Taking Good Care of Your Kitten's Feet & Nails

As kittens grow they discover all their fighting tools, including their nails. They also discover how much fun it is to swing from curtains and hang from furniture. But what they really need to discover is how to accept you cutting their nails so you can prevent the destruction of your home and flesh.

Kittens normally have their claws retracted so they have some control over whether they are scratching or not. But don't count on training your kitten to keep his claws retracted. You'll have better luck clipping his nails every week or so.

Accustom your kitten to lying on his back in your lap, facing you. You can start when he's drowsy, and maybe give him some treats for remaining still for increasingly longer periods. Practice holding each paw in your hand, again giving him a treat for being cooperative. Then gently press on the tops of each toe until the claw is exposed. Again, give treats for being good.

Finally, after several days (at least) of such practice, it's time to clip his first nail. For a kitten you can use human fingernail clippers or small nail trimmers made for cats or dogs. Just make sure they're sharp, as dull clippers can crush the nail, which is painful. For now, just cut off the very tip of each nail. Avoid the pinkish quick you can see within the nail. The quick contains both blood and nerve supplies to the nail, so be prepared for bleeding and vehement protesting if you cut it. But don't panic. Stop the bleeding with some styptic powder, and if you don't have that use flour or a wet tea bag. And stop the protesting with apologies and treats and promises not to slip up again!

Give a treat after each nail, and don't feel you have to cut them all this first time. It's better to stop before your cat starts struggling than to push things to that point. Instead, give him a break and do a few more nails later. Just remember which ones you've already done!

Cats have five toes (and five claws) per front foot and four toes (and four claws) per back foot. The fifth toe on the front feet is actually up on the wrist, so don't overlook it.

A note on declawing: Declawing is a personal decision but is usually not generally recommended except under unusual circumstances. The safety of a cat without claws can be severely compromised should he get out of the house. Discuss your options with your veterinarian to determine what's best for your cat.