When to start trimming?

[izzybees]

I know my kitten is still too small at the moment, but it'd be nice to know at what age I should start to introduce her to nail trimming?

 

[orientalslave]

Personally I've never felt the need to routinely trim my cats claws.  I do trim the front claws for a show, I only take the sharp tip off, and they fettle in back in a day or so.

 

[GoldyCat]

I started trimming just the tips of my kittens' claws when they were about 2-3 weeks old, as soon as they started walking (wobbling) around on their own. It was summer and my legs were shredded from kittens trying to use me as a climbing tree.

I think they were maybe 3-4 months old before I started clipping the claws a little further back. I wouldn't try to take too much off unless you can see where the quick starts.

 

[missymotus]

I do my litters from around 4 weeks, so by the time they go to their homes at 12 weeks they are used to having it done. 

 

[minka]

I agree, as soon as possible is better because the easier it will be to get her used to it.

 

[orientalslave]

Can someone explain to me why claws need trimming as a matter of course?

Of course in old cats which are not maintaining them they need help, and I trim for showing, but every cat?  As a regular thing?

 

[izzybees]

Thanks for the help.

 

[izzybees]

Well that was easier that what I expected. Especially since I had my daughter climbing on me at one point.
I think she even started to doze while I was handling her paws.

 

[tx_kat]

Can someone explain to me why claws need trimming as a matter of course?

Of course in old cats which are not maintaining them they need help, and I trim for showing, but every cat?  As a regular thing?

When I was a kid, my mom would trim our cat's claws to reduce the damage done while scratching since we didn't have a designated scratching post. 

If I could get our two oldest cats to sit still for it, I would trim their back claws because they are so long that they "click" whenever they walk on the hardwood floors.

 

[qatz]

OrientalSlave - I trim my cat's claws because she catches her front claws on all sorts of things then

panics.  Her back claws are a bit strange in they poke straight out like daggers and don't seem to retract

very well, so I trim them to keep them from poking me when I carry her.

IzzyBees - even if you don't start trimming a kitten's claws right away, I think it's a good idea

to just gently handle their feet so they get used to people holding and fussing with their paws.

 

[izzybees]

Well my daughter is contantly handling her paws and tail (not being rough, just lightly grasping), and I'm constantly looking at her paw pads since all the cats I've ever known only had solid colored pads (even the calicos) and hers aren't and I just cant help it! :3
So she's pretty used to it.

 

[orientalslave]

"claws get caught".  Doesn't seem to have been a problem for any of my cats.  I wonder if keeping them trimmed from early means they don't learn how to unhook themselves.

"claws click on wood floor".  Does it bother the cat?

"claws poke me".  Suspect that again it doesn't bother the cat, but some people have skin issues.  suspect if I had a cat with claws like that I'd change the way I carry them - and I almost never carry my cats.  They don't like it.  They do come for long cuddles sometimes and if a claw is digging in I gently move the paw.

 

[izzybees]

There's a cat around here who has what my boyfriend calls tallons. Very rough with the affection and not the brightest cat in the park (tried jumping through a closed window with curtains drawn on a few occasions and once it was inside when it did this)...