How to choose a nail clipper for a cat: main types and how to use

Updated: 02/26/2021 13:54:58

Expert: Rudenko Irina Sergeevna

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

Pets are deprived of a natural environment and the opportunity to grind their claws on their own. As an alternative, they choose the surface of the sofa and other furniture. To avoid property damage and help your pet adjust the length of its claws, you should purchase a special nail clipper. In addition to using the correct cutting angle, care should be taken to select the appropriate model. In the rating below we will look at the best nail clippers from trusted manufacturers.

Hello Pet 20112L

The model has dimensions of 4.70*16.50 cm. The design is very convenient, and the weight of the tool is very light, which makes using the nail clipper more comfortable. The cutting blades are made of high-quality heat-resistant steel. The model is ideal for small dogs and puppies. Thanks to such blades, the nail clipper quickly cuts claws without crushing or breaking them.

Pros:

1. High quality steel;
2. Sharp blades;
3. Precise cuts without crushing the claws;
4. High-quality spring material;
5. Comfortable handles with rubberized inserts.

Tool cost

Dog nail clippers, which resemble regular scissors, can be purchased for as little as 200 rubles.* Devices that act like a guillotine are also considered inexpensive. For example, Hello Cat and Cascade cost less than 300 rubles.

Guillotine

Nail clippers-secateurs are already more expensive, which affects their service life and reliability. Negative reviews are associated only with the cost of the product, but there is no doubt about its quality. So, depending on the manufacturer, on average, accessories have a price from 400 to 800 rubles.

An electric grinder can be purchased for 2 thousand. You will have to spend only 400 rubles on a product from the Russian brand Markethot.

TRIOL 181AP

The size of the nail clipper is 130*40*13 mm. The blades are made of high quality steel, and the handles are made of durable plastic. The plastic handles have special grooves for fingers, which increases the comfort of using the model. The nail clipper is suitable for small dogs and puppies. The model is equipped with a tight spring, which on the one hand is good, but on the other hand it can be difficult to use for people with weak hands.

Pros:

1. High quality steel;
2. High-quality and reliable spring;
3. Good safety and ease of use of the product.

Minuses:

1. Tight spring;
2. Inconvenient design for small hands.

What is the tool for?

From time to time, pets have to trim their nails. The regularity of the procedure depends on a number of conditions:

• For small breeds, the procedure is carried out 1-2 times every two weeks. Miniature dogs rarely walk on their own and spend a lot of time in the arms of their owners. Their claws grow quickly, but do not wear down naturally.
• Large dogs are groomed no more than once a month. At the same time, they carefully observe the animal. As soon as he started gnawing on his paws, you could hear him walking, clicking on the floor, there is no point in postponing the manipulation.

A dog's claws do not always grind down well naturally.

Note! In long-haired breeds, overgrown claws may be hidden. That is why it is recommended to get rid of the hair between the fingers by carefully cutting it.

What happens if you don't shorten your claws?

Untimely treatment of claws can lead to unpleasant consequences:

• It becomes difficult for the animal to walk, and in rare cases, the gait changes.
• The claws grow into the skin, which provokes inflammation. Pus may accumulate in the damaged area. If the situation gets worse, surgery will be required.
• The direction of the fingers changes. As a result, when walking, the load is distributed incorrectly. This not only affects your gait, but can cause joint problems.

The claws wear down when walking during walks. But this is not enough to make the dog comfortable, so you have to help the pet shorten its claws. When cutting, you need to act carefully so as not to damage the soft tissues. Nerve endings are located along the entire length of the claw; they grow with it.

You only need to cut off a small piece of it at a time so that it doesn’t hurt the dog. A nail clipper will help you cope with the task. You cannot use ordinary scissors and clippers from a manicure set, they will only harm the animal.

Zolux 481101

This model is designed for cats. The tool was created specifically taking into account the anatomical features of the cat's claw structure. The nail clipper is made of high-quality metal and thermoplastic rubber, thanks to which the blades are always very sharp, regardless of the angle at which the claws are cut. The nail clipper is very light - 30 grams, and its dimensions are 53 * 3 * 120 mm. The model is characterized by increased ease of use, does not injure the animal, and quickly and reliably cuts off dense claws.

