Clipping your cat’s claws shouldn’t be something you and your cat dread. Using the right pair of cat nail clippers is crucial if you want the experience to go down well with your cat.
Choosing the best nail clippers will ensure both you and your cat have a comfortable experience. In addition, it will help avoid cracking your cats claws.
Top Picks For The Best Cat Nail Clippers
Types Of Cat Nail Clippers
Cat nail clippers are designed to trim the ends of your cats claws. The blades are typically made from sharp stainless and won’t split your cats claws when trimming.
Cat nail clippers are divided into a few types of styles.
Scissors:
- A scissor style clipper that is comfortable in your hand. With steady control of the clipper it makes for a safe trim. It’s one of the more popular choices among cat owners.
Pliers:
- Pliers are suitable for both cats and dogs. The style allows the user to generate leverage for those tougher dog nails. A gentle touch is required if using these for your cat. They do make light work of your cats claws, just be careful.
Guillotine:
- A guillotine trimmer has a ring on the head or end of the handle. It’s quite difficult to use and therefore for home grooming I wouldn’t recommend it. It can be difficult to alight the head and blade for a perfect trim on a squirming kitty.
Best Pliers
- TRIM YOUR PET’S NAILS SAFELY: It’s...
- A GENTLE SQUEEZE IS ALL IT TAKES:...
- LOCKS CLOSED WHEN NOT IN USE: Your know...
Best Scissor
- #1 FOR CAT & SMALL DOG: Voted best...
- CLEAN CUTS EVERY TIME: Our claw scissors...
- SAFE & EASY TO USE: Fitted with razor...
Why Trim Your Cats Claws?
If you have an indoor cat, trimming their nails every 10 to 14 days is recommended. It improves their overall health and helps keep their nails healthy.
Trimming your cats claws will also help protect your furniture, their sharp claws will no longer get stuck in your couch. It will also help prevent nasty scratches during play or random attacks of the ankles.
By far the biggest reason to trim your cats claws is that it’s the best alternative to declawing a cat. I have written an article on declawing your cat and why it’s not the best idea.
It’s an easy, safe and will keep your cats health and well being in check. It should be a part of any good grooming routine.
Is It Okay To Use Human Nail Clippers On Cats?
It’s a very common question, the answer is might surprise you. Yes, you can use human nail clippers on your cats claws.
However, human nail clippers aren’t designed to trim out pets nails or claws. Using your personal clippers on your cats claws will result in cracking them. It will do more damage than good.
Not to mention, it’s kind of gross and unhygienic to share nail clippers with your cat. When cutting your cats nails, it’s important to use the right tool for the job. Human clippers will add extra pressure to the cat nail, creating an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience for them.
Best Cat Nail Clippers
Let’s take an in depth look at some of the best cat nail clippers below.
Shiny Pet Nail Clippers for Small Animals
- #1 FOR CAT & SMALL DOG: Voted best...
- CLEAN CUTS EVERY TIME: Our claw scissors...
- SAFE & EASY TO USE: Fitted with razor...
The Shiny Pet clippers are fast becoming the number one choice among cat owners. The scissor style nail clippers feature sharp stainless steel angled blades.
The handles are comfortable and provide plenty of grip as they are anti slip. The ergonomic styling make these easily to most comfortable clippers to use. Even for those with bigger hands, will find these suitable to use.
Finally the Shiny Pet clippers are very affordable, they even come with a lifetime money back guarantee.
Key features of the Shiny Pet clippers to note:
- Small size yet very easy to use
- Non Slip handles
- Very comfortable
- Sharp stainless steel angled blades.
Safari Professional Stainless Steel Nail Trimmer
- Features: Made from the finest quality...
- Nail Trimmer for Dogs: Offers a...
- Handy: Great for both professional...
The Safari is a top ranked nail clipper for dogs and cats. The clippers are durable, sharp and very comfortable to hold.
It’s suitable for both cats and dogs, so you can kill two birds with one stone. It pretty much has everything you’ll need for you and your cat, or dog for that matter.
The safe locking blades will help you avoid cutting the quick of your cats claws. If you don’t know what that is I’ve explained it in detail further in the article. The Safari is also exceptional value offering awesome bang for you buck.
