When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Robert Shirreffs/INSIDER
With the correct technique, tools, and a gentle approach, trimming your cat's claws at home is not as difficult as it seems.
We spoke to Dr. Irit Grader, DVM, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, to break down the steps and products needed to trim a cat's nails.
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Karie Johnson, veterinarian and co-founder of VIP Vet Visit, a mobile vet service in the south suburbs of Chicago.
All cats need their nails trimmed regularly. A cat's claws grow continuously, just like people's and dogs' nails. If allowed to grow too long, they could snag on carpet or furniture and tear, causing painful injuries.
"If the nails aren't trimmed regularly, what we see, particularly in cats, is that the nail grows all the way around and actually penetrates the paw pad," said Dr. Irit Grader, DVM, assistant professor of clinical primary care medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. "This causes injury, infection, and inflammation to the paw pad."
Additionally, as all cat owners know, longer nails lead to more accidental scratches on your skin and allow cats to inflict more damage if they decide to scratch your furniture.
If you've never trimmed your cat's nails, the prospect of doing so might feel intimidating. Don't hesitate to ask your veterinarian or groomer to show you how to do it. Most veterinary staff and groomers are happy to provide a quick lesson. Grader said this is something that can even be done virtually, with a telemedicine appointment. If you have all the equipment you need at home, your veterinarian can watch via video conference, offering tips and guidance.
Trim your cat's nails about every two weeks. The nails on the front paws are often longer than the nails on the rear paws. This is likely because some cats wear down their rear nails naturally as they run and climb. You might need to just clip the very tips of the rear nails. Sometimes, a cat's rear nails don't need to be trimmed at all.
Here's how to trim a cat's claws step by step and what you need to do it:
How to find the right nail-trimming tools
Millers Forge/Resco/Dremel
To safely and effectively trim your cat's nails, you need the correct tools. You can buy a small-sized pet nail trimmer that's suitable for both dogs and cats, or you can purchase cat-specific trimmers, which are generally small and ideally suited for trimming cat nails.
Cat nail trimmers come in several different styles:
Pliers or scissors style: This style of cat nail clippers looks similar to wire cutters or miniature hedge clippers. Small, curved blade edges come together to clip the nail when you squeeze the handles together. A classic example of this style of nail clippers is Millers Forge Pet Nail Clipper.
Guillotine style: This style of nail trimmer has a fully enclosed loop that you insert the nail through. Squeezing the clipper handle brings a sharp blade down and across the nail to neatly slice it off. The Resco Deluxe Pet Nail Clipper is a guillotine-style clipper.
Don't forget to pick up a styptic pencil or styptic powder, which are anticoagulants. If you accidentally cut the quick (the vein that runs through the nail), a styptic pencil or powder can help stop the bleeding. Kwik Stop Styptic Powder is a tried-and-true brand.
Product Embed: Product Name: Millers Forge Stainless Steel Nail Clipper Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5ebd5a455785326b6e0d32f7&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%Product Embed: Product Name: Resco Original Deluxe Dog Nail Clippers Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5ea894b638bf2344c80d79c6&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%Product Embed: Product Name: Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Kit Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eb4288848d92c66917334d4&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%Product Embed: Product Name: Wahl Premium Nail File Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eb42979204ad36aeb7b7cf6&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%Product Embed: Product Name: Miracle Care Kwik Stop Styptic Solution Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eb42ad4cdfd4867355babe4&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%
How to introduce nail trimming to your cat
Anna Petrova Ilieva-Alikaj/EyeEm/Getty Images
The key to trimming cat nails is to use gentle but minimal restraint. Cats dislike being pinned down. If you try to hold your cat too tightly, they will likely struggle to escape.
Grader recommends that you first desensitize your cat to having their paws touched before diving right into nail trimming. "Some cats have very sensitive feet and some of them don't like having their feet touched," she said. "One of the reasons accidents happen is because the cat is not calm. They pull the paw away when you clip and then you cannot be accurate."
Calmly sit with your cat and gently touch their paws, toes, and claws. Pet your cat and offer some of their favorite treats. This might be the time to break out the canned tuna or pieces of cooked chicken breast.
"If you do it a couple of times a day over a week, eventually the cat sees that nothing bad happens," Grader said. "This way, they get used to having their paws handled and their nails exposed. Once the cat is comfortable and you're comfortable handling the nails, go ahead and start clipping the nails."
