It's easy to say "just clip the nails" or "just check their paws" but actually doing so isn't so straight forward. Cats are brats, to say the least.
Cat nails are a different beast, so if you've ever wanted a single comprehensive source of information, I have compiled one. This is part of the "stuff I wish I knew when I owned cats for the first time" series that I'm doing.
Understanding Cat Nails
Dog, bird, and human nails act similarly in that they consistently grow longer. If left uninterrupted, they will eventually spiral as the length increases.
Cat nails do not work like this. Instead, they shed thin layers on either side of the nail to reveal a fresh, sharp nail underneath. Scratching helps to shed these layers (along with aiding in upper body muscle maintenance). Scratching is less useful to shed the back nails, which is why many cats will chew and tug on their back nails to encourage shedding.
If for any reason these layers do not shed properly, they will become impacted. The nail will thicken, uncomfortably stretching the nail bed, and eventually sink into the paw pad. Embedding into the paw pad will invite infection and sometimes necrosis. The only solution is to clip the nail off at the root, which is the equivalent to removing a human fingernail by force with only a local pain shot.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep an eye on nail health. Cats will hide injuries, so waiting for unusual behavior to check means waiting until the damage is already fairly extreme.
Why You Should Clip Cat Nails
Fresh cat nails are needle sharp. However, if you were to pick up a random stray cat and feel their claws, you would find them blunted. Daily life will blunt a cat’s nails, but indoor cats don’t always have access to things that will naturally blunt their nails. (Nail file scratching posts exist, but there’s no guarantee of consistent use and effectiveness.)
Scratching an itch with blunted nails feels good, but attempting to scratch an itch with a collection of needles is less than ideal.
These needle tips easily get stuck in fabric, which increases the chance of injury if your cat flails as it falls off something, fails a jump, or panics when stuck. They can also spread injury to others by accident when doing all of these things. They are not having the easiest time as Edward Needlehands.
Cat nails can be so thin that sinking into the skin won’t cause bleeding and the wound will heal extremely fast. This effectively means dirt and bacteria can be trapped in the dermal layer of the skin, which can lead to infection. This can happen from a cat making biscuits on your leg, playing with another animal in the house, or hugging their own feet in their sleep.
As a cat gets older, they tend to care for their nails less and less, especially if they develop arthritis in their toes. This makes them prone to thickening nails, so clipping them back and removing the compaction is necessary for their health. This is especially bad in the dewclaws, so make sure to check them regularly.
I adopted a cat who had some nails that were strangely brittle and other nails growing with a split down the middle. It turns out, this was nail fungus that he picked up from the shelter. It only required soaking the nail beds in a medicated bath a few times a week to clear up. Still, I have to keep an eye on them in case it returns since nail fungus is notoriously hard to fully get rid of. If I hadn’t been teaching him to accept nail trims, I never would have seen it, and he could have spread that to the other cats over time.
Bonus round for reasons to manipulate a cat’s paws:
Hairless cats do not have fur on their paws pulling oils and dirt away from their nail beds. This means the owner is required to clean their nail beds regularly with a q-tip for the cat’s health and comfort.
Flat-faced cats cannot groom properly, and thus cannot chew away dirt or obstructions in the fur between their pads. Being able to check on their paws daily to clean out anything that may have collected there is necessary for their health and comfort.
Indoor cat paw pads can be extremely soft, and sometimes a single strand of fur can slide sideways into the skin. This is weirdly painful (I’ve had it happen to me). It’s an easy fix since it only requires catching the end of the hair that’s sticking out and pulling it free. Having enough trust built up is important if you want to check why your cat is suddenly chewing their paw every time they take a step.
The Basics of Trimming
Warning: Do not grab your cat’s back leg to keep it still! When cats fight with the intention of causing real damage, they tend to bite down on the back leg and hold. This is the most common way of spreading FIV, and the resulting infection can cause permanent damage or death. Instinctually, grabbing the back leg can cause anxiety or full blown panic. In a former stray, it can trigger some PTSD.
The goal of nail trimming is to make it a calm and positive experience.
There are cat clippers and dog clippers. Use whatever you are most comfortable with, both work. I personally prefer cat clippers because they’re smaller, I have an easier time seeing where I’m cutting, and I don’t have to spread their toes apart nearly as far to gain access.
Find the quick. Cat nails are thin enough that even black nails are translucent with good lighting, making the quick easy to spot. Do not nick the quick. I repeat, do not cut too high and catch the quick. While this injury is actually quite mild and quick to heal, cats never forget and never forgive. Rebuilding trust after an injury is a hard road to travel.
If at all possible, don’t squeeze their paw to force the nails out. Cat nails don’t fully sheath inside, so sneaking over to trim the ends off while they’re snoozing without waking them is an ideal option. If you must squeeze for better access, do so as gently as possible and don’t aim for full extension of the claws, only as much as you need to see.
