Cats nails

Question
It's extremely hard for me to get my cat into a carrier to take her to the vet and/or groomer.  She has all 4 claws. MAYBE, I can get a few front claws done when she is sleepy.  However, the back ones I can NEVER get to.  Is it true that their nails only grow to a certain point %26 stop?  A friend's vet told her that.  She has a cat that won't go in a carrier and she hasn't trimmed the nails in years.  Don't their nails begin to curl?  What happens to feral cats?  No one trims their nails.

Answer
Lou,

I can find nothing about any limits to the growth of cat's claws.  However, in the wild, they constantly are scratching on rough surfaces, like trees, stone walls, etc. which helps remove the outer sheath and keep the claws from growing uncontrollably.  The claws on the hind legs grow much more slowly and are generally not as sharp.

We have had one case of a claw defect where the claw on one thumb grew into the paw pad and had to be removed.  

To clip claws you can try a few at a time, as you are now doing and just take the tips off.  We like to use a pet nail scissors which is not very large and will not frighten the cat.  Still, it would be good if she has a sturdy exercise post she can stretch out to full length (from the tips of her hind toes to the tips of her front toes stretched over her head) and scratch those front claws on something like raw wood, sisal, or closed loop carpet.

If the cat cannot scratch, the claws on the front feet will tend to curl underneath.

Best regards... Norm.