Should I cut my cat’s nails

We regularly trim the nails of our dog.   Our cat claws the furniture and makes a dreadful mess, can we cut his nails too?  

We’re often asked this, mostly because cats like to sharpen their claws and it does a lot of damage.  If your cat doesn’t attack the sofa it isn’t usually necessary to trim the nails – cats can be trained not to scratch the furniture.   Give them a sisal mat or a proper scratching post – even a log by the bark door will often be liked.

It’s a good idea to examine your cat’s paws from time to time and then you can decide whether to trim the nails.  At the same time check for splinters and sore places in between the toes.   If you persuade your cat to lie on his side it will be the easiest way to do the examination.   A light pressure on the front of the paw makes the claws protrude.

If you think they are excessively long you can trim a little bit from the tip – use a pair of nail trimmers.   Be careful you don’t cut the pink ‘quick’ in the centre of the nail – this would be very painful and bleed a lot.

If your cat has access to outdoors it would be best to leave the claws as they are – nice and sharp.  Cats use them to climb and also to defend themselves from predators.   If their claws are blunt they might not be able to get out of reach up a tree.  If a hungry fox is hot on their heels they might be prey rather than be a smug high-climber.