Unless the cat’s nails are unusually long (I’ve had one cat like that), the main goal is to take off the needle tip. So, don’t worry about cutting high enough. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and clip as close to the tip as possible.
Some cats have extremely short nails, especially on their back feet. It’s possible to use a nail file. I personally find glass files to be easier since they’re smaller, but glass files tug more so it’s something to be careful about. If using a file, pinch the sides of the nail between the fingers of your other hand to keep it stable so the file won’t yank the nail around (since that is incredibly uncomfortable, bordering on painful). Some cats don’t like the sensation of the file, or take time to get used to it, so if you can only get one nail a day, then so be it.
Compacted Nails
If the nail is thick and compacted but hasn’t sank into the paw pad yet, there are ways to knock down the size.
First, clip off the end of the nail. From there, you can pick at the underside of the nail, pulling from the center out toward the sides to encourage the shedding layers to let go. Sometimes the layers can get stuck in the stretched nail bed, so if they don’t fall off immediately, try to grab hold of them and pull them as straight forward as you can to dislodge them without stretching the nail bed sideways. This process will definitely get you some distressed cursing from your cat because tugging on the nail bed hurts. Reassure them and wait for them to settle before trying again.
The smaller the nail is naturally, the thinner the shedding. This can cause some really annoying compaction. If the compaction is being stubborn, use a nail file to break through the layers at the top curve of the nail. Then, clip off the tip of the nail before moving the file to the underside along the curve. I find it easier to use a small glass file because they’re thinner and fit into the curve nicely. File toward the sides while keeping the file as flush to the underside curve as possible. This can force the layers to release, letting you knock down the size of the nail to something more reasonable.
Remember to hold the base of the nail to stabilize it when filing. Otherwise, the toe will jerk around, you won’t get any force to take off the layers, and your cat will be calling a lawyer for mistreatment.
How To Manipulate Paws Without Being Mauled By The Cat
Touching a cat’s paws is not natural to them. You will have to establish new habits.
Touch their paws every day and praise them for it. Don’t forcibly hold on. If they pull away, let them. They should always feel in control of their body. Your goal is to show them that nothing bad will happen from having their paws touched.
Start with petting the paws a little while the cat is snoozing. Poke their paw pads gently and tap the toe beans. They will tuck their paws away at first, but that’s fine. They’re allowed to do that. Eventually, they’ll just see your actions as an odd quirk and deal with it.
Every day, I pick up my cats paws and let them pull their paws back out of my hand. I make a loose fist so all of their paw is being touched as they pull away. I do both paws in quick succession and then praise them as I give them a treat. At first, they recoil pretty bad, but eventually they shift their weight in preparation when I say “paw.”
Patience! The nail clipping may not happen for a while as you build up trust with paw handling. Some cats are chill within a few days. Some cats take a full year. Commitment is important. They will never like having their paws handled, but they will learn to trust your good intentions.
I personally keep nail clippers beside me on the couch at all times. I try to catch them when they curl up on my leg to snooze. Keeping nail care as relaxing and casual as possible helps to establish the process as uninteresting. An unbothered, bored cat is the best outcome for nail care.
I understand it is easier to have one person hold the cat while another person clips. However, do not hold the cat in a position they don’t like. It may be easier to cradle the cat or sit them on their butt in your lap with their legs stuck straight out, but this is counterproductive if the cat is annoyed or uncomfortable. It will start to associate a dislike between being held and the clippers. So, hold the cat in their favorite way, even if it means the person clipping has to contort into weird positions in order to gain access to the nails.
“I Could Just Burrito The Cat.”
Yes, you could. If your cat goes limp when burrito-ed, then I’m very happy for you. You have an easy life. However, if you have a cat that struggles and screams when burrito-ed, then this only causes stress for the cat and the human. Cats are easily stressed out, and too much stress is legitimately dangerous for their health.
If your cat is panting from stress, stop everything and let the cat calm down! That can be life threatening.
I realize what I’ve presented is time intensive and requires a lot of patience, but it will be for the benefit of everyone in the household. Clipping or cleaning the nails of a half asleep cat sitting by you on the couch will always be better than battling a needle burrito.
All Cats Are Different
This is a general guide. It’s important to remember that every cat is a weird lil dude in their own way. If your cat needs a happy hoodie in order to have their paws touched, use one. If your cat needs Beethoven's Fifth Symphony playing in order to have their paws cleaned, then make sure to turn the volume up. If your cat has an anxiety condition, what they will and won’t tolerate may change from day to day, and you’ll just have to work through that with them. If your cat gets old and cranky, what may have once been an easy task could turn into a boxing match.
Alas, we do not own cats because they are easy and consistent. We own cats because we enjoy having pet cryptids in our house. So, I hope this post has helped someone out there with their own cryptid.
