Difficult as it may seem, Brushing your cat’s nails is not just considerate to your furniture but more importantly, to your cat’s health as well. Overgrown nails can lead to discomfort, injuries, and even infections. According to Dr. Chyrle Bonk, a veterinarian, nail trims are particularly essential in older geriatric cats. Those cats frequently suffer from injury as a result of their nails getting caught in clothes or carpets. It is important to regularly tend to your feline friend to ensure their comfort and safety. Nevertheless, deciding on the best cat nail clippers is always an uphill task due to the numerous brands available in the market. In this article, we will look at a step-by-step informative and interesting guide so that you can easily select the best cat nail clipper for your furry friend.
Why Trim Your Cat’s Nails?
As you may already know, cats love to groom themselves and use scratching surfaces to sharpen their claws. That being said though, some cats lose the self-grooming instinct for various reasons, whether it be old age or just lethargy or common health problems. Long overgrown nails can also lead to some great trouble and challenges; some of the nails include:
Injuries/Pain:
One of the major problems that can arise is one’s nails growing too long and into the paw pad which can at times be very painful and lead to infections.
Snagging/Broken Nails:
While a cat constantly uses their claws, they also run into the possibility of getting their claws caught in things like carpets, blankets, and even upholstery. It can lead to ripping off their nails.
Accidental Scratches:
If a cat has unkempt nails, then it might indiscriminately scratch itself against humans and even other animals.
Even so, appropriate trimming aids in improving the health conditions and hygiene of the pet. For trimming to be successful, however, the selection of the correct nail clippers is paramount.
What Are The Qualities Of Good Cat Nail Clippers?
Various factors have to be put into consideration when selecting the best cat nail clippers to ensure that the clipper is efficient and also safe for the animal. These are:
Cutting Edge Classification:
There are different types of cutting tools available. These include Scissors, guillotine, and plier types, all serving the same purpose. However, their usefulness varies depending on your ease of usage as well as your cat’s attitude.
Australia and New Zealand:
Slip rubber-coated handles are best suited for preventing accidental slips. It makes them ideal for Australia & New Zealand as they provide a comfortable and easy grip facilitating better control and precision during the trimming process.
Quality of Material Used in the Blade:
Many stainless steel blades are available on the market. It would initially be a hassle but only rust-resistant and clean cuts which result in little discomfort for your cat and prove durable in the long run.
Safety Aspects:
Certain novice clippers are equipped with built-in safety guards, thereby preventing them from accidentally nipping the quick part of the nails. This feature aids beginners significantly.
Ideal Size:
A device that is easy to use should also be lightweight and small, this also aids in storing the device.
Keeping these in consideration, we shall now look at a few of the best cat nail clippers available in the market.
Best Cat Nail Clippers for Everyone’s Needs
1. Best Overall: Shiny Pet Nail Clippers For Small Cats
These particular scissors types of clippers are popular with cat owners due to their shape and easy-use features. These blades are semicircular and angled enabling better cuts with lesser chances of the cat being hurt while being groomed. The cat nail trimer rubber grip further improves efficiency and makes it suitable even for kittens and older cats. This model does not have a safety guard but with its comfortable design and stainless steel blades, they act as a good option.
Price: $14
Pros: Compact size, angled blades, comfortable grip.
Cons: There are no safety guard features present at all.
2. Best In Quality For Economical Budget: Pet Boussa Cat Nail Clipper
Pet Boussa clippers are an amazing option that is easy on the wallet as they are cheap yet do a great job on the cuts. They are able to perform so well at such a low cost due to the presence of ergonomic handles and durable stainless steel blades. They offer so much in one pack that they can be used on cats, small dogs, or even birds of all ages!
Price: $5
Pros: Cheap, ergonomic features, multiuse.
Cons: They do not have angled blades and tend to split nails at times.
3. Best Guillotine Clippers for Cat Resco Original Cat Nail
The Resco Original is a guillotine-style cutter that offers quick and neat slicing. These are easily among the most sturdy with wheels and spring-actuated cuts making them quite handy too. However, these do require care in handling to avoid marring the claws. Still, they boast a decent lifespan and effectiveness so they’re quite good.
Price: $20,
Pros: USA fixates, replaceable blades, robust designs.
Cons: Takes care and skill to ensure uncrushed nails.
4. Best for Kittens: Pet Republique Cat Nail Clipper
The claws on a kitten are both smaller and sharper causing the nip to have to be built to fashion gentler paws. Enter the Pet Republique clipper, which is equipped with a scissor blade and semicircular scissors for finer cutting. Even better, 15% of profits from selling these clippers go towards animal rescue organizations, so they are a good investment in social responsibility.
Price: $7,
Pros: Weighted, charity, enables cuts.
Cons: Doesn’t feature a safety guard.
5. Best for safety guard: Gonicc Nail Clippers and Trimmers
In the case where snapping the quick is a concern for you then make sure to check out the Gonicc Nail clippers. These come fitted with a safety guard that restricts such cases from happening. Additionally, these can be used on both cats and small dogs and the mechanism is spring-assisted for better cutting ease.
Price: $10
Pros: Protective guard, children’s lock, blades of steel.
Cons: Oversized for kittens.
Nail Clipping Tips for Owners
- Make Your Cat Familiar With the Clipper: You need to first get the cat used to the clippers. You can do this by letting them sniff the clippers and offering treats thereafter.
- Understand the Ages: Keep in mind that the nails should be trimmed every 2 to 4 weeks depending on the growth.
- Avoid the Quick: Quick – A pinkish spot within a nail contains blood vessels and nerves. If cut, it can cause pain and even bleeding.
- Nail Lighting: You can use a small light to shine on your cat’s nails as this will make it clearer for you and reduce the possibility of mishaps.
Conclusion
Taking care of your cat’s nails is perhaps one of the most critical tasks which, we all must undertake especially if we want our cat to be active and safe. With the right tools at hand, the job becomes less stressful for both you and your cat. If you are considering the best cat nail clippers, those can be used too as they can be multi-purpose or even Gonicc Trimmers that are specially designed for an ultimate trim. The point is that you must be able to find a clipper that is suitable for you and your cat. With some time and practice, this will eventually become an easy task that serves the purpose of taking care of your furry friends.
FAQs
Trimming your cat’s nails every 2 to 4 weeks is recommended for domestic pets. Some hairless cats and more active kitties may require nail clipping every 2 weeks, while cats that go outdoors may need weekly trims to prevent injuries from nail overgrowth.
If the quick is cut while clipping the nails, use styptic powder or cornstarch to the bleeding part to stop the bleeding. It is very important to keep the cat calm and to look for infection at the site of the cut.
It is possible to make use of human nail clippers, however, it is not recommended at all. There is a greater probability of causing injuries to the cat while using human clippers as compared to the cat’s conditioners.
