Trimming your cat’s claws every few weeks is important for cat owners who want to protect their cats, family, furniture and curtains. Cat nail trimming requires patience and practice but is far better than getting your cat declawed. Declawing is an evasive surgical amputation that can cause behavioral and health issues in your cat.
Most cats run away at the sight of a trimmer. If you want your cat to get comfortable with manicures you should get them used to the process as kittens.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices
Creating a peaceful environment for nail trimming is a good starting point. Make sure there are no distractions in the room and to time the session after your cat’s meal so they are well fed and feeling tired.
Be gentle with the paws, cat claws are retractile so you have to lightly squeeze the paws to expose the claws. If your cat pulls away don’t try to over-power them, otherwise they will never learn the process.
Instead, give them a treat for letting you expose the claws, doing this every other day will teach them to let you expose the claws come nail trimming day. Over time you will have no trouble getting your cat in for these nail trimming sessions.
Using the right tools for nail trimming is essential. The trimmer should suit you and your cat. There are many types of nail trimmers for cats but the two main types are
- Guillotine
- Scissor Cut
The 4 Best Nail Trimmers for Cats
Let’s look at some of these types of products and find the best nail trimmer for cats.
1. Pet Nail Clippers for Small Animals by SHINY PET
This pet nail trimmer is a product of SHINY PET and is a scissor cut style trimmer. SHINY PET is a popular and trusted brand for all pet grooming tools, they are highly rated by pet owners everywhere.
This product is equipped with a semi-circular stainless steel blade that features an ergonomic design for your comfort.
The semi-circular blade is angled 20 degrees to better help you see where and what you are cutting. The razor sharp blades sit behind a safe nail clipper head. The clipper head is rounded and does not expose the blade unless the scissors are being used.
The dimensions of the tool are 3.7 x 2.6 x 0.6 inches which is perfect for small animals like cats and kittens.
The ergonomic design is very comfortable and keeps the tool firmly in your hands with soft finger rests in the middle. The green rubberized non-slip handles ensure they never slip out of your hands while trimming. It has a user friendly design.
As an added feature this product comes with an instructional eBook that guides you through the nail trimming process. Simply use your phone to scan the QR code on the back of the package and it will give you the full guide.
2. Allstar Innovations PetiCare LED Light Pet Nail Clipper
The PetiCare LED Light Pet Nail Clipper is a guillotine-style premium product by Allstar. It is equipped with a precision cutting blade, 4 super bright LED lights, a nail trapper, 5x magnification lens and a super comfortable grip.
The precision cutting blade is made of hardened steel and capable of cutting nails swiftly. The rubber grips at the upper and lower handles of the trimmer are super comfortable and provide ample grip for the user.
The clear 5x magnification lens helps you zoom closer to the blade for a more accurate cut. It also doubles as a nail trapper for easy cleanup afterwards. The super bright LED lights illuminate and expose the delicate bloodline in your cat’s light colored nails.
These are important features because they help you see the perfect spot for trimming your cat’s nails and make sure you don’t cut in to the quick of the claw.
3. H&H Pets Claw Treatment – Cat Dog Nail Clippers
The H&H Pets Claw Treatment Cat Dog Nail Clipper is a popular and excellent nail trimmer. It is a scissor cut style trimmer that comes with a 3 year warranty from the manufacturer.
H&H Pets is a brand dedicated to saving animals. When you purchase from H&H Pets, they will donate to non-profit animal rescue organizations.
This light-weight claw trimmer is easy on the pocket and is designed for small pets like cats. It features a hypoallergenic stainless steel blade that is sharp and durable. The trimmer head is rounded and does not expose the sharp blade unless the tool is in use.
The handles are coated with a slip-proof coating that allows for a comfortable and firm grip. This helps prevent any unwanted accidents during your nail trimming sessions.
If your cat has allergies then this is the nail trimmer for you. The hypoallergenic blade will make sure your furry friend has no allergic reactions during their nail trimming sessions.
4. CleanHouse Pets Dog and Cat Nail ClippersWith Pet Safety Guard & Lock
CleanHouse Pets Dog and Cat Nail Clipper is another popular nail trimming tool among pet parents and vets alike. It is safe and easy to use and the small sized variant is perfect for cats.
This is a scissor cut style nail trimmer that features a high-end professional-grade stainless steel frame with comfortable grip handles. This tool is built to last and comes with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer.
It has a built-in safety switch that locks the handles to avoid any unwanted accidents. This is a great safety feature to have in a scissor cut style nail trimmer. It is very light on the pocket for a professional-grade quality product.
If you desire quality, safety and lifetime warranty on a friendly budget then this is the nail trimmer for you.
Our Final Thoughts
We like all the products on this list and they will all get the job done. Although, if we were to pick favorites then the CleanHouse Pets Dog and Cat Nail Clippers, with Pet Safety Guard & Lock is our favorite scissor cut style nail trimmer. Simply because it has so much value at such a friendly price and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
As for a guillotine style nail trimmer, the Allstar Innovations PetiCare LED Light Pet Nail Clipper is the winner for us. It is a little more on the expensive side but the sheer amount of features more than make up for it.
When trimming your cat’s nails, always be careful not to cut too close to the quick. A 2mm distance from the quick is always safe. We hope you liked our selection of the best nail trimmers for cats.
