Overgrown cat claws

[TopCat]

I need advice and maybe sympathy (as the bite wounds in my hand hurt).

My cat is approx 19 and has overgrown claws. One in particular. Possibly growing back into the pad. I have tried to have a look. Got bit. Tried harder and clipped the end. Got badly bit.

This cat has been to the vet twice in his life. He doesn’t like vets. I have not seen evidence of one being able to handle him yet. He injured both vets one badly.

I know the local vets will see him and will give me a big bill. I can’t envision how they would trim his nails though. I guess I should ring them.

 

[Isambard]

There are those harness-y kind of things I've seen vets use for treating spicy cats.
Maybe an idea?

 

[Sasaferrato]

I need advice and maybe sympathy (as the bite wounds in my hand hurt).

My cat is approx 19 and has overgrown claws. One in particular. Possibly growing back into the pad. I have tried to have a look. Got bit. Tried harder and clipped the end. Got badly bit.

This cat has been to the vet twice in his life. He doesn’t like vets. I have not seen evidence of one being able to handle him yet. He injured both vets one badly.

I know the local vets will see him and will give me a big bill. I can’t envision how they would trim his nails though. I guess I should ring them.

They will sedate him.

Wrap the cat in a bath towel (with someone strong holding him firmly) with a leg 'out'. Trim claws. Repeat with other three limbs.

Good luck.

 

[TopCat]

They will sedate him.

Wrap the cat in a bath towel (with someone strong holding him firmly) with a leg 'out'. Trim claws. Repeat with other three limbs.

Good luck.

A bath towel won’t be big enough. I used a big sheet to wrap him up like a babushka about fourteen years ago to give him a pill. It didn’t go well. I got him wrapped up ok. The menacing growling was something else. He wouldn’t take the pill. He bit and scratched me afterwards. I needed first aid.

This may have to be done though. I can’t sedate him at his age.

I looked at the local vet website. They do MRI, ultrasound, keyhole surgery. No mention of cat claws.

 

[TopCat]

My youngest has found a cat groomer on the internet who brags they are the best. They look younger than Bobby Cat. I fear for them. £100 visiting service. I would feel better if they were from a Tory family.

 

[girasol]

I trim my cat's claws at. home, she doesn't mind at all. Have to do it once about every two weeks? Need to be very careful not to go too far, just the sharp top bit. Like human nails... Basically whenever she sits on my lap I'll inspect and trim whatever is sharp (front only, not back - I never tried the back legs)

I gently press paw open until the claws pop out. I stroke her and give her plenty of praise while doing it, she's absolutely fine. I think the secret is to be calm and gentle and wait until cat is on your lap voluntarily.


This is the clipper I use... DO NOT USE HUMAN NAIL SCISSORS, it's more trouble than it's worth. I tried . The clippers really do make a difference.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01I9KO9TU

p.s. the first few times of me clipping her nails were a bit tricky, but once we both got the hang of it it was fine. It takes a bit of time and patience but it's worth it. If you make it a stress free experience you'll be able to do it regularly, you might even enjoy it . (I keep the clipper within reach of out spot on the sofa so I don't need to get up to get it).

 

[StoneRoad]

Sass has the basic method, whoever does the holding will need to keep clear of the jaws. Probably not a good idea to cover the cat's face / head !
I quite like the cat-calming capsules / pheromone diffusers, they do help ...
Get a vet / vet nurse to show you a couple of tricks as to how to trim - speed and accuracy from practice make it look easy.

And TopCat - get those bites attended to.
From painful experience, cat bites are deep and often become infected ...

 

[Callie]

Can you allure him with tasty treats during the process? Try to get him used to you fussing/touching near/on his feet while placating with nice things?

Target the worse one first in case it's all too traumatic for you both

 

[girasol]

Like I said, it should not be a forced, traumatising experience for the cat. Nobody should have to hold the cat down and scare the bejesus out of it. I think that's really cruel for everyone involved. And it's really possible to be done peacefully, provided one follows the guidelines I gave above.

When I friend of mine told me she did it at home I was really sceptical, but she assured me it was doable and gave me the tips I'm now sharing here, there are also instructions on how to do it kindly all over YouTube/Internet.

And it's imperative not to cut too far, because obviously that will hit a nerve and hurt like hell, so yeah, the cat will freak the fuck out if that happens!

 

[two sheds]

It's going to hugely depend on the cat though isn't it?

 

[izz]

I take it it's rear claws that are giving grief TopCat ? For feisty felines this is a two person job, cat burrito can work but to be honest I doubt you'll be able to wrap it let alone clip it. I'd get an estimate from the vet, it'll be a vet nurse that does it.

Have had some good results by holding cat on my front such that the legs are sticking forward then leaning back to support weight and make cat wonder wtf I'm doing while helper clips rear nails but yours sounds a bit more of a challenge !!

On the other hand, well done for getting to 19 !

