To trim or not to trim indoor/outdoor cat

[AnnaH]

Hello,


Is it necessary to trim my indoor/outdoor cat’s nails? They are very long and sharp. Not too long, just long and strong. Maybe just the tiny tips? Thank you!

@Dr. Jeff @Dr. Christina @Dr. Jean Hofve

 

[Dr. Christina]

Even cat's mobility can be affected by long nails. In the wild they keep them short. Do listen to Dr. Shoemaker's talk (though mostly for dogs). To connect with any information on the site, go to Resources - Library - then type in the search bar.

Also, it is great to train your cat to love being handled - open mouth, rub teeth, clean ears, roll on back to look at belly, trim nails, feel all over.

Dr. Christina

 

[arunatest]

Hmm, my cats are indoor/ outdoor and I never trim their nails-- they scratch trees and such outside (isn't that what they do in the wild, Dr.Christina?) I agree regarding handling, especially if they will need trimming at the old age so they feel comfortable with it, but I'm very curious to learn more about that since cats retract claws when they walk, not sure how that could affect their mobility (compared to dogs)

 

[Dr. Christina]

I will ask Dr. Shoemaker and Gellman - experts in this area.
Dr. C

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Anna!

Is it necessary to trim my indoor/outdoor cat’s nails? They are very long and sharp

Great question. You may have answered it yourself. I've lived with many cats over the years (all indoors) and did not need to do much with their nails.

Until, as Aruna said, they got older and were not retracting them so well.

However, our kitty Aviva is only ~3 years young and uses many scratching posts yet still has super sharp and long nails. She gets them cut every few months (she's pretty wild and won't let us "tip" her nails).

Ideally I'd be cutting the tips every week.

Yes, You Can Train Cats! Train Cat Nail Trims with Patience for Cats

Professional cat behavior consultant Patience Fisher explains how to train your cat to allow nail trims using positive reinforcement training.

patienceforcats.com