my new baby can't seem to retract claws...

[wispyrustle]

Hi all, I'm new here and trying to figure out my new kitten

...
He's only 9 weeks old, but I'm not sure if he should know how to retract nails yet...? Is there some way that I need to teach him or will he figure it out on his own? Also, I really need to start working with him so he'll let me trim them, his hind paws have claws quite long!

TIA!

 

[strange_wings]

Kittens can't retract their claws very well, plus they don't really seem to know they should. You'll have a few weeks of that. And yes, do work on trimming. Right now is perfect since your kitten is likely to snag those claws in things.

 

[stephanietx]

Yeah, they're a bit uncoordinated and have a hard time figuring it all out at this age. They'll eventually learn, but until then, work on keeping the nails trimmed and it should help.

 

[kailie]

Yep, nail trimming helps very much. I am covered in little kitten scratches thanks to my fosters.

Absolutely normal kitten behavior and yes, as your baby grows, he will learn to keep him claws retracted.

 

[elayman]

Originally Posted by wispyrustle

Hi all, I'm new here and trying to figure out my new kitten

...
He's only 9 weeks old, but I'm not sure if he should know how to retract nails yet...? Is there some way that I need to teach him or will he figure it out on his own? Also, I really need to start working with him so he'll let me trim them, his hind paws have claws quite long!

TIA!

It will happen naturally, but takes a few months. His paws will grow as he does and eventually cover the claws to the point they will be big enough to have room to retract.

 

[wispyrustle]

Good to know that the claws have to grow more, I couldn't even see how he could retract those nails! I'm working on the nail trimming, I have to wait for the perfect moment and have treats on hand, it sure is a delicate process