long claws problem. advice please.

[Topcat10]

My lad has very long claws which continually causes problems.
He's an old chap and on occasions has almost dislocated joints when trying to release his paws from carpet, rugs and fabric furniture. Also when giving hugs I've got the scars on my shoulder as a result. I've got to be so careful when putting him down as his claws get tangled in my clothing and he tends to panic.
Could anyone advise re possibly having his claws trimmed at the vets.
Thanks. T Cs Dad.

[MarkB]

Normally a vet nurse will trim claws. My vet charges about £8. It is quite common for older cats to have problems with claws, either due to lack of teeth, or because they don't groom much as they get older. You can do it yourself (I do) but you have to be careful not to cut them too short as you can cut blood vessels. Also, you need to get the sheath off of claws when they are trimmed, which is the difficult bit. If the sheath isn'tremoved, the claws get thicker and thicker, which makes it hard for them to retract their claws. I would definitely recommend getting it done. About 6 or 7 year ago, on of mine was hobbling a bit. On close inspection, I noticed that some of his claws had grown right into the pads, which in turn had become infected

It turned out that after his latest (he had several) dental, he wasn't able to deal with his own claws.

I clip claws fo my older cats now, but once in a while, I ask for a nurse to do it. I'm quite lucky as I live next door to my vet.

[Topcat10]

Thanks for that valuable information Mark. Will phone the local vet to have them trimmed.
(Will work out cheaper than buying more cream for my sore neck)
Keith. TCs Dad.

[Crewella]

I do my oldies' claws as well - if he's quite amenable to having it done, ask the nurse to show you how to do it.

[Mollysmummy]

How long is too long for claws? On both of my cats when they are relaxed, you can just see the tip of the claw in their fur which I guess is normal? Our baby Kevin has 1 or 2 on his back right paw which are a few mm longer, he's still an indoor cat will he bite these off himself or should I trim?

I'm a bit scared to do it as I don't want to hurt him and I don't know at what point I should trim and how short to go??

[Crewella]

I only start to worry about my oldies' claws if they start catching on things or I hear them really clacking on hard floors when they walk across them.

As long as they go out or have a scratching post to keep their claws in trim, most cats will just wear them down naturally, and young cats like Kevin are so active that their claws are unlikely to need anything done.

[Lilith]

My two eldest cats let me trim their claws; it's quite easy to see the pink 'quick' of the claw and leave a wide margin; I use a guillotine type trimmer. Mouse is prone to ingrowing claws and Emily tends to let her claws grow, so I keep an eye. I once had two polydactyl cats - Thirty-Fingers-Janey couldn't keep up with her floppy dewclaws.

My youngest Molly obligingly bites her own claws; if I'm in the kitchen she'll stand beside me on her hind legs, one paw steadying herself, the other in her mouth.

They DO have a scratchy post of course, and use it, and also other things... My patchwork quilt took me eight months to make; Moll likes to have a ripping time at it, and as for my poor old art-deco chair, that hides its shame beneath an Indian rug...that chair is a disgrace to the feline race!

[cathyday]

We trim Boris's claws because they do get very long. He has no teeth to trim them himself these days.
His are very thick too? How do we remove the old sheaths to relieve this too?

[JacquiA]

I plan to ask the vet tomorrow about trimming Georgie's claws - she does get them caught in carpets and clothing etc... Bit nervous about trying to do them myself but will ask the vet for advice.

[Topcat10]

Many thanks for everyone's input folks.
I took TC to the vets last Friday to seek advice re his very long claws.
The vet very efficiently clipped them to a level where my lad now doesn't get caught in fabrics ect.
It was a painless procedure and he now appears more content with his lot.
I should say that I bought a good scratching post many weeks ago, but alas TC has never used it. I've tried spraying it with cat nip but do date no joy. Under the circumstances it's the carpet that clawed.

COULD ANYONE SUGGEST ANYTHING TO HELP PLEASE?

TCs Dad.

[Kay]

my Trigger never used anything vertical to strop his claws, but did like to attack rugs and carpets and it sounds as if TC is the same

a heavy duty old-fashioned coir dustmat might take his fancy, and I also once covered a decking square with carpet, which went down well - I used a carpet sample and simply nailed it on

[Mollysmummy]

Both my kitties prefer the carpet or rugs!!

[Cussypat1974]

Oldies do sometimes need their claws trimmed, when they get caught in things as has been said. It is very simple to do, but best pay the first time and get the vet/nurse to show you how to do it properly. Oldoes just don't groom as well as the young guns basically!