Some cats don’t often need their nails trimmed, but others, especially indoor cats, will need regular trims to keep those claws under control! As a pet parent, it’s always a good idea to keep a pair of cat nail clippers in your grooming kit, as well as spending the time getting your cat used to having their nails trimmed.
But where do you even start when it comes to choosing the best nail clippers for your cat? The type you’re going to need will vary depending on whether you have a new kitten, a small breed cat, or a giant cat with bigger than average claws. Selecting the right nail clippers for the job will certainly make your life easier and even mean you can avoid getting scratched, which is always a good thing! Also, trying to use larger clippers to trim a kitten’s tiny claws can run the risk of cutting into the delicate quick of their nail, leading to plenty of cat parent guilt!
Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work of tracking down the best cat nail clippers for you. Our reviews cover a range of options, from kitten nail clippers to those best suited for large breeds and everything in between. With our best cat nail trimmers, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect pair for your kitty.
A Glance at Our Favorite Picks in 2023
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Best Overall |
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Hepper Cat Nail Clipper Set |
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Budget Buy |
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JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Nail Clipper |
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Necoichi Purrcision Cat Nail Clippers |
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Pet Republique Cat Nail Clipper |
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FURminator Nail Clippers |
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The 11 Best Cat Nail Clippers
1. Hepper Cat Nail Clipper Set — Best Overall
A not-so-fun task of being a cat owner is keeping your kitty’s nails trimmed and cut when necessary. Lucky for you, the Hepper Cat Nail Clipper Set will help you easily achieve this task for both you and your cat. This cat nail clipper set is perfect for professional and home use, and the stainless steel, razor-sharp blades make clean, quick cuts every time.
In this set, you’ll find a pair of medium clippers, a pair of small clippers, and a black pouch, and as a bonus, you’ll even find a nail file. You can also choose between light blue or grey for clipper colors.
They come with a built-in safety guard that prevents cutting the nails too short, and the ergonomic, non-slip handles add more comfort for you when using. The set includes a locking switch for safe storage, and the small clipper is angled with a spring mechanism that allows for reaching tricky angles with no problem.
The pouch feature allows you to keep the two clippers neatly together for easy access when you need them, and this Hepper nail clipper set is perfect for cats of all sizes and ages, making it our best overall pick. One downfall is these clippers are a bit pricey—but worth the investment.
At Excited Cats, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
- Stainless-steel, razor-sharp blades
- Comfortable ergonomic, non-slip handles
- Includes small clipper for awkward angles
- Comes with a pouch for easy storage
- Locking switch for safe storage
- Expensive
2. JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Nail Clippers — Budget Buy
As our budget buy, we recommend the JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Nail Clipper. These clippers have an ergonomically designed handle covered in a comfort grip soft rubber, designed to help aid control and comfort while you’re clipping your cat’s claws. The stainless-steel blade features a curved half-moon section to help you cut in the right place.
These clippers are small enough to be used for tiny kitten claws, but this does mean the handles are a little too small if you have large hands. These nail clippers are super easy to use, though and are great value for money if you want a pair of nail clippers for occasional use that won’t break the bank.
- Ergonomic handle
- Suitable for cats and kittens
- Great value for money
- Stainless-steel blade
- Small size
3. Necoichi Purrcision Cat Nail Clippers
We also liked the Necoichi Purrcision Cat Nail Clippers. Made in Japan, these high-quality nail clippers are built to stand the test of time. The blades are 30% thinner than most other clippers, which allows you to see where you’re cutting more accurately. This means there’s less chance of cutting into your cat’s delicate nail quick.
These nail clippers have amazing reviews from everyone who tries them, and they are a cut above the rest (excuse the pun). Using clippers that are sharp and accurate means you can get your cat’s nails trimmed quickly with minimal fuss. So, if you have multiple cats that need regular nail trims, these clippers are a great choice that you won’t regret.
- Ultra-sharp edge
- Cushioned handle
- Made in Japan
- Expensive
4. Pet Republique Cat Nail Clipper
The Pet Republique Cat Nail Clippers are a compact design that makes a great addition to your grooming kit. The ergonomic handles are comfortable to hold, making it easier than ever to trim your cat’s nails with minimal stress. The stainless-steel blade has a half-moon curved design that helps correctly position your cat’s nails.
If you’re looking for a basic pair of the best cat claw clippers, these are a great choice. What’s even better is that for every pair sold, Pet Republique donate 15% of their profits to the American Animal Rescue Society, so you can know that you’re helping rescue animals at the same time!
