There's a need for this only if claws grow very long. This doesn't happen if cat lives active life, runs, climbs trees so claws keep on grinding off. Claws of cat that don't like or can't move much - because of disorders, old age or because of indoor way of life - may become too long and cling to carpets and upholstered furniture. Cat may even bite its' claws scratching away dead scales and drawing new "scratchiers".
The fifth claw in cats, settled on the hind side of fore limbs just up the fingers never can scratch anything and grows without any bars, so in old animals it rolls in a ring and even may pierce the skin.
It would be quite good for you to check claws length routinely. Remember: claws on hind limbs are shorter than on fore limbs. If claws have no pigment (gauzy) one can see red blood vessels under them that reach almost their tips. If a vessel doesn't reach the its', the claw is too long so a veterinary can easily cut it off, with no danger to injure a vessel and thereby cause bleeding. If a claw is pigmented (black) the vessel is invisible and point where one should cut the claw is determined experimentally. Remember: as the claw grow the vessel grows too, so if you cut the claw to its' normal length you may damage the vessel; it would be better to cut the claw so as to make it a little longer than usually and cut it again in a couple of weeks.
Ask someone to hold a cat on the table and one by one cut claws on all paws. Take the pad of paw from below and behind the claw with your forefinger and the skin above the claw with your thumb and slightly squeeze fingers. At that claws will get out of pads. On completion of cutting one may polish sharp edges with a nail file or emery.
Make an accurate section across the claw, but not slantwise. If bleeding still occurs it may be stopped by means of styptic pencil; or by putting on a piece of textile or by pouring some neutral powder - talc or flour. Often it is enough to push the claw in a piece of soap to stop week bleeding. If the bleeding is serious bandage the wound tightly and visit a veterinary. Cutting is necessary if the claw was broken and a piece of it hangs on its' end. It is better to cut the piece totally and if it bleeds follow in the way as stated above. Cutting claws in order to blunt them and save the furniture from the cat is really a wasted labor. At first opportunity the cat will sharpen them.