Question
I admit I am against clipping a cat's claws, so I have no experience in the area. Because I don't clip the claws of my cats I naturally have not seen how it affects them. Most of my concern is about the climbing ability of a cat after its claws have been clipped dull. Can a cat climb just as well with clipped claws as with needle sharp claws?
Below is a photo of a climbing tree that has no platforms until the top of the tree. Can a cat climb it easily with clipped claws? How about an outdoors cat climbing a natural tree, which could be more difficult to climb than a sisal-rope coated indoors tree?
Answer
We have one cat who climbs up a similar post in our house, and it doesn't seem to matter if her claws are trimmed or not. The other cats prefer to jump to the shelf rather than climb, but I guess that's personality driven.
We don't allow our cats outside (too much risk of disease or injury) so I don't know about the affects of trimmed claws on outdoor climbing.
Answered By - Zaralynda