Clipping kitties nails OUCH!

hi,

i am trying to find a method of clipping kitties nails.

i CAN'T use the cross blade clippers that are rounded off on one end, apparently to keep from clipping the kitty instead of the nail

the kitties nails are too close to her body and this actually hurts her- so she is afraid of the clippers and freaks out if she sees them

can you use regular nail clppers? or toe nail scissors?
(i don't mean the nail clippers that look like a pair of wire cutters!)

i sure could use some suggestions! her nails are really long, and at her age (15 1/2 yrs old) she doesn't use the scratching post as much as before.

thanks!
=^^=

Be sure not to cut them too short! This causes alot of pain. The cross blade clippers may have become dull and are crushing the nail instead of clipping it. This could cause the nail to split to the quick. Best of luck in your search.

THANKS DRAGON LADY AND VIKKI!!

i think i will try the nail clippers i have, i know they are sharp
if that goes well, that is what i will stick with

if not, i will look into the kitty nail scissors- someone on anther site sent me a link with more info on them

i think i would have more control of nail clippers than scissors so i am gonna got with that to start at least

wish me luck!
oh, what do you do if you slit a nail?
stupid me, i actually tried wire clippers (*blush) and didn't even think that after cutting plenty of wire, they'd likely be dull
i did cut on the side as that very accurate illustration shows (thanks)
but i guess because the blade was dull, it split the nail.
she didn't yelp and does not seem at all distrubed by it
she did actually use the scratching post today.
i haven't had a chance to check out the nail since- well i did try earlier, but what i saw looked so normal, i think i was looking at the wrong nail....
*shrug*

thanks for the quick and helpful replies, you 'cats' are the best!

I have a question? If the cat's claws are so close to her pads why do you want to clip them? A better bet is to get her a scratching post made of wood that is tall and sturdy where she can wear down her own claws by using it. A soft carpeted scratching post does not usually hold a cat's interest long. At her senior age, she is still going to want to use a post as it stretches their back.

um, i am not sure i have described her nails accurately

the nails are so long, that they curl back toward her body

<this is not my cat, BTW, i am taking care of her for my sister, who has the clippers that this kitty is so afraid of)

anyway, imagine an almost closed up circle of nail- the clippers have a large metal safety "peice"- i don't know what its called, so that in order to get the clippers around the nail, that safety pc presses on her flesh, and she doesn't like that, so she pulls away before the nail can even be cut

something like scissors or even regular nail clippers would be better, i think

i just don't know what to do, if you end up splitting a nail?

the nail i trimmed (poorly) was split but not too far up.

i am sure i will not cut the quick, its not that- its what if the nail splits, do you try to file down the edges?

she did spend a lot of time on the cat post later today- it is both carpet and sisal and when she uses it, she demolishes it. my kitty doesn't scratch like that, she is a lot more gentle
. it was my sister (the kitties owner) who told me she doesn't scratch much anymore and that was why her nails got so long. i can't watch the cats every minute so it is hard to say if she scratches as much as my kitty does.*shrug*

i don't need to trim my cats nails, even with the relatively feeble scratching she does, she seems to have it under control

i have to admit this is one part of kitty care that i am not very familiar with
i didn't even know this was something you're supposed to do
my last cat chewed her nails off!
i thought that was normal!

thanks for all your ideas, i am learning a lot!
<and boy do i need to!>

I usually put styptic (sp?) powder or peroxide on it to stop any bleeding. You might want to ask a vet what you can do to soften the nail as they are growing too fast and not shedding the outer sheath as they are supposed to. I'm glad she is using the scratching post now. This will get rid of the jagged edges from a bad clip. It could just be the old layers that have split and if there is no bleeding you should have no worries. I'm glad you are taking care of this problem as overgrown nails can catch in carpet and be pulled out. It is very painful for the kitty and the nail never will grow back correctly.
Good job babysitting! Most poeple would just ignore it.

Hmm, I've trimmed most cats claws with regular nail clippers. It wasn't until I adopted a dog that I got the real 'designated' nail trimmers.
I think human nail clippers work great, even on big cats claws. Just make sure you keep them clean and sharp.

I don't know what any of you are talking about, I have never cut the quick on a cat, (dont ask me how) but I've done it tooo many times to ferrets and dogs, poor critters!

Keep the septic powder handy.

Have you thought about a wooden scataching post, or cardboard one in addition to a fabric post?

I was using a regular nail clippers but they have a tendency to split the nails. I found a nice little pair of special blade scizzors for clipping cats claws at Petsmart and the blades are so nice and sharp that there are no more splits in their nails when I clip them. If they haven't been taken care of tho to the point that they are growing back toward the paw, I'd definitely have a groomer take care of them and get them back into normal shape first.

I had the same problem with regular nail clippers, my kitties nails were splitting! The really hate the whole thing, and since they have a 6 foot scratching post and never scratch the furniture I just stopped. I do look at their nails and they are fine, I would clip them if they started growing too long, but I haven't touched Spidey's nails in a bout a year. I've had Poppy for about 4 years and I've never once touched her nails.