- Stainless-steel blade
- Ergonomic handle
- Half-moon blade
- Expensive
- Not that sharp
5. FURminator Nail Clippers
The FURminator Nail Clippers are a great choice if you have a large breed cat or find the smaller, scissor-style nail clippers uncomfortable to use. The larger, pliers-style handle on these nail clippers can be easier to use, but these clippers do have a much larger blade than some of the other clippers we reviewed, which means they’re difficult to use on tiny kitten claws.
The handle is made from anti-microbial plastic, which means you don’t have to worry about germs in your grooming kit. The sharp, stainless-steel blade on these clippers is designed to give a clean cut, while the adjustable guide helps you position the clippers over the correct area of your cat’s nails.
- Stainless-steel blade
- Comfort-grip handle
- Too large for kittens
- Can be difficult to position
6. Four Paws Ultimate Touch Cat Claw Clipper
Another great pick is the Four Paws Ultimate Touch Cat Claw Clipper. These professional-grade clippers are made with a stainless-steel cutting edge that stays sharp and guarantees a quick cut. The curved half-moon section at the tip of the blade makes it easy to position over your cat’s claws.
The molded handle of these nail clippers is comfortable to hold, but our only issue is that it’s a little small, meaning if you have large hands, these may be difficult to maneuver into position comfortably. The smaller size does mean they’re also perfect for clipping kitten’s nails, and we all know how sharp those can be!
- Stainless-steel blade
- Comfortable handle
- Professional grade
- Easy to use
- Quite small
7. Hartz Groomer’s Best Nail Clipper
The Hartz Groomer’s Best Nail Clipper has been developed by professional groomers and is designed to help you achieve the perfect nail trim from the comfort of your own home. The chunky stainless-steel blade has a half-moon indent, making it easier to position over your cat’s nails. Hartz says that these nail clippers are suitable for all cat breeds, but we think that they’re too large to comfortably use on kittens or small cat breeds.
That said, the hardwearing metal and plastic design should last you for a long time, and these nail clippers also come with a one-year satisfaction guarantee. The ergonomic handle is covered with a soft grip designed to help with comfort and control as you cut your cat’s nails.
- Half-moon stainless-steel blade
- Safety guard
- Not suitable for kittens
- Too large for small breeds
8. ConairPRO Cat Nail Clippers
The ConairPRO Cat Nail clippers are designed specifically for use for small cats and kittens. The delicate stainless-steel blade has built-in safety guards to prevent you from cutting your cat’s nails too short. The non-slip and the ergonomically designed handle is designed to make clipping your cat’s nails pain free for you as well!
While these are a great choice for kittens and small breed cats, they may not be best for larger breeds because the blades are quite small. The same is true for the handles, so you may find these tricky to use if you have larger hands or are used to plier-style clippers.
- Built-in safety guard
- High-quality stainless steel blades
- Fiddly to use
- Too small for large breeds
9. Hertzko Angled Blade Cat Nail Scissors
The Hertzko Angled Blade Cat Nail Scissors have a blade that is angled upward from the handles. This combined with the half-moon indentation make it even easier to see where you’re cutting your cat’s nails so you can avoid cutting them too short. The comfort grip handles are covered in a soft rubber, which makes these scissors easy to grip.
The high-quality blade is made from stainless steel, but it does seem to dull faster than some of the other nail clippers we reviewed. If you only have one cat and don’t plan on using these often, then that shouldn’t be an issue, but if you have multiple cats who all need regular nail trims then you may find the blade loses its sharpness sooner than you might like.
- Professional grade
- Comfort grip handle
- Blade dulls quickly
- Expensive
10. Pet Magasin Dog Nail Clippers
The Pet Magasin Dog Nail Clippers can also be used for larger breeds of cats but are not suitable for kittens or small breeds. The large stainless-steel blade has a safety stop to prevent you from overcutting your cat’s nails, but due to the large blade size, it can be tricky to tell if you’ve positioned it in the correct spot.
The handle on these nail clippers is comfortable to hold, but the clippers themselves feel a little clunky to use. If you have a fidgety cat, then it can be a bit of a challenge to keep them in position while you work out where to place the clippers on their nail.
- Safety lock
- Not suitable for kittens
- Not suitable for small cat breeds
- Clunky to use
- Blade dulls quickly
11. Resco Original Cat Nail Clippers
The Resco Original Cat Nail Clippers are heavy duty and made entirely from stainless steel, as they are designed for use in professional grooming salons. The steel is chrome or red plated, adding a shiny and durable finish. The guillotine-style cutting action of these best cat claw clippers does take getting used to, but some cats and owners seem to prefer it.
