Keeps getting her claw caught in my top - and furiously attacking me when I try to unhook her.

[VexedofVirginiaWater]

Basically just as it says in the title. She is 15 now but has done this for a few years - it just seems to be getting more frequent. It's as if she can't retract the claw and then when I try to help her, she gets furious and slashes and bites and growls. If I pull even slightly it seems to hurt her and makes her worse. I don't know what to do or how to get free.

Usually eventually she seems to get unhooked quite by chance, but why does she do this?

Cat tax - Ruby ready to bite.

She’s so pretty - beautiful eyes and an impressive set of whiskers!

Not really sure what to advise. No matter their age, they can be absolute buggers for hooking a claw and not retracting.

Only thin I can suggest is an appointment with a vet nurse to trim her claws so that they’re not so easy to grab your clothing.

Clip her claws…I do this on my own cats but if she’s feisty it might need a vet visit, or a groomer, though they’re expensive options when you can do it yourself. Their claws curl around if they’re not clipped and it becomes harder for them to pull out of things like jumpers. Also as an older cat she’s probably not wearing them down as much naturally. It’s easy and super quick to do yourself if someone can show you how, or you can watch a YouTube video.

Clip her nails. We only need to clip one of our cats. The other two use the scratching posts vigorously enough to keep them down on their own. It’s easier with two people, but it’s possible to learn to do it solo.

Invest in a good pair of cutters. It makes a difference. Start conservatively until you get comfortable with the process. You need to avoid the quick. If your cat has light colored nails, it’s easy to see.

My cat isn't allowed to sit directly on me. She's heavy and she never got out of the habit of digging her claws in. Can you try a blanket? That's what I use. She knows it's ok to settle in if I've got the blanket in my lap.

Something to scratch to keep her claws down would be handy too, if you can get her to use it.

Another vote for using a blanket. My cat also won‘t allow me to unhook any claw but using a blanket prevents getting caught in my clothes when she is on my lap.

Some cats just do need help with claw trimming, especially as they get older. I used to have to do Boycat's every few weeks even as a young cat, whereas I think I've had Girlcat's done once at the vets and twice at home in about 8 years. Tobias is an avid scratcher, we had his trimmed when he was sedated at the vets last year but they weren't all that long, had him around 2 years now.

My cat just turned 15 and I’ve noticed a massive increases in claw snagging over the past few months. I wonder if it’s because they use their claws less as they get older (less natural filing from tree climbing, etc)?

I need to trim his every month now. I do it myself… if I sort of hold him between my legs and crouch down on top of him so he can’t run away, I manage to do a paw before he completely loses his shit. Then come back for the others later!

Thanks for all your helpful replies. Yes it makes sense that she's not wearing her claws down now she's older - she hardly goes out and then not for long. She has scratching posts etc and occasionally uses them. She doesn't sit on my knee though - oh no, she prefers to sit on my laptop or right next to it, glare at me and dab at me with her paw and it's usually then that her claw gets caught - if I don't manage to dodge her.

It's interesting about the length of the claws. I once asked the vet if she could clip them (this was years ago before this became a problem) as she was shredding the furniture, and the vet said it wouldn't help because she would then just want to sharpen them up again, so I haven't asked since. I never thought about the extra hookiness of the claws. Bit nervous about doing it myself as she gets really angry and vicious if anyone touches her paws (except the vet where she seems completely cowed for some reason). I will certainly ask on the next visit and explain why and in the meantime I will research clippers. I had some years ago when I used to have a dog, but I got rid of them.

Thanks again to everyone - and for the photo of your beautiful cat Mia184.

Start today trying to get her used to you touching her paws, using bribery (works with most cats), and when she goes for you hiss at her like she would to you which is the best way to tell them you are displeased with something they are doing.

Once you can hold each paw, next stage is squeezing ever so gently on a toe to push a claw out. Don't try to trim the claw that time, just treat & praise. Next step is to get her to let you squeeze each toe on one foot. before moving on to clipping just one claw then stop; do that a couple of times before you can try 2 claws at a time, then 3. If you do that every couple of days, you can get to do a paw over a week then the next paw the next week & so on.

It took me literally months to get Boycat to the state where I could trim a single claw, then one paw at a time.

Remember to praise & give treats whenever she lets you touch a paw initially, then after she's let you push the claws out, then after every trim.

Wow. What a beautiful cat! Definitely trim her claws. My girl has needles on the end of her paws. I regularly trim them.