Cat's paw (tool)

A cat's paw is a round or hexagonal bar that curves at one end to form a pointed, cup-shaped tip with a V-shaped cleft for gripping nailheads. To use the tool you hold the tool's shank with one hand and drive the claw around a nailhead with a hammer. When the V is firmly seated around the nail's shank, you pull the bar back to raise the head, then finish pulling the nail with the hammer's claw. The cat's paw is well designed for demolition work but because it tears up the wood around the nailhead, should not be used for finish work.