal behaviour. You are being a good cat owner, but I do think that claw clipping in cats in North America will slowly go, just like removing them.

Baffled by the idea that it’s not normal (or it’s cruel) to clip claws in the U.K. Some cats will need them doing regardless. My previous cat needed hers doing yearly - she went outside but she was just a bit lazy and they grew and grew and would grow into her pad if they weren’t kept trimmed. Other cats, never needed to. But it’s not cruel. Only cruel if you remove their claws completely but that’s illegal in the U.K.