Cat Won't Let Us Cut Her Nails

Trimming your cat's claws is an integral part of maintaining your pet's good health. Overly long claws can get caught in surfaces, such as rugs or screen doors, causing your cat to panic and injure themselves when trying to break free. Claws can also become infected if not maintained because they sometimes become so long that they curl back into the cat's foot pad causing an infection. For cats that make it difficult to clip their claws, taking a soothing approach is often all that needs to occur. However, alternatives, such as scratching pads or having them removed professionally, are also options.

  1. Try a Soothing Approach

    • Getting its nails clipped can be a stressful experience for some cats, so taking a soothing approach to clipping them should be taken. Pick the cat up and have it come to you, such as in a chair or a flat surface, such as a bed, and allow it to move into your lap. Stroke it gently and speak to it in low, soothing tones. Give it a few cat treats to put it at ease. Then, clip the nails. Spread the paws between your thumb and finger of your free hand and use cat claw trimmers, or even regular nail clippers, and clip the nails. As long as you are not too aggressive about it, the cat should be fine. Stop midway through if need be to let your cat calm down and try the same approach later.

    Let Nature Take Care of It

    • Provide your cat with several options to take care of their claws on its own. Provide a scratching post or two in rooms that it spends a lot of time in, and a couple of scratch pads in other rooms of the house. Cats have a natural inclination to scratch and will likely use the scratching pads and posts, which should take care of most of its claw issues. For kittens, when it tries to scratch other item, such as carpets or furniture, pick it up and take it over to a pad or post. Eventually, it will learn to go there on its own when it feels the need to scratch.

    Have the Claws Clipped by a Veterinarian

    • Have your veterinarian clip your cat's claws if your attempts end up with your cat under the bed and you reaching for an adhesive bandage. Veterinarians are used to dealing with difficult animals on a daily basis and will be able to get your cat's nails trimmed. It will cost you an office visit fee, but you can combine it with a general health check-up to help defray the costs.

    Cap the Nails

    • If all else fails and you are unable to clip your cat's claws, have your veterinarian clip them for you or convince your cat to use a scratching pad, you can put nail caps on your cat's claws. They won't impede growth, but they will protect your belongings and your guests from cat scratches.