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Not a cat owner, so actually curious: I have a friend cat who always scratches me, which is quite painful and leaves marks. Is there a way to trim the nails so

Not a cat owner, so actually curious: I have a friend cat who always scratches me, which is quite painful and leaves marks. Is there a way to trim the nails so this doesn't happen, or is the only solution to avoid the cat?

simcop2387 7y ago
Couple of solutions: 1) Trim the nails like you said, that's not always easy to do depending on the cat. 2) Encourage the cat to use scratching posts more, using treats and catnip 3) Softpaws or similar. https://www.softpaws.com/ https://www.softpaws.com/
robin_reala 7y ago
Sure, just clip their claws using nail clippers. You can see how far down the claw the nail bed goes, so just avoid that and take the point off. Having said that, unless you get them accustomed to the process as a kitten, you may end up suffering more than if you hadn’t attempted it in the first place.
- hanniabu 7y ago
  In case somebody without experience is reading this and wanting to try to cut the nails back, make sure you don't cut them back too far or you'll clip the vein inside and cause them to bleed and a lot of pain (imagine cutting your nail off halfway to the cuticle). If you cut the nails in a well lit room you can actually see the vein inside so you can avoid it. Alternatively you can also bring them to a groomer to have this done. It also helps of they have a scratching post, sonething rough and durable like those wound rope ones so they can "file" them down naturally in between clippings.
  - paulie_a 7y ago
    It might be an old wives tale but a dab of corn starch will help clot the bleeding. Best though to not cut too deep. Unrelated but I recently learned they use lasers for parrots to trim the claws while coterizing.
    - hanniabu 7y ago
      While that's nifty, I don't think it's very humane. It still hurts for the animal.
      - immutate 7y ago
        Nail clipping is humane. However, just like with human nails, if you clip too close to the quick (the blood vessel), which can happen for myriad reasons (accidentally, it's good to know Corn Starch can be used as a styptic in a pinch, and you can also purchase styptic powder. Ideally, if the blood vessel is cut you should get the wound looked at so it can be assessed and cleaned by a veterinarian.
AngryData 7y ago
There are plastic nubs you can place on their claw tips, however it is doubtful it would be successful if it wasn't started while they were kittens or very young.
bobbylarrybobby 7y ago
You can definitely trim the nails. They sell clippers for this purpose. When my cat’s claws are freshly trimmed, she can’t hurt me at all — I think it actually annoys her that I’m able to ignore her when she tries to get my attention.
bencoder 7y ago
There are nail clippers suitable for cats which help. Some cats will protest violently and make it extremely difficult to trim them though
throwaway5752 7y ago
People would be disappointed to know how frequently this directly or indirectly (owner surrender to shelter) leads to euthanasia. It's going to be a sad side effect of this otherwise well-meaning legislation.
- Buttons840 7y ago
  Yep. There are more cats than owners, one less owner for any reason means one more euthanized cat.
kbd 7y ago
Cats nails are naturally needle sharp, they can't help but hurt you if they catch. They actually grow out from underneath so as soon as new nail becomes exposed it's super sharp. Cats also have instinctual behaviors that involve sticking their claws in :) Vigilantly keeping your cats nails trimmed is part of being a responsible (indoor-only) cat parent.
aba_cz 7y ago
It's quite easy to do that when our cat is asleep. It usually doesn't wake her up when you rub her feet during that and she looks like she even enjoys it because of the rubbing.
threehams 7y ago
Intentional scratching is a behavioral issue. Sometimes you can solve it by giving the cat more playtime (real playtime, chasing / stalking a wand toy). Sometimes it's about not petting a cat certain ways. Sometimes it can just be solved by rewarding them with treats for not scratching you. Trimming helps but yeah, search for behavior fixes. Cats are different from us (and dogs) but they're usually not that complicated to figure out.
bayesian_horse 7y ago
Normally cats only scratch when you go after them in some way. If that is the case, just don't go after the cat. If the cat goes after you, that's a whole different ball game!
- bayesian_horse 7y ago
  I highly recommend "My Cat from Hell" on animal planet. It taught me tons of stuff about cat behavior and how to make the cat/guardian relationship work. Problems in cat behavior are conquerable, with the right strategies. It seems to be more about changing the environment with cats, rather than training, as it is with dogs.
- Lio 7y ago
  Yep, it's worth remembering that cats don't have opposable thumbs to grip with, they have claws instead. So for example if you go to pet a cat's stomach and it doesn't want you to its only recourse maybe to use it's claws to "grab" your hand. I think removing the ability to "grip" from cats for the sake of furniture or because you want to do things to the cat it doesn't like is wrong. If you don't like scratchy cats don't have a cat.
  - bayesian_horse 7y ago
    I think that inability to "grip" things is the least of the problems with declawing. Complications, pain, problems walking and the whole idea of removing body parts at all count a little higher for me. As an owner I think you can avoid getting scratched. As a vet... I personally have never been bitten (too little practical experience), but I've seen colleagues handle cats in a way that just spelled resignation to the fact that those teeth will connect and there is nothing to be done about it....
bredren 7y ago
There are cat nail clippers designed for this purpose. Done right the cat does not notice and you must do it or they will scratch you.
Retra 7y ago
The best solution is to avoid the cat. I've spend my whole life around cats and dogs, and getting scratched and bitten is pretty much a given -- it's instinctual hunt and play behavior. It's just life, if you ask me; it's painful and leaves marks, but that's just an irrelevant side effect of participation.
- nf05papsjfVbc 7y ago
  While getting scratched now and then is part of life for someone who raises cats, it is not normal to have one's cats scratch guests unless the guest has provoked the cat. It is not hard to teach them not to scratch and bite. It can still happen accidentally but it should never be a regular occurrence.
  - Lio 7y ago
    I guess it depends on the cat. I knew someone with a very territorial cat* that would run across the room to scratch/bite strangers ...or people it knew well. Walking past it? Expect a full claw swipe at the back of your legs. The solution is to just put the cat outside or in another room for a bit not to mutilate it, IMHO. *(What's funny to me is that I helped them choose the cat when it was a kitten because it was "a licker". I didn't realise at the time it was just making notes on us all to see how we tasted.)
rurban 7y ago
It's very simple once you know the trick. I got the trick by watching an experienced nail clipper in a shop, who did it for $5. Needs a few seconds only. I trim them regularily to save the young birds on our trees, because with trimmed nails our cat cannot climb the tree anymore that well.
mathw 7y ago
Trimming the sharp end of the claw is possible, but very temporary because the claw sheds its outer layer periodically to expose a new sharp one underneath (this is one of the reasons cats scratch - it pulls off the old ones when they're ready to go and thus keeps their claws nice and sharp). For habitual scratchers it's possible to reduce it with training and familiarisation of both cat and human. But since this isn't your cat, you might find trying to avoid interaction when you're visiting your friend is the quickest way to less bleeding. Does the cat scratch your friend as well? If not then you can probably build a better relationship with the cat with some effort and patience (and a few more scratches). Cats generally respond well to humans meeting them on their terms, but that takes some understanding of cat behaviour and psychology. Doesn't mean they'll necessarily be interested, but you can at least increase your chances of avoiding a scratch.

