No! It's not needed. THAT is definitely not a DIY project.
Provide a scratch post for your cat and it will do it on it's own.
Should I trim my cats nails, back and front paws every so often?
It's very easy to cut the blood vessels in their nails ... So it's best to have a professional trim them if they need it.
I have occasionally adopted an abandoned car, but I don't really know much about them.
I think they are rather reliant on their claws for self protection. I would check with the Vet for sure.
"Declawing" is much more aggressive procedure than one might think. If you ever consider that. Be sure you find out what it actually entails---both for you and the cat.
A Veterinarian🐺.
I trim my cats front paws regularly. I've done it since they were little, so they are used to it. I hold them, put my hand on their paw, press gently on their middle paw pad, and trim gently. I only take off a small amount. If you are not comfortable, and that's the key, because animals can sense discomfort, have a professional do it. In my case me trimming was more feasible, because it was more traumatic to take them to see a professional. If you do it, have someone show you how to do it, and get the proper tool.
On the other hand, I would never trim my dogs nails. That was ALWAYS done by a professional.
I have trimmed my cat's front claws on occasion - his sometimes gets too long and I have to intervene. Don't trim the back claws - they don't need it. If you start trimming when they are young, that works best.
If you are attempting this when they're older, just have the vet do it during their annual exam.
If you attempt to trim and the cat becomes upset, let go of your cat so they can calm down. It's not worth it if they become distraught.
There is no set time period in which to trim nails because as you noted, all cats' nails do not grow at the same rate. Once a week is usually good for cats with nails that grow very fast (usually the front grow faster than the hind claws). For your cat who gives you trouble while clipping claws, you can probably get her used to it over time, but for difficult cats, it's sometimes wiser to trim just one or two claws per session. You are trimming more often but you get them all done in rotation, I have two cats that must be done this way, For them I find that the type of trimmer you use is most important. The small bird claw clippers are good for front nails For the tough ones, I use human toenail clippers because they are faster and stronger than the scissors type, although they do split the ends a little compared to the scissor type clippers. You may want to take your difficult one to the vet for the first big nail clipping and then continue to trim off just the tips weekly, or one or two toes day, whatever works for you.