Pros:

1. Small size and light weight;
2. Safe to use;
3. Durable plastic and high-quality blades;
4. Durability of use;
5. Cuts the claws to the end.

JW Grip Soft Deluxe Nail Trimmer

The model is considered universal, as it is suitable for any breed of cat. Its design is made taking into account high quality, safety for the owner during cutting and for the animal itself. The handle of the tool is equipped with rubberized inserts that provide strong adhesion to human skin, so they will not crawl or slide in the hand.

Pros:

1. Universal tool;
2. Will be able to cut off dense claws;
3. Strong and reliable spring;
4. Doesn't crumble claws, but quickly cuts them off.

Feedback from cat owners

The cat is active: if you don’t trim your claws in time, you’ll get scratches. Trained to use a claw machine. Does not touch furniture or wallpaper. I suffered for a long time and cut it with scissors and forceps. I used several manicure sets for her. Then I saw a review about nail clippers on one of the forums. I ordered it online but couldn’t find it in our city. I've been using it for three years now. There is no limit to happiness. Karina, 33 years old

The cat materialized on our balcony out of thin air. They went around all the neighbors - no one recognizes him as one of their own. They left because of the children. Red has no manners at all. It doesn’t bother us, but the wallpaper in the hallway has been torn apart in a week. The reaction to the scratching post is still weak. I bought a nail clipper-secateurs with a limiter. Nice, comfortable in the hand. I practice claws, though, only I do - it doesn’t work for others. Victor, 42 years old

I got used to doing cat manicures with regular scissors. A friend saw it once and had to drink it with valerian. I bought and gave Murza a guillotine claw clipper. She said that she is not against cruelty to animals. It was difficult to use at first. The guillotine is unusual after scissors. There were some injuries. But now I understand that the option is better than ordinary scissors. Ira, 18 years old

QuickFinder Deluxe

The model is equipped with built-in sensors that help detect blood vessels inside the claw. Three LEDs indicate the danger of cutting, or vice versa, give the go-ahead. Red - a dangerous haircut, yellow - with caution, green - you can cut it. The model can be used for large breeds of dogs. Its design is very well thought out, so it fits comfortably in the hand.

Pros:

1. Built-in touch sensors to determine the safety of a haircut;
2. Durable and high-quality materials;
3. Suitable for large dogs.

Minuses:

1. The price is above average.

How to trim a dog's nails?

Using a nail clipper, you can learn how to trim your pet’s nails without stress and nerves for both the dog and the owner.

Following these simple rules will help with this:

• start from puppyhood;
• don't force;
• avoid pain;
• choose a moment when the dog is calm;
• praise and encourage.

First of all, it is necessary to gradually slowly accustom the dog to this procedure . Under no circumstances should you do this forcefully. After all, you will have to trim your claws for the rest of your dog’s life. Therefore, it is important that the pet is calm about all manipulations with the nail clipper.

First, you need to let your dog become familiar with the nail clipper. Take the dog's paw, hold it in your hand, stroke it, run the nail clipper over the nails. Gradually increase the time you hold the dog's paw in your hand. Be sure to praise and give a treat at the end of the procedure. The same manipulations are done with each paw several times a day. If the dog gets nervous and breaks out, then it is necessary to interrupt the lesson. After some time, repeat the manipulation. You can reduce the time you hold the paw in your hand. The dog should be rewarded for correct and calm behavior. The procedure should not cause negative emotions. It is important to teach the dog to calmly allow the paw to be fixed for more than one minute. Having achieved this, you can move on to the next stage.

This stage of training should begin with trimming just one claw, and next time - trim another one. You should not treat all the claws at once. Later this will be possible, but now the main thing is to teach the dog to calmly handle manipulations with a nail clipper.

