itt people who conflate declawing with trimming cat nails.
trimming is necessary; not trimming a cat’s claws can result in cat injury as they can’t unhook themselves from carpets and furniture.
have you ever seen a cat with long nails get up from threaded textures? they do NOT look happy.
To be fair it depends on the cat. When they get older their nails grow slower and are often more brittle so if they have surfaces to hone their claws they take care of it themselves. But yeah if they get too long you always need to trim them. When my cat was younger I used to trim her’s with a nail drill. Saw a parrot owner do it that way because apparently it’s less discomforting and my cat seems to agree.
I managed 18x2 claws with no issues the other day. I know! I’m stunned too!
My cat is thankfully very chill during nail trimming. And she only has three legs so I only have 75% of the work.
I maybe am wrong here but it is not good for the cat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychectomy
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/why-declawing-bad-your-cat
And maybe cutting/trimming nails is not same as declawing, it seems to atleast cause similar trauma for them.
I am not a pet owner, so please enlighten if i am wrong.
Trimming a cat’s nails is completely different from declawing—it’s more like giving your cat a manicure than anything drastic.
Regular nail trims are important for indoor cats. They help prevent damage to your furniture, reduce accidental scratches, and keep your cat’s paws healthy by avoiding painful overgrown nails.
It’s also a great opportunity to bond with your cat. With time, patience, plenty of treats, and snuggles, nail trimming can become a calm, positive experience for both of you. Start young if you can, and make it part of your routine—it’s well worth the effort.
well pardon me if i am getting this wrong, but this seems to not do any advantage to any cats. Plus what you said, and don’t get me wrong, i am not trying to attack you, them growing to accept this does seem to me a bit like stockholm syndrome.
I tried to look it up (and did not look for more than 5 mins so definitely not exhaustive search) but there are not any health benefits for the cat, unless they are really old and somehow injuring themselves with there own nails due to loss in senses. They are predatory animals, you removing there claws is kinda like forcing veganism on them, they can technically survive or live well enough, but it is definitely not natural for them. (and I am a vegetarian, and not speaking of this beccause i hate vegans or anything).
well pardon me if i am getting this wrong
You are.
i am not trying to attack you
No, you are spending more time arguing a point you have no first hand experience in dealing with, and worse, less time researching by your own admission.
They are predatory animals, you removing there claws is kinda like forcing veganism on them,
Unless they are hunting prey animals inside your house, the 20± razor blades serve no practical purpose. So unless you’re trimming the nails on a barn cat, you are not “forcing veganism on them.”
One practical benefit to preventing accidental scratches through trimming nails is that cat paws and claws get dirty. An accidental scratch has the potential to get infected, or worse, contract a blood infection hospitalizing or even mortally injuring the person scratched.
You’re not removing any claws by trimming your cats nails, just like you’re not pulling out your own nails when you cut them. You only cut off the top bit (couple mm at most).
Outdoor cats naturally trim their nails by being outdoors. This prevents them from growing too long. Indoor cats can’t do this that easily, though they will scratch things to trim and sharpen their nails. But that usually isn’t able to keep up with the growth of the nail.
There aren’t any real health benefits, just like there aren’t any for humans cutting their nails. But there are practical benefits. Claws that grow too long can cause the cat to get stuck in toys, carpets, couches, etc…, which can be frustrating and stressful to them. Cutting your cats nails every now and then is part of normal pet care routine.
I know our two cats don’t enjoy having their nails cut, but you can tell they are much happier afterwards when they notice they don’t get stuck as much. It doesn’t affect their ability to hunt or play (I think it even makes it easier for them).
Please understand: trimming a cat’s nails is not the same as declawing. Trimming is like cutting your own nails—quick, painless, and healthy. Declawing is a surgery that removes part of the bone, like cutting off the tip of your finger. They are completely different. My cat lays in my lap and purrs when I trim his nails.
Millions of cats are born and raised indoors and never go outside. For those cats, keeping their nails trimmed is necessary. It helps prevent painful overgrown claws, reduces accidental injuries, and keeps their paws healthy. That’s not cruelty—it’s just responsible care.
