How to Care for Your Cat’s Nails

Cats are exceptional cleaners and take very good care of their own hygiene. That being said, they sometimes need a bit of help.

Even the cleanest cat may need the occasional assistance from their caretaker – especially if they’re having trouble with dirty or overly long nails. You will want to always keep an eye on your cat’s nails to make sure that they are clean, healthy, and well-trimmed.

Here are some ways that you can care for your cat’s nails, keeping them the right length and clean.

Trim Them Regularly

To keep your cat’s nails nice and tidy, you should create a trimming routine to help them get used to the habit.

Trimming your cat’s claws will help them to stay cleaner and make it less likely that they will scratch you or other items. It will also help them to shed the nail skin more naturally as well as reduce the amount of litter that dirty their nails.

Cat’s nails generally need to be trimmed every week and a half to every two weeks. This is a good trimming schedule to follow that will get your cat used to the habit.

Always use high-quality nail clippers that are sharp, otherwise, you risk splitting the nail. You will also want to cut within a good distance of the quick for safety reasons. Study the nail carefully until you are confident enough to trim them.

Buy Scratch Posts

Scratch posts are something that every cat caretaker should have for their cat. Not only does it stop them from destroying your prized positions, but it also helps to keep their claws in check.

A good scratch post will help to dull your cat’s claws so that they are not so sharp and are less likely to snag on things. This will also help them to not scratch as much and will encourage the natural shedding of the nail’s outer skin.

Scratching on a scratch post will also help to dislodge any dirt or litter that might have gotten stuck to their nails. Making it less likely that they will be consuming that grime as they clean their paws.

Use High-Quality Litter

One of the biggest issues that you will find with dirty paws and claws is litter. Your cat stomps around in their litter at least a few times a day, this can result in it sticking to their paws and nails.

Not only is this disgusting, but it is also unhygienic and not good for them. They will try to clean this up themselves by biting and licking the litter, something that isn’t very good for them.

To avoid this issue, try to buy brands of litter that specifically market not being tracked by your cat’s paws. You can also avoid litters that create dust as this clings to their nails, as well as lighter litter as it is more easily attached to their feet and gets clumped up there.

Get a Litter Mat

Getting a litter mat goes hand-in-hand with buying the best kind of litter to reduce nail buildup. It will also encourage any clinging litter to fall off as they walk across the mat.

For indoor cats, the biggest amount of grime that they will come into contact with will be their litter. That is why you will want to try to reduce as much litter as possible that could become built up in their claws.

A litter mat will be porous and will help to sag and trap any remaining clumps of the litter as they walk out of their litter box. This will also help to cut back on litter tracking throughout your house.

Use a Pumice Stone

If you are scared to clip your cat’s nails or do not feel that they need it, you can use a pumice stone instead. This is an easy and safe way of lightly dulling your cat’s claws without the forcefulness of clipping.

Gently rubbing a fresh pumice stone over the tips of their nails can dull them down and keep them trim. This can help with scratching and snagging as their claws will be less sharp and easy to catch on to things.

Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cat

Cat declawing is a surgical procedure that involves cutting off a part of each toe where the nail and nail bed are located. This prevents the nail from ever growing back. It is extremely painful and will leave your cat in pain and very helpless for days afterward. It will also affect their trust in you, and many declawed cats have a strong fear or hatred of having their paws touched.

This is a cruel procedure that is right up there with ear trimming, tail cutting, and debarking. Many places have started to ban the practice as a result of the cruelty that it involves.

This is not a necessary procedure and should never be considered for your pet. There are so many better ways of keeping your cat’s nails under control.

Related Articles:

• Victory! Nova Scotia Bans Declawing Cats
• There Are Lots of Ways to Care for Feral Cats, But Bringing Them Home May Not be One of Them
• Victory! British Columbia Has Banned Cat Declawing
• Want to Help Homeless Cats and Dogs in Animal Shelters? 5 Simple Ways to Get Started

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