Mind Those Toes!

March 5, 2026

Proper Trimming of a Cat’s Claws

Susan Cook Henry

Among the favorite activities of all cats is using their paws to scratch objects with appealing surfaces, many of which we hope they avoid. After all, you’ve provided a proper scratching post/cat tree, or a horizontal fixture with attractive sisal or corrugated cardboard. But somehow, that chair or sofa, doorframe or carpet have become targets of affection for your cat’s paws. All of these things are places to get a good stretch and exercise those shoulders, while at the same time releasing pheromones from interdigital glands in their paws to mark their territory. With proper attention and practice, trimming your cat’s claws at home becomes a regular part of their care and will avoid unnecessary trips to a veterinary office or grooming facility for something you are able to do yourself.

There was a time when declawing cats was much more common. This barbaric “onychectomy” procedure has thankfully been banned (unless medically necessary) in many states and cities in the U.S., with California becoming the latest to join the growing list.

Where to Start?

Of course, kittens are easiest to get accustomed to this regular task, and you can start when they are very young at a few weeks of age. Some breeders even nip the tips of newborn kittens’ claws which can easily tangle in a terrycloth towel or other nubby bedding in the mother’s nest. The claws grow especially quickly with the help of nutrients kittens receive when nursing or starting solid foods. Once they are ambulatory and start exploring larger areas, you may see signs of them scratching their bedding or the sides of their enclosure as they attempt to climb the sides. It’s a big world out there, and claws are key to escaping the place of their birth.

A good practice to start as early as possible is getting kittens used to being on their backs in your lap. A mother cat will sometimes gently grab the scruff on the back of a kitten’s neck when moving it, as this causes a “go limp” reflex with the kitten becoming somewhat helpless. You can achieve the same effect by regularly laying the kitten in your lap on its back with its head on your knees. You can then gently hold the scruff between your knees as you work with the paws, as that “go limp” reflex will kick in. With practice, this will become a bonding routine, and the kitten will not mind having its paws rubbed and toes manipulated. As the kitten grows, trimming claws will be a familiar and easy task.

And Where to Trim?

A cat’s paw is a complex study in bones, tendons, and muscles. The claws are unique in that they retract with flexor muscles when not in use and have extensor muscles to push them out of their toe sheaths when needed. The claws can be manually extended by pressing on the top of the toe just behind the sheath, which extends the flexor tendon and makes the claw fully visible. Depending on the color of the cat, the claw may be quite light in color, almost transparent. And clearly visible in the lower center of the claw will be a pink triangular area following the curves of the claw below the sharp “pin” at the end. This is called the “quick,” and it is pink because it marks the end of the blood supply to the claw. When clipping a cat’s claws, this is the area to avoid because if it is cut, there will be blood. It’s a good idea to have styptic powder in your cat’s grooming supplies, since this can be applied when the claw is cut too short and will help stop the bleeding. Cats with darker coat colors will sometimes have claws that are darker as well, making it a bit more difficult to see the quick. But it isn’t necessary to cut claws so short that the quick will be pierced: Where the claws begin to narrow — a bit in front of the quick — a clean cut will blunt the ends sufficiently and remove the talons that have done damage to objects you’d like them to avoid.

Tools of the Trade 

There are a couple of nail tools to consider for your cat’s claws. A very simple one you may already have at home are human toenail clippers. These work very well, especially if the opening is wide enough to fit the thicker part of the claw. These clippers work best if there is a defined place for your thumb to keep it from slipping. Placing the nipping blades of the clippers parallel to the sides of the claw just in front of the quick is easy and makes a clean cut, although it will obstruct your view of the tip of the claw you’re nipping off. This parallel placement also prevents crushing the claw.

More popular is the scissor-type trimmers, where the cutting surface encircles the claw and gives full visibility to the part you will nip off. These make it easy to see both the quick and the sharp tip. The same trimmers are available with pliers-style handles which some people might prefer. Both allow good visibility when working with the paws and claws.

What is least recommended are nail trimmers normally used for dogs. Even when “cat-size,” this guillotine type of trimmer is a bit large to be comfortably used on kittens or cats, and visibility can be restricted. It will work, but cats’ claws are much thinner and more delicate than most dogs’ thicker and nearly opaque toenails, where the quick is not visible.

Make a “Cat Burrito?”

If you have had trouble getting your kitten or cat accustomed to being on its back on your lap, you may need a friend to help hold and control it as you extend each claw for trimming. Easy handling of the legs and paws are key, and some cats will allow this if they can lie on their sides, or even sit right-side-up in your lap while you handle their paws. There are also options available online which might make doing this yourself easier, one being a self-adhesive wrap that binds the legs yet allows one leg at a time to be released to clip the claws. It definitely gives “burrito” vibes when a cat is securely bound in one of these wraps! There are many other creative ideas for gently controlling an unwilling cat … YouTube is a great place to find video shorts for a number of them.

Time and practice make perfect, and treats are always welcome after a visit to the in-home nail spa!