are you supposed to clip cat nails

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Trimming a cat’s claws every two to three weeks is an important part of maintaining your pet’s health. Not only does a quick trim protect you, your pet and your family, it can also save your sofa, curtains and other furniture.

What is a claw?

The keratinized portion of the cat’s claw is composed of layers of horny tissue superposed on one another, and the nail pulp—which houses the nerves and blood vessels—is located in the center. The cat has five toes on its front legs and four on each of its hind legs. Referred to as a dewclaw, this fifth toe corresponds to our thumb. These dewclaws allow the cat to climb.

Because of the flexor tendons, cat claws are retractable, meaning they can only be seen when extended for purposes such as hunting, climbing, or self-defense. As a result, unlike dogs, they typically don’t come into contact with the ground and don’t naturally wear out. Therefore, in order to keep them sharp, they must sharpen their claws.

Why Do Some Cats Not Need to Have Their Nails Trimmed?

Trimming or not is generally dependent on your cat’s lifestyle.

Outdoor Cats: Because your cat’s nails are necessary for certain essential tasks, it might not be a good idea to clip them if your cat lives outside:

  • Cats must be able to climb in order to navigate their territory and to get away from danger when other animals are pursuing them.
  • Cats’ nails grow constantly, so they scratch to keep them short and sharp as an instinctive behavior.
  • Marking Territory: To mark their territory outside and deter unfamiliar animals, cats use their paws’ scent glands to both scratch and urinate.

Indoor Cats: If your cat lives indoors, you might need to clip their nails more often.

  • When your cat is young, especially if their nails grow slowly, they might only need the occasional trim if they have a scratching post that they enjoy using.
  • Your indoor cat may have more opportunities to wear down and scratch his or her nails if you regularly take them for walks outside while wearing a leash. This will also lessen the need for frequent nail trims.

When do you need to trim your cat’s claws?

Generally speaking, trimming your cat’s claws is not necessary, but it does depend on how your pet lives (indoors or outdoors). When discussing an outdoor cat, it is imperative that they have claws in order to protect themselves, hunt, or climb. For an indoor cat, a scratching post allows daily self-maintenance. On the other hand, you can trim your cat’s claws to make them less damaging if they have a tendency to sharpen them everywhere in your home. Using an instructive and repellent spray could assist the pet in directing their scratches toward a particular object, such as a scratching post.

When ageing, cats become less active. In this situation, it’s critical to trim their claws because they have the potential to grow longer, curve, and pierce the pad, occasionally leading to an infection.

Lastly, remember to check the dewclaws of the front legs. In fact, they age more slowly because they are less likely to come into contact with the ground.

FAQ

What happens if you don’t trim your cat’s nails?

Just like human and dog nails, cat nails or “claws” grow slowly but surely. If not trimmed or filed down, these nails can keep growing to a point where they are uncomfortable for the cat or may even curl back into their toe or paw pad.

Do indoor cats need their nails trimmed?

If we are talking about an outdoor cat, his/her claws are essential to defend him/herself, hunt or climb. For an indoor cat, a scratching post allows daily self-maintenance. However, if your cat tends to sharpen his/her claws everywhere in your house, you can shorten them so they will cause less damage.

Are my cats nails too long?

Cat’s usually retract their front claws, so that when they are resting you probably won’t be able to see them at all. This helps them to walk quietly and stops them snagging their nails as they do so. If your cat’s nails get too long you may notice that they are starting to tap on hard floors and catch on the carpet.

Should you clip cats back claws?

You should trim your cat’s rear claws as needed, but it’s likely they won’t need trimming as often as the front claws. Rear claws tend to be shorter to begin with, and they also grow more slowly. Cats only have four toes on their rear paws (no dew claws in back) so it might be a little easier!