How To Trim A Cats Nails

if you have cats who like to tear furniture or the walls one trick to help cut down or remove the behavior is to trim their nails and to encourage your cat to scratch on appropriate items.. deterrent sprays do not always work becuse many are made using citrus or bitter apple and herbal scents that some cats either become accustomed to over time or are attracted to. i could never use one of these sprays in my household becuse my cats love the smell and taste or fruit!
cats usually claw furniture for several reasons, one their claws are designed to shed its moons(outer casings) and the pulling action of clawing into something helps to pull off the moons and expose the new nail growth. do not be alarmed if you see "hang nails" hanging off of your cats nails, these are just the moons shedding off. you may also see a little collection of these moons at the base of your cats scratching post. another reason cats scratch is to stretch their muscles, which is a important reason a cat scratching post should always be provided for your cat. not only is scratching something that your cat needs to do, but it is something that they actually enjoy doing. there is nothing like the joy on a cats face during that first scratch after a long nap, much like a human stretching after a good nights sleep. you can get a variety of different scratch posts at pet supply and big box stores. there are free standing trees, wall mount and scratch boards that just lay on the floor, as well as many materials. some posts can get quite elaborate but personally i like to have a simple wall mount one because my cats naturally like to claw up against walls. your cat may have another scratching style they enjoy. to help encourage your cat to use their post, rub catnip leaves into it. i find that fresh leaves are better, but some people may have a problem either finding cat nip fresh or they do not like the look that fresh leaves can leave on the posts, it can leave a grass like stain on light carpet covered posts. i find that catnip sprays are not as strong as the real thing and it is always best to use fresh or dried herb.
tips on how to trim your cats nails:
the only part of the nail you want to trim is the curve of the nails tip, or just ahead of the quick. in clear or light colored nails a pink vein is clearly viable, you do not want to cut into this vein for a number of reasons. the most important reason is that it hurts your cat and will make them very wary of having their nails trimmed in the future. second it exposes the quick to infections and also depending on how deep you cut into it the more the quick will bleed. if you do accidentally cut into your cats quick, use styptic powder to stop the bleeding, follow the directions on the label for the product you use. ask your cats veterinarian or groomer for product recommendations.
if your cat has dark nails, you can usually judge where to trim by the shape of the nail. the nail will naturally curve downwards and the place to trim is where the nail first starts to curve, you just want to take off the thin, sharp hook.
remember to NEVER imagine yourself cutting the quick while you cut your cats nails, not only can this fear make you subconsciously cut into the quick, but the thought of hurting our kitty makes our body tense and there for makes the cat tense. it is always best to stay calm and relaxed while trimming your cats nails, this lets them know thru your body language that there is nothing to fear in what you are doing to them and keeps them calm.
most people do not bother trimming the nails on a cats back feet, as they are not the nails that do damage to furniture, but i always like to trim them becuse my cats have long nails and if i do not keep them trimmed they tend to get caught in the carpet and other soft and fuzzy materials like my sweaters. there is also something very strange about the sound of a cats back nails clicking on the floor as they walk,lol.

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[angelgorb]

Thank you for taking the time to pass on your knowledge to others. This shows you are an altruistic person who thinks beyond what is beneficial for you and what is yours. I sincerely apologize on behalf of all the narrow minded, arrogant and ignorant people out there who chose to criticize rather than support, contribute or improve the life of animals and animal lovers. Stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Although I may not share the same, I certainly do respect them and the value they add

[WolfOfShadows1986]

@angelgorb thank you for your support! :)

[mylolita10]

OMG who is recording!? i can here him breathing!!! EEEWWWWW pervert!!! lol

[WolfOfShadows1986]

@mylolita10

lol that was my husband (we are divorced now) he has breathing problems from his time in the military, its hard on your health to be a solider :(

[lanamal]

@WolfOfShadows1986 So your single and have cats? Welp I can see where this will end up :P

[WolfOfShadows1986]

@lanamal i was married, then divorced and still living with the ex. i now have a boyfriend who loves animals as much as i do >.< i not only have cats, but a dog and crow too :)

[kibalulu101]

I just cut my cats nails wile she's sleeping

[mostafajento]

my stupid cat is crazy i cant catch him in my hands like you :( OMG i Should Sell it

[TheArabicDream]

timming their nails is like chopping off our balls

that cat lost his dignity

[seth5220]

@mylolita10 i know who has a dirty mind

[rosslyn1037]

It is better to use cat nail clippers rather than the ones you clipped with in this video, which can crush the nail. I use cat clippers because they make a nice clean cut. I can only clip the nails of two of my cats. The other one downright hates it.

[mylolita10]

@WolfOfShadows1986 awww I apologize, I know abt that!! ='(