Teaching a cat

How often Should You Trim Your Cat's Claws

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How often Should You Trim Your Cat's Claws

Cutting your cat's claws is certainly not a simple process, but it is necessary if we don't want the cat to use our furniture or personal belongings as its scratching posts ending up in destroying them. Moreover, cutting your cat's claws also reduces the possibility that the cat may scratch us during play time, so we also contribute to our own safety. But a common question among cat owners is how often to trim the cat's claws. If you don't know how often it is necessary for you to cut your cat's claws read the following OneHowTo article because we're going to explain.

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Contents

  1. Accustom the cat to this procedure
  2. Aspects that influence cutting claws
  3. How often to cut your cat's claws
  4. Hints and Tips

Accustom the cat to this procedure

Some cat owners say that they find it impossible to cut their pet's claws because it doesn't like it. This is because the process hasn't become a habit that it has been used to since it was a kitten, so after some time the animal will resist.

The first three months of a cat's life are considered to be their socialization stage, so everything you teach them during those months can be learned easily. It is during this period that it is ideal to incorporate the habit of cutting claws, because if you do it after then, it is very likely that the animal will resist.

Aspects that influence cutting claws

There are some aspects that can determine how often you need to cut your cat's claws. Among them are:

  • If the animal has scratching posts to strengthen its claws and reduce the possibility of it scratching furniture or other surfaces.
  • If the cat is completely domestic or if it goes outside, walking over surfaces such as concrete.

If the animal is fully residential and also doesn't have a scratching post, you should cut its claws approximately once a week, so it is best to have some scratching posts in your home to reduce the frequency and calm the animal's need to mark their territory with its claws.

How often to cut your cat's claws

If the cat uses the scratching posts it has at home that reduce the length of their claws while they play, then you will need to cut their claws approximately every 15 days. The cat will already play with the scratching posts, so it is not that necessary to cut its claws so often. However, it is important to trim them from time to time to stop them from being too long and causing inconvenience, which may cause the animal to decide to scratch other surfaces to file them down.

If your cat has been used to this process since it was a kitten, it won't take more than a couple of minutes to do.

How often Should You Trim Your Cat's Claws - How often to cut your cat's claws

Hints and Tips

However, it is important to consider some recommendations for cutting your cat's claws so that it doesn't become a traumatic experience for you or the animal. Remember that you should always do it with special scissors, never trim its nails with the scissors we use.

To trim your cat's claws, hold your feline friend firmly but not too tight. If your cat feels trapped is going to try to escape, so you should hold it firmly but without pressing too much. If you get your cat used to it since it's a kitten it will be much easier to hold it when it grows.

If you want to read similar articles to How often Should You Trim Your Cat's Claws, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

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How often Should You Trim Your Cat's Claws