Pet Republique Dog and Cat Nail Clippers
- TOP QUALITY - 1 Year money back...
- PROFESSIONAL CAT NAIL CLIPPERS - One of...
- COMFORT & EASY - Offers larger and...
The Pet Republique cat nail clippers are very similar to the Shiny Pet scissors. One key difference would be their price. Although only a few bucks, to some it could be the deciding factor.
The Pet Republique scissors are sharp, well made and inexpensive. Providing a precision cut with ease, these scissors will make trimming your cats nails easy.
The packaging is spot on and shows you exactly what you are getting when you order their products. The build quality is great considering their price point, it features sharp stainless steel blades, soft non slip rubber grips and feels comfortable in hand.
Pet republique donates 15% of all profits to the American Animal Rescue Society.
Finally they have a 2 year warranty, that should be a good indication of their confidence behind each product. If that’s still not good enough, a 30 day money back guarantee is also on offer.
BOSHEL Dog Nail Clippers and Trimmer with Safety Guard to Avoid Over-Cutting Nails & Free Nail File
- 🐾 RECOMMENDED BY PROFESSIONALS: The...
- 🐾 CLEAN CUTS EVERY TIME: The dog nail...
- 🐾 USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN: The...
Another top seller, the Boshel nail clippers are a plier style clipper.
Some key features to note are:
- Safety lock switch
- Safety stop – Avoid cutting the quick
- 3.5mm stainless steel blades
- Nail filer included inside handles
- Amazing quality
Used and recommended by thousands of pet owners, the Boshel nail clippers are suitable for both dogs and cats of all sizes.
All the usual aspects of a good quality clipper are there. Stainless steel blades, non slip grip handles and a safety stop to avoid cutting the quick.
Epica #1 Best Professional Pet Nail Clipper,Easy and Safe to Use …
- TRIM YOUR PET’S NAILS SAFELY: It’s...
- A GENTLE SQUEEZE IS ALL IT TAKES:...
- LOCKS CLOSED WHEN NOT IN USE: Your know...
No question’s asked, this is the number one selling nail clipper on the market. The Epica Professional nail clippers are the be all and end all of clippers.
These come pretty close to being perfect, the only reason I’d say they’re not is because nothing is perfect, right?
The non slip handles feature individual grooves for your fingers to rest in. You’ll never have to worry about the clippers slipping out of your hands on those super tough nails.
Sharp stainless steel blades that won’t rust or bend and did I mention sharp, wow these things are incredibly sharp. They make light work of the biggest of dogs nails, so you can imagine how easy they get through our cat’s claws.
Although they are sharp and can tackle the biggest of nails, they are manoeuvrable enough to cut kitties claws without the fear of taking their leg off.
Some other key features are:
- Safety lock – keeping them shut when not in use
- 100% lifetime warranty
- Exceptional build quality
- Rubber non slip handles
- Affordable
How Do You Cut Cats Nails?
Clipping your cats claws isn’t all that technical, but there are some things to look out for.
The first and most important thing is to recognise what is called the quick. That is the pinkish portion of the claw and is actually a vein and will bleed and cause pain if cut.
Obviously we want to avoid cutting the quick, but if you do accidentally clip it it dip their claw into some styptic powder. Allow kitty to rest and recover, and try to clip the other nails at a later stage.
Step 1:
Make sure you have a comfortable cat before beginning to clip and claws. If your cat wants to squirm around allow them to leave and try again later. You can also wrap them in a towel to hold them more securely.
It’s important to have a relaxed cat and the clipping to be a pleasant experience, this will make sure it becomes easier to trim their claws over time.
Step 2:
Make sure you face the cat away from you, and gently press on their toe pads to extend their claws. After the claw is extended and with a steady hand clip only the ends of their claws.
Remember to locate the quick, and only trim off a small amount of the curved section of claw. Honestly, it only takes a very small amount to trim their claws successfully.
Step 3:
If you don’t manage to trim all the claws in one go, don’t worry. It’s better to let your cat go and be comfortable and come back at a later stage. We want this to be a paw-sitive experience.
If you want to, you can leave the clippers out for a few moments so your cat can sniff them and get accustomed to them. This can help the next time you’re clipping your cats nails.
