Major Nail Clipping Issues. Need Help?

seaneka

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Hey I have a one year old Bengal who has quite the attitude when it comes to clipping her claws. I can clip my siamese one on my own, she cries but lets me do it easily.

When it comes to Kaia she fights like hell. Even with my boyfriend holding her she fights and fights. I have tons of scars on my arms from her due to our struggles. If we hold tighter she fights harder.


We try to get her while she is sleeping, but as soon as she wakes up and realizes what we are doing she either, hisses, bites us, or bolts. Lol.

I DO NOT WANT TO DECLAW HER. But her nails are getting so long and are carpets are getting trashed.

I don't know what to do. Do you think a vet would give me a slight sedative to keep her calm when we do this
 

bella713

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Maybe you can take her into your vet and have them do it...Our cat sophia screams bloody murder and growls at us when we try to do hers so we do 1 or 2 at a time and most of the time take her to the groomer...she's good for them. Good Luck
 

breal76

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none of your bussines

AbbysMom

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Could you get a vet or the groomer to try Soft Paws on her?
 

adhzedan

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I wrap my cats in a towel quite tightly, allowing only one paw to hang out at a time, and have my husband hold as I clip. I also put a can of tuna where the cat can easily see it and smell it. So far I have had no problems... We got our cats when they were 6 months old and it didn't look like their claws had ever been clipped. They struggled the first few times but now they just lie in the towel, looking pitiful, sniffing the tuna (a rare treat for them).
 

mzjazz2u

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I also wrap Jake tightly in a towel and pull out one paw at a time. It works well for us. I think Jake actually kind of likes being wrapped up in a towel and held like a baby.
 

tiffanyjbt

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Duke, my siamese, is TERRIBLE when it comes to clipping his nails. He howls the second I flex his claws. He squirms and thrashes and hisses and... did I mention he howls!?! He doesn't bite or scratch intentionally though, but its pretty near impossible to get it all done in one sitting. We usually let the vet do it, but in between visits we do as much as he/we can tolerate, then give him some treats and let him go. Then we try again later.

(incidentally, I'm getting a bengal soon and I'm PRAYING he's better about trimming his claws *crosses fingers*)

Good luck!

Tiffany
 

goldenkitty45

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If kittens are started on nail clipping at a very early age (like 1 month old), and the clipping is done on a routine basis (once a week) you should not have as much as a struggle when adult.

I suggest you wrap the bengal up in a towel and do one foot at a time. At the beginning, try one foot a day to clip. Reward the bengel with a treat for good behavior. Yes it will take time and 2 people (one to hold/one to clip) but start checking and trimming as needed once a week.

In between times, when you are petting him play with his feet without the nail clipper in hand.

I trained all my cats to get nails done from a month old and to lay on their backs on my lap. Ling doesn't like it but she tolerates it.
 

meow meow

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Ugh! The older my kitty gets the harder this is getting for me also. I've been doing it for four months (since he was four months old). He hasn't bitten or scratched me yet but he struggles and howls like I am trying to kill him. I would love to be able to do the back feet but I value my skin too much.

My question is how is a groomer going to have an easier time? Do they harness them or something?

I find my cat also has to be in the right mood for a nail clipping. Sometimes he is just not going to put up with it. And... he needs a treat after every nail clipped.
 

goldenkitty45

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I have no idea how groomer's do nails on cats - I've always done them myself after watching the vet do it one time.

I have to take my dog to the vet's/groomers to have her nails done - she won't cooperate and her nails are tough - she's a 65 lb lab. It would be a lot easier if I could do the dog


Bring your cat to me, I'll show you how to do it
 

epona

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Did Radar's last night, having finally bought some good clippers from the vet! Managed to do one paw by myself, and got Nate to hold him on his lap in a sitting up position for the rest.

What makes it easier with him is that he is used to having his feet handled. Right from when he was very young, whenever he was feeling cuddly I would hold a foot for a few seconds telling him he was a good boy, stroking his foot tufts, and gently extending all the claws on that foot one at a time but without clipping. He is now quite used to having his paws held and played with and doesn't mind having them clipped at all.

I think if I had an older cat who really put up a fight I would have the vet or a groomer do it, but also try to get the cat used to having its paws held for a few seconds and claws extended without clipping, rewarding with treats after handling the feet so that they associate foot handling more with the treat bag than with the clippers.
 

abigail

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Abi fights against being constrained too. So I use the dangle method.

I saw this on the animal planet and it works like a charm but needs two people for claw trimming ( at first) . One person picks up your cats and holds the cat with both hands under the front paws, letting the body dangle, then you sway back and forth a little--- it's just the position the mom cat would have had if she was scruffing and carrying her. your cats is really disarmed by this. I saw it done with baby lions. then the other person takes a paw, presses and clips. there is nothing to fight against or push off from and they cant bite or scratch you very well ( but wear long sleeves anyway) when i had to give my cat antibiotics three times a day orally by syringe this is the method I used.

Now I am so good at it I can dangle her over my arm and trim nails at the same time. My vet laughs when Abi automatically ends up in dangle position to be examined. They said it's really hysterical.
 

goldenkitty45

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Interesting concept. I can see why it would work. Just be sure you have good support on the shoulders/under the front paws. Seems weird picturing it
 

girlieq

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That sounds like what my fiancee does with Rowan. Kinda a 'flying kitty' type thing, but he seems so calm. So calm, in fact, that he doesn't even play with the pullstrings on the lights when he's being held like that. He holds his ribcage with one hand, and his hind feet with the other. Rowan is too big and heavy for my poor shoulders and little arms to hold him like that, but we might try clipping when Daddy gets back.

I started trimming my cats' claws when they were wee kittens, but Rowan started fighting like mad at about 6 months. I'd already trained them not to scratch on anything expensive (while I was watching) with the softpaws, but since Rowan went on his trimming strike, I haven't really needed softpaws on either one of them.

And it's not that Rowan won't let me touch his paws, because he loves me to hold his paws at night when he's being cuddly. He likes me to stroke his paws (even the pads!), and feel his claws, he just really hates that stupid nail trimmer. I never cut them too short, he just goes nuts when he feels a nail being trimmed now.
 

purefusion

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My parents cat, Cookie always put up a huge fuss when I'd clip her nails. She'd howl, and growl, and hiss and occassionally bite (but very gently--it was a warning). She'd make some kind of noise with every nail! At first we were using human toe nail clippers which would make a loud "snap" with each claw. We figured she was reacting to the noise, so we switched to the scissor-style claw trimmers. Then she'd yowl only after I'd already clipped one or two. Now, five years later, she only gives an upset growl after I've finished all 10 of them. She's gotten much more used to it and I guess she's admitted to herself that it really doesn't hurt.

Then this summer we decided to put Soft Claws on her, and she is much happier now. When she loses a soft claw, I only have to clip one or two nails and apply the cap, instead of doing all ten. So it's much quicker and she can get her treat sooner.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

If kittens are started on nail clipping at a very early age (like 1 month old), and the clipping is done on a routine basis (once a week) you should not have as much as a struggle when adult.

I suggest you wrap the bengal up in a towel and do one foot at a time. At the beginning, try one foot a day to clip. Reward the bengel with a treat for good behavior. Yes it will take time and 2 people (one to hold/one to clip) but start checking and trimming as needed once a week.

In between times, when you are petting him play with his feet without the nail clipper in hand.

I trained all my cats to get nails done from a month old and to lay on their backs on my lap. Ling doesn't like it but she tolerates it.
That's what we've always done as well. I still play with their feet even when just cuddling with them. If we put one finger on Mika's pad she will spread her toes and unsheath her claws for us.
 
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