simcop2387 7y ago

Couple of solutions: 1) Trim the nails like you said, that's not always easy to do depending on the cat. 2) Encourage the cat to use scratching posts more, using treats and catnip 3) Softpaws or similar. https://www.softpaws.com/ https://www.softpaws.com/

robin_reala 7y ago

Sure, just clip their claws using nail clippers. You can see how far down the claw the nail bed goes, so just avoid that and take the point off. Having said that, unless you get them accustomed to the process as a kitten, you may end up suffering more than if you hadn’t attempted it in the first place.

hanniabu 7y ago
In case somebody without experience is reading this and wanting to try to cut the nails back, make sure you don't cut them back too far or you'll clip the vein inside and cause them to bleed and a lot of pain (imagine cutting your nail off halfway to the cuticle). If you cut the nails in a well lit room you can actually see the vein inside so you can avoid it. Alternatively you can also bring them to a groomer to have this done. It also helps of they have a scratching post, sonething rough and durable like those wound rope ones so they can "file" them down naturally in between clippings.
- paulie_a 7y ago
  It might be an old wives tale but a dab of corn starch will help clot the bleeding. Best though to not cut too deep. Unrelated but I recently learned they use lasers for parrots to trim the claws while coterizing.
  - hanniabu 7y ago
    While that's nifty, I don't think it's very humane. It still hurts for the animal.
    - immutate 7y ago
      Nail clipping is humane. However, just like with human nails, if you clip too close to the quick (the blood vessel), which can happen for myriad reasons (accidentally, it's good to know Corn Starch can be used as a styptic in a pinch, and you can also purchase styptic powder. Ideally, if the blood vessel is cut you should get the wound looked at so it can be assessed and cleaned by a veterinarian.

AngryData 7y ago

There are plastic nubs you can place on their claw tips, however it is doubtful it would be successful if it wasn't started while they were kittens or very young.

bobbylarrybobby 7y ago

You can definitely trim the nails. They sell clippers for this purpose. When my cat’s claws are freshly trimmed, she can’t hurt me at all — I think it actually annoys her that I’m able to ignore her when she tries to get my attention.

bencoder 7y ago

There are nail clippers suitable for cats which help. Some cats will protest violently and make it extremely difficult to trim them though

throwaway5752 7y ago

People would be disappointed to know how frequently this directly or indirectly (owner surrender to shelter) leads to euthanasia. It's going to be a sad side effect of this otherwise well-meaning legislation.

