Cat's paw (nail puller)

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A cat's paw is a standard carpenter's tool, consisting of 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 the user holds the tool's shank with one hand and drives the claw around a nailhead with a hammer. When the V is firmly seated around the nail's shank, the users pull the bar back to raise the head, then finishes 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.