They are slightly too big to comfortably trim kitten’s nails though, so bear in mind that these aren’t going to be suitable for smaller cat breeds either. At the moment, it’s not possible to purchase replacements blades, so when your blade does start to dull, you may have to buy a whole new pair of clippers.
- Professional-grade
- Difficult to use
- Expensive
- Not suitable for kittens
- Not possible to buy replacement blades
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Cat Nail Clippers
Trying to figure out which nail clippers are going to suit your cat the best can feel like an uphill struggle. Our Buyer’s guide is designed to help you cut through all the information and work out exactly what it is that you need.
Cat Nail Clipper Features
Before you go ahead and buy those clippers, take the time to figure out which features are most important for your cat.
- Size and type. Using nail clippers designed for large breed cats on a tiny kitten isn’t going to end well, and the same is true of the opposite scenario. Nail clippers for smaller breeds of cats are usually scissor types, with smaller blades. These are also suitable for kittens of all breeds. Nail clippers designed for larger breed cats are often a plier design and can also be used for dogs. You might need to buy a smaller pair and then upgrade as your cat grows. You can also get nail grinders, which we’ve covered in a separate post h
- Blades. Stainless steel is the best option for the blades of nail clippers. They need to be sharp to effectively cut through your cat’s nails. Blunt blades can end up painfully crushing or splitting nails instead, which can make clipping nails in the future a challenge! Some nail clippers can be sharpened, while this isn’t possible for others. Many cat nail clippers have a half-moon shaped curve within one blade, which can help you identify where to cut your cat’s nails accurately.
- Handles. Cutting your cat’s nails can be a fiddly business, so it’s important to choose a pair of clippers with handles that are going to be comfortable to use. Scissor-style handles allow for a great level of control, but they’re sometimes too small to use comfortably if you have larger hands. The plier style of nail clippers designed for larger cats can be more comfortable but make sure to choose non-grip handles
- Safety guard. You’ll find one of these on certain cat nail clippers, and it’s designed to prevent you from cutting too much of the nail off in one go. If you’re not confident about trimming your cat’s nails, then using clippers with a safety guard is a good idea.
Why should you trim your cat’s nails?
Clipping your cat’s nails regularly helps prevent their nails from growing too long, which can lead to painful ingrown nails, not to mention the risk of painful scratches for us humans! Because you’ll need to maintain your cat’s nails frequently, you’ll want to make the job easier by using the best cat nail trimmer you can find.
Some cats don’t need their nails trimmed all that often, while others may need them done up to every two weeks. Trimming your cat’s nails can also help remove the outer layers of the old nail that has sloughed away. It’s this that cats are trying to remove when they use their scratching post or your furniture!
If you have a kitten, getting them used to have their paws handled and their nails gently trimmed from a young age is a great way to make sure they don’t have any issues with this procedure as they grow up.
It’s also easy to train an older cat to accept having their nails trimmed, as long as you’re patient, offer them plenty of treats, and start only trimming one or two claws at a time.
Conclusion
We’re sure that these reviews of our favorite cat nail clippers include one that will be a great choice for your cat. As a reminder, for the best overall cat nail clippers, we selected the Hepper Cat Nail Clipper Set. The professional-grade stainless-steel blades on these clippers make quick work of trimming the claws of cats at all stages of life. We found this to be the best cat nail trimmer available this year, as it’s suitable for many cats.
As the budget-friendly option, we love the JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Nail Clipper. The ergonomic handle on these clippers is easy and comfortable to hold, while the sharp blade makes nail trimming painless and hassle-free.
We hope that we’ve helped you narrow down the huge choice of cat nail clippers out there! You can be sure that one of our top choices will be exactly what your cat needs. After a quick nail trim for your cat, we bet that your family (and your furniture) will be grateful!
Featured Image Credit: Yimmyphotography, Shutterstock
Contents Overview
- A Glance at Our Favorite Picks in 2023
- The 11 Best Cat Nail Clippers
- 1. Hepper Cat Nail Clipper Set — Best Overall
- 2. JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Nail Clippers — Budget Buy
- 3. Necoichi Purrcision Cat Nail Clippers
- 4. Pet Republique Cat Nail Clipper
- 5. FURminator Nail Clippers
- 6. Four Paws Ultimate Touch Cat Claw Clipper
- 7. Hartz Groomer’s Best Nail Clipper
- 8. ConairPRO Cat Nail Clippers
- 9. Hertzko Angled Blade Cat Nail Scissors
- 10. Pet Magasin Dog Nail Clippers
- 11. Resco Original Cat Nail Clippers
- Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Cat Nail Clippers
- Conclusion