cat "pulls" at claws after nail trim

Just wondering if anyone else's cats do this? My female will spend several days (sometimes weeks) after a nail trim "pulling" at her claws with her teeth. Is she trying to sharpen them? She's got a scratching pad and a cat tree which she uses, as well as the back of our computer chair (not too crazy about that one!) It almost seems like a nervous tick. Sort of like saying "aw geez... just had these at the right dagger-like state I wanted them! Now I have to start all over again!!!" She doesn't fight the nail trim at all. I do her front legs myself, then get my husband to cradle her like a baby while I do the hind legs... lots of praise and a few treats, and off she goes.

My cat does that quite a bit too, he does it to clean his nails

Is it mainly the back claws she pulls at? I don't trim claws unless there's a problem with a broken or crooked claw. Generally, a cat will sharpen the front claws on a tree, etc., and trim the back claws with her teeth, i.e., pull off the outer sheath. I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

Actually, she seems to concentrate mostly on the front ones... If I look closely enough, I'm sure she concentrates on the middle claw while giving me a dirty look.

I've noticed with my cats is that when I trimmed claws, I'm splitting the old sheath (which probably would have been shed in another few days). She may be just cleaning up the old sheath or they just feel funny after they're trimmed and she is just cleaning them up.

What are you using to clip her nails? For example, if you are using a human nail trimmer this can cause damage to the cat's nail such as splitting and breaking the nail. This might explain why she is pulling at her nails afterwards.

If you are using the guillotine type scissors, make sure they are still good and sharp.

Good Luck

Shanynne
Extreme Kitty Lover

I'm using the standard cat nail clippers... they look like a small pair of scissors. I tried the guillotine nail clippers when I was just learning to groom (I do it professionally now) and really didn't like them. And the nail clippers I'm using now are a recent buy, so they should be sharp. I'm almost convinced she does it just to bug me sometimes. She'll settle in behind my head and start "picking" at her nails. As soon as I look at her, she takes off.