Buttons840 7y ago
Yep. There are more cats than owners, one less owner for any reason means one more euthanized cat.

kbd 7y ago

Cats nails are naturally needle sharp, they can't help but hurt you if they catch. They actually grow out from underneath so as soon as new nail becomes exposed it's super sharp. Cats also have instinctual behaviors that involve sticking their claws in :) Vigilantly keeping your cats nails trimmed is part of being a responsible (indoor-only) cat parent.

aba_cz 7y ago

It's quite easy to do that when our cat is asleep. It usually doesn't wake her up when you rub her feet during that and she looks like she even enjoys it because of the rubbing.

threehams 7y ago

Intentional scratching is a behavioral issue. Sometimes you can solve it by giving the cat more playtime (real playtime, chasing / stalking a wand toy). Sometimes it's about not petting a cat certain ways. Sometimes it can just be solved by rewarding them with treats for not scratching you. Trimming helps but yeah, search for behavior fixes. Cats are different from us (and dogs) but they're usually not that complicated to figure out.

bayesian_horse 7y ago

Normally cats only scratch when you go after them in some way. If that is the case, just don't go after the cat. If the cat goes after you, that's a whole different ball game!

bayesian_horse 7y ago
I highly recommend "My Cat from Hell" on animal planet. It taught me tons of stuff about cat behavior and how to make the cat/guardian relationship work. Problems in cat behavior are conquerable, with the right strategies. It seems to be more about changing the environment with cats, rather than training, as it is with dogs.
Lio 7y ago
Yep, it's worth remembering that cats don't have opposable thumbs to grip with, they have claws instead. So for example if you go to pet a cat's stomach and it doesn't want you to its only recourse maybe to use it's claws to "grab" your hand. I think removing the ability to "grip" from cats for the sake of furniture or because you want to do things to the cat it doesn't like is wrong. If you don't like scratchy cats don't have a cat.
- bayesian_horse 7y ago
  I think that inability to "grip" things is the least of the problems with declawing. Complications, pain, problems walking and the whole idea of removing body parts at all count a little higher for me. As an owner I think you can avoid getting scratched. As a vet... I personally have never been bitten (too little practical experience), but I've seen colleagues handle cats in a way that just spelled resignation to the fact that those teeth will connect and there is nothing to be done about it....

bredren 7y ago

There are cat nail clippers designed for this purpose. Done right the cat does not notice and you must do it or they will scratch you.

Retra 7y ago

The best solution is to avoid the cat. I've spend my whole life around cats and dogs, and getting scratched and bitten is pretty much a given -- it's instinctual hunt and play behavior. It's just life, if you ask me; it's painful and leaves marks, but that's just an irrelevant side effect of participation.

nf05papsjfVbc 7y ago
While getting scratched now and then is part of life for someone who raises cats, it is not normal to have one's cats scratch guests unless the guest has provoked the cat. It is not hard to teach them not to scratch and bite. It can still happen accidentally but it should never be a regular occurrence.
- Lio 7y ago
  I guess it depends on the cat. I knew someone with a very territorial cat* that would run across the room to scratch/bite strangers ...or people it knew well. Walking past it? Expect a full claw swipe at the back of your legs. The solution is to just put the cat outside or in another room for a bit not to mutilate it, IMHO. *(What's funny to me is that I helped them choose the cat when it was a kitten because it was "a licker". I didn't realise at the time it was just making notes on us all to see how we tasted.)

rurban 7y ago

It's very simple once you know the trick. I got the trick by watching an experienced nail clipper in a shop, who did it for $5. Needs a few seconds only. I trim them regularily to save the young birds on our trees, because with trimmed nails our cat cannot climb the tree anymore that well.

mathw 7y ago

Trimming the sharp end of the claw is possible, but very temporary because the claw sheds its outer layer periodically to expose a new sharp one underneath (this is one of the reasons cats scratch - it pulls off the old ones when they're ready to go and thus keeps their claws nice and sharp). For habitual scratchers it's possible to reduce it with training and familiarisation of both cat and human. But since this isn't your cat, you might find trying to avoid interaction when you're visiting your friend is the quickest way to less bleeding. Does the cat scratch your friend as well? If not then you can probably build a better relationship with the cat with some effort and patience (and a few more scratches). Cats generally respond well to humans meeting them on their terms, but that takes some understanding of cat behaviour and psychology. Doesn't mean they'll necessarily be interested, but you can at least increase your chances of avoiding a scratch.