Trimming a dog's claws

When starting the procedure, you should always have some kind of antiseptic and hemostatic agent (talc, baby powder, manganese) nearby. We position ourselves against the light and fix the paw. Gently pressing on the pad, we extend the claw and look at it through the light . Even on dark claws you can see a blood vessel; on light claws it is identified by its pink tint. This is the boundary of the stratum corneum, which cannot be crossed.

Carefully begin to trim the claw perpendicular to its surface , cutting off a little at a time. Due to the difficulty of determining a clear boundary of the vessels on dark claws, you should be especially careful and stop the procedure when a dark dot or a light circle appears in the center of the cut, in which the vessels are visible. There is no need to rush. It is better to trim one or two claws at a time with a nail clipper, taking breaks. At the end, you can trim the cut edges with a nail file.

If you trim too hard and hit a nerve, your dog will experience severe pain and will be afraid of having their nails trimmed. In this case, you need to take a break, calm the pet down, treat it with a treat, and play. After an hour, try cutting again, but more carefully.

The first time you can go to a dog salon or a veterinarian, watch how a specialist works with a nail cutter, and the next time you can trim your pet’s nails yourself.

Codos CP-3400

The model has a built-in battery that is fully charged in 2 hours. Autonomous operation of the model is 3 hours. The nail clipper is equipped with two types of holes, each of which processes the animal’s claws differently. The model is considered completely safe. The nail clipper can also work from the mains, and thanks to the long 2-meter cable, this will be quite convenient.

Pros:

1. 3 hours of battery life;
2. Can work from the network;
3. Long network cable;
4. Rotary motor;
5. Safety of use.

Minuses:

1. High price.

Rating of the best nail clippers

Markethot 440759

The model is considered the most convenient of the other options. It is suitable for beginners and professionals. The nail clipper runs on batteries, of which you can use powerful and weak versions. The model works faster with powerful batteries, and slower with weak batteries. The nail clipper does not cut the claws, but smoothly files them down.

Pros:

1. Convenient model;
2. Files down rather than trims claws;
3. Operates on type C batteries;
4. Affordable price;
5. Does not allow claws to separate;
6. Painless application.

NAIL SCISSORS “HELLO PET”

The nail clipper is made of high quality stainless steel. Thanks to this indicator, the blades do not become dull and remain sharp for a long time. The model's handles are equipped with thick rubber that does not slip in your hands. The model cuts claws well even if you use the nail clipper at different angles. The nail clipper is suitable for small dogs, all breeds of cats and even rabbits. Thanks to high-quality materials, the nail clipper can serve you for quite a long time.

Pros:

1. High quality nail clipper;
2. Comfortable rubberized handles;
3. Double sharpening of the blade;
4. Suitable for cats, small dogs and rabbits;
5. Affordable price.

The Pros and Cons of Trimming Domestic Cats' Nails

This procedure helps protect small children in the house from scratches, when an overly naughty pet can get carried away and accidentally harm the child. In addition, wallpaper, expensive furniture and other household items and clothing will not be damaged. If there are several cats in the house, this will also protect them from injuring each other during quarrels. The main argument animal advocates make against nail trimming is valid. This is the only vital “tool” of an animal, with the help of which it can climb up a tree trunk or building, defend itself from enemies, and get food for itself. Therefore, you should not trim the claws of cats that often walk outside; they are automatically at risk.

Many domestic cats that are well behaved and healthy do not need nail trimming either. They have perfectly learned to get rid of the keratinized part of the plate themselves and will never harm people or the environment in the apartment.

For young and active, exclusively domestic pets, this procedure is acceptable if performed correctly and with an excellent tool.

Nail trimming is a must:

• If you plan to take your pet to a breeding, exhibition or show. In a stressful environment, a cat may accidentally injure a partner or person.
• When the claw grows too quickly. This is typical of the Persians and Sphinxes. With a lack of vitamins D and B, the stratum corneum often peels off and breaks, and the animal may accidentally pull out a claw.
• When the pet is very old, when it is not able to grind its claws on its own. Trimming this often prevents the nail plate from growing into the paw pad.