Marcus Fabrics
Posted in fabric on 01/08/2011 02:01 pm by admin| Account limit of 2000 requests per hour exceeded. |
Clipping an outdoor cat's claws?
Is it a bad idea?
I have an five year old tom name Marcus. His claws get stuck in everything fabric; sweaters, armchairs, etc. I was thinking about getting his claws clipped so they wouldn't get caught, but he spends about half his day outdoors - would it impair his climbing abilities? We have a few dogs in the neighborhood the get loose every once in a while and we even have a few coyotes.
By clipping, I mean removing the very tips. Just to clarify. 
Okay, thank you! 
Hi, clipping a cat's claws is a perfectly fine thing to do as long as he will let you. Most outdoor cats don't need this but either he doesn't do a lot of tree scratching or his claws grow extra fast. Get a pair of clippers from a pet store....the guillotine type (looks like a cigar cutter) are the best kind in my opinion. Depending on how amenable your kitty is you just stick a claw in and clip the clear curling part of the claw keeping away from the part that has any pink in it. I clip my kitties claws often so I don't have to worry about clipping too low. You can buy a styptic pencil or powder to stop any bleeding if you make a mistake but I have never had this problem...I'm just very careful. If your cat is a brat like one of mine it might be more difficult and you may need someone to help hold him. If he fights too much just try doing a couple of claws at a time and letting him go. I feel very strongly against declawing cats but clipping isn't any more painful than doing your own nails if you do it right. It is just strange for them which is why they will sometimes fight you. Getting rid of the tips so they don't get caught in everything won't change anything about his defense abilities or his climbing. He will still have a lot of claw left and knows what to do with them! Best of luck.