Nothing beats petting a cat, but the fear of the claw can be a problem. Learn the best way to trim your cat’s nails.
Historically cats never needed their nails trimmed. Playing outside, climbing trees and fences and other strenuous activities kept the cats’ nails just the right sharpness to avoid predators. However, today’s indoors cats simply don’t have the need to avoid predators so much as avoiding the vacuum cleaner. Long sharp claws make affection a little more difficult. This is particular tricky with children who do not yet know how to hold animals and the last thing need is for their first animal experience to involve the claws of death. The best thing to do is keep your cat’s claws nice and trimmed.
The first step is finding appropriate clippers. You can choose to use the same clippers that you use for your own nails or purchase some specialized nail trimmers made for cats. Either option works, but the specialized ones have a design which may make the process easier. Next it is best to grab a partner. Nail trimming is usually easier with one person to hold the cat and one to trim. Gently squeeze the top and bottom of your cat’s paw and the claws will come right out. Be careful not to trim too far down, just clip off the pointy end and avoid the mid to lowed base which has a blood vessel. If you cat’s nail does bleed because you accidentally trimmed to far down, put some corn starch on the nail to stop the bleeding. Your cat will forgive you in no time. Your veterinarian or a pet training professional can help you learn to trim your cat’s nails if you need additional advice.