 

[Sasaferrato]

Sass has the basic method, whoever does the holding will need to keep clear of the jaws. Probably not a good idea to cover the cat's face / head !
I quite like the cat-calming capsules / pheromone diffusers, they do help ...
Get a vet / vet nurse to show you a couple of tricks as to how to trim - speed and accuracy from practice make it look easy.

And TopCat - get those bites attended to.
From painful experience, cat bites are deep and often become infected ...

Mary ended up in hospital for two days with severely infected cat bites.

 

[Chilli.s]

Cat bites are quite dangerous for infection, monitor any injuries closely, seek medical help if anything happens

 

[Callie]

Like I said, it should not be a forced, traumatising experience for the cat. Nobody should have to hold the cat down and scare the bejesus out of it. I think that's really cruel for everyone involved. And it's really possible to be done peacefully, provided one follows the guidelines I gave above.

Myself and TopCat welcome you to come and show us how it's done

Not all cats are the same though. I do not doubt that with some cars it's fine.

 

[girasol]

Myself and TopCat welcome you to come and show us how it's done

Not all cats are the same though. I do not doubt that with some cars it's fine.

Watch the video I shared - the main difference is I wait for her to come and sit on my lap instead of sitting with her between my legs. Just try and stay relaxed too, cats pick up on stress very easily.

I think the main game changer for me was getting the clipper (recommended by friend) because nail scissors are definitely not the tool for job, as I learned the hard way but also staying calm - not trying to do all the claws at once - so if she decides to go after a couple of claws being trimmed I don't force her to stay. I think every person/cat would probably find their own way of doing this? I do a have a feeling this would work for most cats, they can be trained to get used to it, from what I gathered after doing a little research.

Yes, cats are different but also they're not in many ways. I'd try this before spending tons of money getting someone else to do it, especially given the claws grow back very quickly, so it's a never ending task. Imagine having to pay someone to do this on a regular basis? I'd rather exhaust all the free options first!

Also my cat HATES getting in the cat box, HATES going to the vet, so I'm happy to do it at home, less stress for her & me. It's enough of a nightmare getting her to the vet once a year . Apparently there's also a way to make that process easier (cat in box) but I think I traumatised her with my shitty attempts before I got a chance to learn to do it right. Live and learn.

But, of course, if there's an ingrown nail definitely best to get a pro to deal with it!!! If the cat is in pain there's no way it'll let people touch a painful paw!

Here's another video

 

[TopCat]

Can you allure him with tasty treats during the process? Try to get him used to you fussing/touching near/on his feet while placating with nice things?

Target the worse one first in case it's all too traumatic for you both

I got to snip the grown in claw. It bled, I bled. Later when we had calmed down I got to pull out most of the grown in claw from the pad.
Cleaning up the pad and getting manky bits out will come later. Bobby Cat is throwing some looks about at the moment.

 

[TopCat]

Those videos made me chuckle. My cat needs to watch them. He is different from those cats. I love him.

 

[Thora]

I don't even think my cat is difficult, but firstly she has never in her life voluntarily sat on anyone's lap
And secondly the cat in the first video was happily held for over a minute before trying to get away??
Luckily I don't need to trim my cat's claws but if I did, from those videos it seems the first step would need to be sedatives

 

[Aladdin]

I think if the claws are very long you're better off going to a groomer. For the cat's sake.

 

[Callie]

The guy does say in the second vid if the cat won't sit like his example cat you need to watch the restraining vid they have... or get drugs from the vet to knock the cat out.

 

[two sheds]

When I went to get the dog's claws clipped (not going to do it myself my toes clench at the thought) was the only time I remember coming out of a vet's thinking 'well that didn't cost much". It was about £12 as I recall. Can you not suggest that to them for a quote and remark that cats are quite a bit smaller than many dogs.

 

[girasol]

Yeah, just to second that 19 year old cats is quite some innings! Got me thinking and reading... Our cat is only 12 years old, but already lost 7 teeth - extracted by vet - not covered by insurance because it's so common it's not worth it for them - so there goes £700 And that was about 3 years ago!

This is interesting These Are The Signs That Your Cat Will Probably Live a Long Life

Anyone with a cat in their life will know that they're probably going to stick around for a while, with the average lifespan of indoor house cats these days hitting an impressive 12 to 15 years.

This has increased dramatically over the past few decades, with the average cat living to just seven years in the early 1980s, and just over nine years in 1995.

 

[girasol]

I don't even think my cat is difficult, but firstly she has never in her life voluntarily sat on anyone's lap
And secondly the cat in the first video was happily held for over a minute before trying to get away??
Luckily I don't need to trim my cat's claws but if I did, from those videos it seems the first step would need to be sedatives

I have a grateful cat - We think she got dumped when she was around 4 months, then she started sneaking into our house, to eat our other cat's food. We took her in, chipped her and then it turns out she was pregnant with 7 kittens!!!! She follows me around a lot and sits on my lap every winter evening, not so much in summer... She's sitting right next to me as I type this. I had a white cat, many years ago, which I got from Battersea dogs & cats home, she also followed me around a lot and sat on my lap. So, maybe it's me? Cat whisperer?

