by Angela Rednour

Created on: February 17, 2009

Cutting the claws of your cat may seem like a scary task, but not cutting them can result in your cat getting stuck on the carpet, or in your skin. If you have indoor cats, cutting their claws is a must. If you let them go, they will curl under and dig into their paws. There is the option of taking the cat to the groomers to have them cut, but that can be a stressful situation for everyone involved.

Cutting kitty's claws is actually very simple. The first step is to know what kind of claws your cat has. They will either have clear, white nails, or black ones. If you're cat has black nails, you won't be able to see where the quick is. This just means you'll have to be a bit more careful when cutting them.

The next step is to have the right tool. It may seem logical to use a pair of finger nail clippers on your cat; they work for us, why not for them, right? Wrong, a cats claws are round in shape, whereas ours are flat. So when you use human clippers on cats, it actually splits the nail. You can get away with taking off just the sharp tip with fingernail clippers, but you'll have to cut them more often. The best tool to use is a pair of cat clippers. You can buy these at any pet store and they aren't very expensive.

When you begin trimming kitty's nails, the quick will be very near the tip. This is true if you are starting out with either kittens, or older cats that have rarely had their claws clipped. If you are regular in the maintenance of their nails, the quick will begin to recede. This means you can cut off more of the nail, which means you won't need to cut them as often.

Now that we know what kind of nails our kitty has, and the right tool to use, we can get to the actual cutting process. The best way to hold your cat is to support them on their back, in a sitting position, cradled in one arm and pressed tightly to your side. Be aware that most cats don't like being in this position and will wiggle and squirm to be right side up again. Also watch those back feet, if you're going to get scratched those are the feet that will do it.

If the cat is moving around a lot you may need to get them used to being in that position before attempting to cut the nails. Once they are relatively still, take the front paw that is closest to you. Hold it so your thumb is on top of the paw. Press on the pad lightly till the claws are unsheathed.

Starting on the nail that is closest to your torso, look for the pink colored quick. If you have a cat with dark nails, its best just

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