Tips & Tricks On Trimming Your Cats Nails
Here are a few tips and tricks to make trimming your cats nails that much easier.
- Before you use clippers, make sure your cat is comfortable with you touching their paws and claws.
- Start trimming their claws when they’re a kitten.
- Use plenty of treats to encourage them.
- Never use human nail clippers.
- Locate the quick and make sure to avoid cutting it.
Investing in a good cat scratcher can go a long way to keeping your cats claws healthy. It allows them to shed their nail sheaths, which is something they would naturally do in the wild.
Cat Scratchers To Consider:
- DURABLE SISAL: A durable sisal fiber...
- TALL AND STRONG: The sturdy design of...
- GOODBYE CLAW MARKS: Satisfy your indoor...
- CATS LOVE IT: A scratcher, lounge, & SO...
- THOUGHTFUL DESIGN: Curves make for...
- GREAT VALUE: 34 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches....
How To Trim Your Cats Nails Video
Check out this video below, it’s a great guide for beginners looking to trim their cats claws.
Every so often it’s a really good idea to inspect your cats nails and make sure they are free from any fungus or bacteria.
Cats respond to positive reinforcement. If you want to train your cat to enjoy getting their nails trimmed, use lots of praise and treats.
Practice With Uncooked Spaghetti
I know, it sounds a bit ridiculous but many cat and dog owners started out this way. Not all of us are comfortable cutting our pets nails right off the bat, so using this method actually makes sense.
On the flip side, if you have a nervous cat and notice they don’t like the sound of the clippers you can use spaghetti to get them used to the cutting noise. So, instead of clipping their nails, begin the clipping as normal but instead of clipping the nail, clip the spaghetti instead.
If you notice they remain calm reward them with a treat and lots of praise. It will get them used to the paw press, followed by the sound of the clip.
Finally, it’s always a good idea to have some styptic powder on hand just in case you do cut the quick.
- Quick, Safe & Effective
- A Dry Powder that Clots Blood
- Dries up liquid & moisture
Choosing The Right Cat Nail Clippers
Below, are some of important things to consider when selecting the right cat nail clippers.
Your Experience Level
In this review, I have mentioned a few styles of cat nail clippers. If you’re a beginner and have never clipped your dog or cats nails before, it’s a good idea to start with a scissor style clippers.
They’re the easiest to use and to be honest all most people need. You might come across a guillotine style of clipper, these have a circle shaped head and cut in the style of a guillotine. You might find many vets use this style of clipper.
Safety Features
If you’re wanting a safe pair of clippers for extra protection against cutting the quick, you should invest in a cat nail clipper that has a nail guide. Make sure the pliers have a safety lock, this makes them much safer in storage.
Handle
This is a bit of a no brainer but sometimes overlooked. Make sure the handles or scissors are large or small enough for your hands. They should feel easy to move in hand and provide a strong secure grip.
Blade Quality
With each different style of cat nail clippers comes a different style of blade. The plier style of cat clippers provides the sharpest cut every time. Scissors will require some upkeep to make sure they stay sharp over a long period of time.
FAQ’s
Is it okay to use human nail clippers on cats?
You can, however, I highly recommend avoiding doing this. It will crack your cat’s claws, making them weaker. You won’t have the same sharp precision cut a cat nail clipper will provide. Please avoid using human nail clippers. Not to mention, it’s kind of gross.
How often should you cut a cat’s nails?
It’s recommended to trim your cats nails once every 10 – 14 days. The best way to judge is inspecting your cats claws every 3 – 4 days to monitor the growth.
Is it necessary to trim a cat’s claws?
This depends on your cats lifestyle, are they indoor or outdoor cats. The age of your cat also plays a part in this. Outdoor cats require less trimming than indoor cats. Older cats should have their nails trimmed to avoid pad damage.
Conclusion On Cat Nail Clippers
I hope this guide will give you a better understanding of which cat nail clippers are suitable for you and your cat.
Avoid cutting the quick and use a pair of clippers that you feel comfortable with.
Any of the above clippers I feel are great choices, it just depends on your personal preference. Happy clipping.
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Last update on 2023-05-28 at 19:54 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