 

[TopCat]

I got Bobby Cat from Battersea cat and dog home in 2006. He was at least a year old. It has always been tricky to handle him. I just can’t see how anyone else would succeed given he is not used to or tolerant of humans doing anything to his paws.

I’m hoping he will fill a bit of relief and we can distract him with strokes and have another go. Certainly the ingrown claw has come out of the pad as I cut through it.

I think it’s age and being less active. Hopefully he will go out as the weather improves and wear down his claws on stuff.

 

[TopCat]

I have a grateful cat - We think she got dumped when she was around 4 months, then she started sneaking into our house, to eat our other cat's food. We took her in, chipped her and then it turns out she was pregnant with 7 kittens!!!! She follows me around a lot and sits on my lap every winter evening, not so much in summer... She's sitting right next to me as I type this. I had a white cat, many years ago, which I got from Battersea dogs & cats home, she also followed me around a lot and sat on my lap. So, maybe it's me? Cat whisperer?

You took her in and gave her love and shelter when she was heavy with kittens? She is going to so love you for that.

 

[girasol]

You took her in and gave her love and shelter when she was heavy with kittens? She is going to so love you for that.

I didn't know she was pregnant, and even the vet missed it when we took her in to check if she was chipped etc. It was very early days, she was small as well, teenager like, not fully grown and very skinny. Must have gotten pregnant first heat!

Then she started to grow and grow and eat and eat and fart and fart. Never knew a cat could fart so much But yeah, she seemed quite wanting a home, once I invited her in she never left. Awww. Those were good times

 

[scifisam]

It sounds to me like getting the professionals in would be the best idea. You can really harm cats if you don't do it properly, as well as harming yourself.

Does your cat have no interest at all in scratching posts and the like? I'm lucky that my cat still goes outside a little and scratches on the concrete in the side return and on the fence, but she doesn't scratch furniture at all. She also loathes vets - it traumatises her horribly; she doesn't get violent but she curls into a ball, wees herself in terror and then hides barely eating or drinking for weeks. So she's behind on her jabs because I can't find a vet that will do vaccinations at home in East London and I genuinely think dragging her to the vet would kill her. She's fine with me trimming her claws - I've had to do it once, and she lets me bathe her if necessary without panicking at all; basically she trusts us and nobody else - (former feral cat). She is friendly with people who visit the flat but she very much knows who her people are and knows where she's safe.

For her I'd try cat scratching posts and mats (to make it easy for her back legs) before attempting trimming again. And at-home professionals would probably be OK for her. Being at home would make all the difference - might be the same with your cat.

 

[oryx]

I think it’s age and being less active. Hopefully he will go out as the weather improves and wear down his claws on stuff.

Our cat, who is supposed to be about 15 - 16, has had, er, 'claw issues' since he got older and goes out less. (He's a Celia Hammond cat so we don't know his age).

He had them clipped last week which was a relief as he was getting them caught on things. I'm glad our bedspread is a cheapo Amazon one as it's now a mass of loops.

I have been tempted to clip his claws but am really wary of cutting them too near the quick. I would have used ordinary scissors so glad I saw this thread!

 

[Callie]

It sounds to me like getting the professionals in would be the best idea. You can really harm cats if you don't do it properly, as well as harming yourself.

Does your cat have no interest at all in scratching posts and the like? I'm lucky that my cat still goes outside a little and scratches on the concrete in the side return and on the fence, but she doesn't scratch furniture at all. She also loathes vets - it traumatises her horribly; she doesn't get violent but she curls into a ball, wees herself in terror and then hides barely eating or drinking for weeks. So she's behind on her jabs because I can't find a vet that will do vaccinations at home in East London and I genuinely think dragging her to the vet would kill her. She's fine with me trimming her claws - I've had to do it once, and she lets me bathe her if necessary without panicking at all; basically she trusts us and nobody else - (former feral cat). She is friendly with people who visit the flat but she very much knows who her people are and knows where she's safe.

For her I'd try cat scratching posts and mats (to make it easy for her back legs) before attempting trimming again. And at-home professionals would probably be OK for her. Being at home would make all the difference - might be the same with your cat.

I think older cats go out less and do scratchy stuff less so you need to keep an eye on their claws where you wouldn't have had to before.

 

[scifisam]

I think older cats go out less and do scratchy stuff less so you need to keep an eye on their claws where you wouldn't have had to before.

Absolutely - but I think sometimes you can adapt with a different type of cat scratching place. Mine basically uses the front door mat for her back claws - don't think she'd manage anything more energetic. But sometimes it will come down to clipping, definitely.