Is It Safe To Paint Your Cat’s Nails?

A photo of a tabby cat and her owner sporting matching sparkly purple manicures recently went viral on Twitter. The picture inspired many social media users to post copycat “nailfies” of their dogs and cats’ colorful paws. The question is – is it actually safe to paint your cat’s nails?

No matter how irresistible twinning with cat is, human nail polish can be toxic to cats, so under no circumstances should pet owners paint an animal’s nails with the same product they use at the salon.

The chemicals that nail polish contains can pose serious health risks if inhaled, licked or chewed by your cat. Even regular nail polish without these ingredients could irritate your cat’s highly sensitive nasal cavity.

According to testing done on nail products from California salons, several polishes labeled toxin-free actually contained one or more of the “toxic three” chemicals: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde. All these three chemicals are linked to chronic health conditions if inhaled. If you are a responsible cat owner you shouldn’t expose your cat to potentially toxic nail products.

If you do your own nails at home, keep your cat out of the room until the job is done, your nails are completely dry, you’ve put all the products away out of reach of your catt, and you’ve washed your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.

Image source: Twitter