Why would this happen? Lately my cat has been walking around like she has velcro on her feet. She sticks to the carpets. Yesterday I heard her yowling in distress–ran downstairs and she was hanging from the back of the couch by two claws. Apparently she had tried to jump up and got her claws stuck in the fabric and was just hanging there helpless. 
Anyone seen this happen before, and what would cause it??
Anecdotal explanation only from me - I’m not an actual medical professional. Had this with two cats who were both older, and always wondered if it had something to do with geriatric issues - changes in blood levels affecting muscle function, maybe low potassium or kidney levels or ? I believe changes in potassium (or is it phosphorus?) can make the nails thicker and longer. Something to investigate.
A caller to a local NPR radio program about pet care asked this same question of the vet on the panel and he just verbally shrugged as if he had no clue, had never seen this, and suggested clipping the nails. Clipping the nails did help mine, but wish the “expert” had made a more educated guess.
Oh, I forgot to mention, she is only seven.
Our vet offices all consider seven to be the beginning of geriatric. Which makes me wonder what that makes an 18 or 20 year old cat. In any case, I’d clip her claws because that really does help (don’t forget the dew claws, which is where ours would often get hung up). As to why, next time she’s due for an exam maybe you want to do a blood panel? And what is her diet?
This has happened with both my cats. It started when they were about the age of your cat. I clip their nails regularly now and its not a problem.
Don’t know if there’s a medical issue, but I’d check how long her claws are first - my big dumb cat gets his toenails clipped regularly (probably once every couple of weeks) and I trim my parents’ cat’s toenails at least a couple of times a year. If left unclipped, she grows huge, needle sharp eagle talons that catch on stuff when she walks (the chenille bedspread was really tough!).
Cat toenails are (relatively speaking) easy to clip - they’re white, so you can easily see where the quick is and they’re not as tough as dog toenails. You should be able to get a pair of cat/bird nail scissors for $5 or so at your local pet supply place. I started out with a full face muzzle for my big cat, but now just hold him on my lap. Parents’ cat was tougher, but I used to swaddle her in a big towel and extract one leg at a time - lots of yowling, but she’s gotten used to it enough to be able to do her “pedi” while she’s sitting on the sofa next to me, no towel required - just a little firmness and patience. My guy gets some of his hairball medicine as a reward for behaving during nail trims - he really likes that. Parents’ girl gets to run off and think bad thoughts about me.
Decent pictures, though I don’t like the guillotine clippers for cats (total overkill) and kitty in the photos is very cooperative: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/cliented/cat_claws.aspx
If it’s all too much, your local groomer will probably do it for you.
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[QUOTE=jnel;5685500]
…I clip their nails regularly now and its not a problem.[/QUOTE]
:yes:
Do cats have dew claws on all 4 feet? Mine only has them on his front feet…is that weird?
had a youngish cat whom I could hear walking on the linoleum…
Indoor cat at the time… the claws didn’t wear much indoors. general nail clipping solved that problem.
I think I need to do it to new kitty, too, since she gets hung a lot, too.
no, I don’t think I have seen dew claws on the hind legs yet…
Then again, I had not seen a cat with thumbs before either, so I am not saying that it can’t be 
Thanks all! We just clipped her claws. She was a little weirded out by it but cooperated. She’s limping a little, but I think she must have just pulled something when she was hanging from the couch yesterday. Hopefully she’ll be better now.
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I have a cat whos older now but ever since he showed up “belonged to a neighbor but ended up with us” hes had the sharpest claws of any cat iv ever had hes got giant paws and his claws dont retract all the way. I suppose we should have trimmed them as a kitten but since hes free to come and go in or out as he pleases we didnt think it wise to mess with his defences. You can always hear him walkin through the house at night but he doesnt get caught on anything and it doesnt seem to bother him, he also keeps them razor sharp to the point its hard to play with him without it ending in bloodshed but im of the mind to let a cat be a cat and if its not broke dont fix it. Just wondering if anyone else has a cat who has always had semi unretractable claws
What hairball med do you give? Mine hates all the ones I’ve tried!
I’ve read that the human-type nail clippers aren’t good on cats because their claws are shaped so differently from our nails. I used a pair like the blue-handled ones in that article, the ones it calls the scissors-type.
My girl gets her claws clipped as needed, every few months. She’s gotten better about it, just wriggles now instead of fussing. She gets a treat for each completed paw. She would not consider hairball treatment a treat so I would love to know what kind your kitty considers a reward!
“Johnsmith” bumped up a 6-year-old thread for some reason.
human nail clippers are perfectly fine I used them for years in clinic… You want to trim side to side rather than up and down. Many older cats no longer chew or groom their nails and they will grown quite long because they do not get worn down. Often older cats nails will get quite thick as the outer shells are not chewed off when the cat cares for its feet.
for hair ball prep, try mixing Vaseline into wet food.
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Yes this is an old thread but, I’m glad it was revived! My 9 year old female cat has started sticking to the carpet. She is overweight so it could be a combination metabolic and age. The thought of trying to clip her nails is a daunting one, that girl is dangerous when she’s mad. :winkgrin:
I’ll roll her in a towel and rub her front paws, give a treat, release, and repeat. If I can’t get it done I’ll take her to the vet, they have an in-house groomer.
Usually it’s a prelude to spam.
Seems pretty thought out response though. Wierd.
Ditto what hoopee says and also Older hyperthyroid cats often get thick unretractable nails.
I just found this thread today by googling “cats claws sticking in carpet” its the like 4th page listed. Maybe they did the same? Its funny though because I was just telling my husband that it sounds like my cat has velcro on her feet and then I read the OP.
But my cat isn’t even a year old. Shes also gotten where she won’t jump up on stuff anymore, she just meows until I pick her up and set her up on whatever it is she wants on. She use to be a really good jumper but lately shes not wanted to jump and seems to have no balance, falling and stumbling a lot.
I was really worried about her for a few days and also noticed she wasn’t using her litter box as much as she use to. But she seems to be getting better now. I don’t know what was going on with her. But she still sticks to the carpet.
Whew - serious thread necromancy here, as both of the cats I mentioned way back when have passed on since then, but back when the big guy was still around, he was pretty unpicky about hairball meds. He’d happily eat Laxatone (which I think was malt flavored) or any of the other knockoffs - one of which came in a tuna flavor, if I remember correctly.