Cats can absolutely stay healthy and happy indoors with trimmed nails. It takes time, patience, and positive reinforcement—treats, love, and trust. That’s not “Stockholm syndrome,” that’s training and bonding, just like with any pet.
You’re right that cats are predators by nature—but domesticated cats are not wild animals. That’s what “domesticated” means. Any animal whose natural life cycle has been altered by humans lives a different kind of life, and it’s our job to care for them in the environment we’ve created.
None of those are about trimming.
You could literally just search “why do people trim cat claws.” Or just read the other reaponses in this thread.
Unless you’re just time trolling, which is a weird way to spend time.
I am not a time troll, please read my other responses too, i compared the trauma.
Other people have laid out, with scientific articles etc, why this is absolutely not comparable to declawing.
I am not a pet owner, so please enlighten if i am wrong.
Bold to enter the fray with no experience.
maybe cutting/trimming nails is not same as declawing, it seems to
Nope. It’s like trimming your own nails vs removing part of each finger.
atleast
That’s not even a word, but your boldness has been discussed.
cause similar trauma for them.
Not even close.
Source: family 30 years from AC to regional mgr of SPCA shelters and working as a SpCst, other family 35+ years managing vet hospitals.
I’m not sure how much you’ll want to read, as a non-pet owner, but there is a wealth out there. Calling a vet hospital - any of them - could enlighten you in 5 minutes as well; but, If you’ve beaten your spell-check into letting ‘atleast’[sic] through, correlation suggests the phone option isn’t for you.
Bold to enter the fray with no experience.
one can akways try to learn, who knows how many cats i will have in future.
That’s not even a word, but your boldness has been discussed.
ah the famous, lets fight on grammar instead of actual argument, you must be a internet veteran /s
(but seriously, dropping hyphens is somewhat accepatble now, and “at least” ~= “atleast”. I don’t use any spell check)
Nope. It’s like trimming your own nails vs removing part of each finger.
I have replied to others too, but no i dont think comparison to human nails is not very accurate, our nails are much thinner, and farther from bones, cat claws are more deep seated and wrapped around bones ( i also shared a link regarding this). To me, trimming nails seems more like scratching/chaffed on your digits (as in getting wounded, but not in a threatening manner).
I would request you to read my comments, the comparison to declawing was for trauma, rest of my discussion is about impacts of trimming (should it be done naturally/gradually, or discreetly trimming them) Most of the chain is about should we or should we not, not about why should we.
Source: family 30 years from AC to regional mgr of SPCA shelters and working as a SpCst, other family 35+ years managing vet hospitals.
thank you for your services, I have huge respects.
Another thing I would like to ask you since you are experienced. Would one the reasons for you / your teams to trim nails be to prevent cats from hurting each other? since cats are terretorial, and you guys must have many of them, and likely not enough land for all of them, so they must “not get along”. If so, possibly trimming in your case is much more acceptable, it is preventing othets from being harmed. But should this be also applicable to some pet adopter, who likely does not have many cats. Even most indoor cats do make “trips” (read prey) outside, and the this trimming is making them less effective. 1 part of my argument is that for not trimming.
Why would you trim thier nails? Get a scratch post and a pad. Wtf
My 15yo cat has never learned how to use scratching posts or anything, despite having an assortment and a whole other cat to show her how. If I don’t trim them she gets stuck in things, and they grow really thick because the outer layers aren’t being shed. I’m assuming that’s more painful to walk/jump on than extending her claws to trim them.
It’s really not the same as declawing, which is like removing a joint from their fingers.
She’s almost 20 years, arthiritic and on anti seizure meds. She has multiple scratch posts and pads but doesn’t or can’t use them enough anymore (even with catnip inducement.)
As a result, without trimming, she gets her claws stuck and has yanked one out quite painfully.
This is how I can best help her as she ages, as recommended by our vet. (And, while she doesn’t love it she sort of tolerates it, just occasionally tries to leap from medicine couch to the treats and skip the whole trimming part.)
Scratching sharpen their nail as they shed the outer layer of the nail. By trimming you only take off the sharp part of the nail to blunt it, not the whole claw. If you ever were a cat person you would know they tend to get stuck on fabrics furniture if they climb it, now imagine you’re not at home and they’re stuck there helplessly.
