At What Age Can You Clip A Kittens Nails

Trimming Kitten Claws

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Getting your kitten comfortable with having his paws handled can help forbid claw-trimming drama as he gets older.

Equally kittens grow, they discover all their fighting tools, including their nails. They also notice how much fun it is to climb furniture and bat at toys. Only what they actually need to detect is how to accept you cutting their nails so yous can help protect them from the pain of overgrown nails and prevent damage to your article of furniture and flesh.

Kittens normally take their claws retracted and so they have some command over whether they are scratching. Only don't count on training your kitten to continue his claws retracted — you'll accept better luck clipping his nails every few weeks.

Accustom your kitten to lying on his dorsum in your lap facing you or in some other position that is comfy and calming for him. You can start when he's sleepy and give him some treats for remaining still for increasingly longer periods. Practice holding each hand in your manus, rewarding him for being cooperative. And then gently press on the tops of each toe until the hook is exposed. Once again, requite him treats for beingness good.

Finally, after several days (at least) of such exercise, it'due south time to clip his first nail. For a kitten, you can apply human fingernail clippers or pocket-size nail trimmers made for pets. Just make sure they're sharp, equally wearisome clippers can beat out the blast, which may be painful. For now, just cut off the very tip of each nail. Avoid the pinkish quick you can see within the smash. The quick contains both claret and nervus supplies to the nail, so exist prepared for a bit of bleeding and protesting if y'all cut information technology. But don't panic. Stop the haemorrhage with some styptic pulverization, and if you don't have that, you tin can use flour or cornstarch. Make certain to apologize with treats and promises non to slip upward again!

Requite a treat later each nail and don't feel you take to cut them all this outset time. Information technology'due south amend to stop before your kitten starts struggling than to push things to that point. Instead, requite him a break and practise a few more than nails after. But remember which ones you've already done! Cats take v toes (and five claws) per front foot and four toes (and iv claws) per back pes — although polydactyl cats tin can have many more than. One of the nails on each front paw is actually up on the wrist, so don't overlook it.

When your kitten learns early that nail trimming tin can be a positive and rewarding experience, he'll be more likely to cooperate with it subsequently on in life. Information technology's besides important to provide your kitten with scratching posts or platforms so that he learns to sharpen his nails there, rather than on your furniture.

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