How to Cut Cat Nails

An often-overlooked aspect of cat ownership involves cutting the cat's nails on a regular basis. Keeping your cat's nails short and blunt will not only prevent the cat from accidentally scratching you, but it will help save your carpets, curtains and furniture from being destroyed. It may seem daunting when you first begin regular trimmings, but with practice and a bit of patience, you and your cat will be able to develop a nail-trimming routine that works.

Things You'll Need

  • Nail clipper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hold the cat in your lap or have a friend or family member hold the cat for you. If you're holding the cat yourself, position the cat so it is lying across your lap with your forearms draped over its neck and hindquarters.

    • 2

      Grasp the clipper in your dominant hand and use the other hand to hold the cat's paw. Squeeze the first toe gently, which will expose the claw. Notice that the claw is white or transparent on the end and turns pink as it gets closer to the paw. The pink area is called the quick and it contains blood vessels and nerve endings. Avoid nicking it with the clipper.

    • 3

      Position the clipper over the nail so it cuts top to bottom rather than side to side; the latter will crush the nail rather than cutting it cleanly. Cut the nail close to the quick without cutting the quick itself. If the nail feels jagged after cutting, you can use a nail file to smooth it down.

    • 4

      Repeat Step 3 on each nail over all four paws. In addition to the four main claws, each paw also has a dew claw, which is higher up on the paw in a position similar to where a thumb might be. The dew claw generally does not get worn down when a cat scratches, so it must be trimmed so it won't grow so long that it digs into the cat's skin.