Where to trim your cat's nails
Robert Shirreffs/INSIDER
If your cat likes sitting in your lap, try this position first. Get comfortable on the couch or a chair. Pet your cat and offer a treat or two to ensure they're calm and comfortable before gently picking up their paw to begin clipping the nails. "If you can have two people with you that is great. One person can be holding the cat and the other person can managing the feet," said Grader.
If your cat doesn't like sitting in your lap, you can try putting them up on a table or counter. Place some treats on the countertop to distract them, then gently grasp their paw to trim the nails. If you try this approach, it can help to have another person there to pet the cat and feed them treats while you work.
Understand the anatomy of your cat's nails
Robert Shirreffs/INSIDER
Most cats have four claws on each front paw, plus a dewclaw, which is higher up on the inside of the paw — sort of the equivalent of a thumb. The back paws each have four claws and no dewclaws. Some cats have extra toes. Called polydactyl, cats with extra toes also have extra nails, so make sure you find and trim them all.
Like human nails, a cat's nail is made of keratin, a hard protein. A vein, called the quick, runs down the center of each nail. Because your cat's quick is filled with nerve endings, you do not want to cut into it. Cutting the quick hurts and causes the nail to bleed, sometimes a lot.
Most cats have clear nails, so it's easy to see the quick inside (the pink part in the center of the nail) and avoid cutting it. Only trim the hard, white part of the nail in front of the pink area. Don't try to clip right up to the quick — leave a little buffer space in case your cat moves or you misjudge.
"You want to clip just the tip of the nail," Grader said. "If you have any doubts, simply clip less. The quick can be seen quite easily, there's no reason to get too close to it. If you feel that you can clip a little bit more and the cat is cooperating, then you can go ahead and clip a little bit more."
If you're nervous about using nail clippers to trim your cat's nails, you can use a pet nail grinder to grind them down. Because nail grinders make noise and vibrate, some cats might be more bothered by a grinder than regular nail clippers. As with anything, it can take them some time to get used to having their nails ground.
How to trim your cat's nails with clippers
Robert Shirreffs/INSIDER
Follow these steps to clip your cat's nails:
Hold the clippers in one hand.
Hold your cat's paw in the other hand and gently squeeze it to extend the nails from their resting retracted position.
One at a time, isolate each nail, holding that toe between your thumb and index finger. If your cat has long hair, move it out of the way and hold it down against the toe with your thumb and index finger.
Position the clippers so they encircle the nail below the quick (the pink part).
Smoothly and swiftly close the clipper handles, snipping off the sharp end of the nail.
Repeat for each nail. Don't forget the dewclaws on the front paws.
When you're done, pet and praise your cat, and offer some treats.
Product Embed: Product Name: Millers Forge Stainless Steel Nail Clipper Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5ebd5a455785326b6e0d32f7&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%Product Embed: Product Name: Resco Original Deluxe Dog Nail Clippers Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5ea894b638bf2344c80d79c6&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%
How to trim your cat's nails with a grinder
Amazon
Follow these steps to grind your cat's nails:
Hold the nail grinder in one hand.
Hold your cat's paw in the other hand, gently squeezing it to extend the nails from their resting retracted position.
One at a time, isolate each nail, holding that toe between your thumb and index finger. If your cat has long hair, move it out of the way and hold it down against the toe with your thumb and index finger.
Turn on the grinder and touch it gently to the end of your cat's nail.
Roll the grinder back and forth on the nail, moving slowly and smoothly.
Repeat for each nail. Don't forget to grind the dewclaws on the front paws.
Product Embed: Product Name: Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Kit Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eb4288848d92c66917334d4&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%Product Embed: Product Name: Wahl Premium Nail File Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eb42979204ad36aeb7b7cf6&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%
What to do if you nick the nail
Amazon
If you accidentally cut into the quick, your cat might yowl in pain and the nail will start bleeding. "Quicked" nails hurt the cat and they can bleed a lot, but it is a minor injury.
"If by accident you clip the quick, put a small amount of [styptic] powder on a Q-tip and just dab the end of the nail, applying a little bit of pressure to the nail," Grader said. "That usually helps stop the bleeding quite easily. It's not dangerous, it's just painful."
Product Embed: Product Name: Miracle Care Kwik Stop Styptic Solution Card Type: small https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eb42ad4cdfd4867355babe4&type=small&live=true Width: 100% Height: 150%