To clip or not to clip?

Hi,
Is it absolutely necessary to clip my kitty's claws? She does a great job using her scratching post, and doesn't have furniture problems at all... She is also VERY mellow and has never scratched me or anybody else; not even the vet on those most inappropriate moments .
So, do I need to clip her nails, or not?

I would still cut them.
Coco once got her claws stuck in the scratching post.

Rosie shows me her tortitude if i so much as go near her with the clippers so i don't bother. She pulls the sheaths off no problem on their scratching posts

Sophie has started letting me clip hers, but whines while i do it, so i do it quickly

Jack has been getting his claws clipped from being a kitten, because he was the worst one for getting his claws caught either in my skin or on the sofa

I never clip my cats claws. He doesn't scratch us and his scratch post is used often. We don't have any issues with his claws so until we do I am not going to clip his claws. I don't see the need if your cat is not scratching all over your house or scratching you. A good scratch tree is enough for your cat to do it on its own especially if you have no issues with your cats claws. If your happy and so is your cat then it is fine not to do them.

I didn't think a scratch post was to dull the nails--I thought it actually sharpened?

I hear the boys sticking to the carpet when their nails get long and I definitely don't want an injury from them getting their nails stuck in something they shouldn't.

We clip.

Leslie

I have two cats and I clip often because they bat at each other occasionally (playing), and I'm afraid they'll accidentally scratch each other's eyes.

Outdoor cats seem to wear their claws down naturally.

When I had only one indoor cat I also clipped her claws, because they seemed to just keep getting longer and longer and, as jack31 said, they were catching in the carpet when she walked.

I do clip for several reasons. Even if they use a post or go outside and scratch on trees, the nails end up ragged at the ends. Sometimes they end up uneven, with some claws short, others too long. Clipping gives them smooth blunt, clean edges. If you don't clip and they don't scratch enough, the nail can become long and curve around and grow into the paw pad. This happened with one of my kitties once and it got infected and he had to be on antibiotics.

I clip. My cat plays with other animals and I don't want her snagging anything on accident, like the rugs, on the bed, the couch, stuff like that. Less chance for her to get hurt, or anyone else, with short well groomed nails the way I see it

I clip Blossom's claws very little. The only time I attempt it is when she's very sleepy & I can get to her front paws.

I cannot STAND those sharp nail tips - mine get clipped every week (or at least checked and clipped as needed).

I'm paranoid - had a 2 month old Russian Blue kitten almost lose his sight because of kittens playing and swatting at each other. After that, my kittens get their nails done starting at about 4-5 weeks old!

Start the kitten young and the kitty should get used to it.

I've always clipped our cats' nails to prevent accidental snagging on our furniture/carpet/skin. But if you don't feel your cat's nails need to be clipped, that's fine - some cats do a great job maintaining their nails and don't damage things with them or get snagged. But ideally you should still try to get her used to having her paws and nails handled to examine them to make sure they aren't overgrowing, and so when she gets old and less able to maintain her nails herself you will be able to clip them to help her out with that. Most senior cats need to have their nails clipped so they won't overgrow and curl around into the paw as they become less active. If they're already used to having their paws handled, it isn't such a struggle to teach them to tolerate it when they're older.

This post I wrote a few months back should be enough reason to clip your cats claws, just for everyone's safety. Whether your cat is a scratcher or not, this could happen to anyone.