SCREW THIS!!!! I give up clipping his nails

renovia

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I have just resigned myself to the fact that I am completely and utterly unable to clip Luxor's nails. I try time and time again, treats, sleeping, scruffing, double teaming, you name it....he just will have none of it.

do any of you have cats that you just have to have a groomer/vet clip their nails???? I feel like a failure as a meowmy.... why can't i cut them???? I can clip stoli!!!!!!
 

salemwitchchild

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Do you have someone helping you? I couldn't do it when I first adopted Puff by myself. I don't think he had ever had anyone do it before so it freaked him out a bit. Hubby held 3 legs while I was clipping nails on the other leg.
 

ali012281

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When I first started doing Meishka's claws it would take quite awhile to finish all 4 paws. Sometimes I'd only get one paw done in a day. Other days we'd fight and I'd end up almost sitting on her. On the non clip days I'd play with her paws and pet them so she would get used to me touching them.

Eventually she'd just sit on my lap and I'd hold her while I'd clip and I would be done in just a few minutes. It took time... and a few bandaids and neosporin but we acomplished it.

Sorry you're having such a rough go with things!! Maybe once kitty gets used to the vet or groomer doing it you'll be able to as well?
 
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renovia

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i sure hope so, i've had luxor since october and he's always been a real pain in the keester....

i'm just so angry with him. i know 'i'm' supposed to be the boss and when i say he's had enough, he's had enough but he ALWAYS has the last say
 

pookie-poo

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I can do Cleo & Maggie with no problem...well, Maggie struggles. I absolutely can not do Lola. I can sometimes get one nail....then forget it! I can maybe get one nail a day on her. After about the second or third nail (read second or third day), she's wise to me and bolts if I so much as look at her paw. It takes me weeks...by the time I get the last one done, it's time to start over. The last time I tried to clip Lola's nails, she reached up and bit me on the lower lip!!!
 

kai bengals

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Ah yes, the ole nail clipping fiasco..........

You're not alone.
Teri and I can't manage Jack to clip his nails and we're seasoned veterans at this sort of thing. We gave up and take him to the Vet to be trimmed when he needs it. (like before a show)

It takes the Vet and 2 techs to get him trimmed up. He's as strong as an Ox and gives them what for, everytime.

He such a sweet boy, but the nail clipping turns him into writhing fire breathing hairy octopus on steroids.
 

gingersmom

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I consider myself extremely lucky if I can sneak up on Ferris and manage to get one or two clipped before he absolutely FREAKS. And the last thing I want to do is screw up my relationship with this boy.


It looks like a once or twice a year thing for us - we'll get it done at the next vet visit.


It isn't YOU, it's THEM.


 

goldenkitty45

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Well the toughest one I had (actually two) was a turkish angora and he gave me a fit when I had to clip nails - took me 2 days to do him.

The other one was my sister's cat - about 12-14 lbs - I wound up sitting on the cat and holding him down....but he got his nails clipped!

Take the cat to the groomer or vet - problem is nails need to be cut pretty often - perhaps they will give you a discount since you'd have to do it about every 2 weeks - any longer then that and you might have more trouble.

I would say "bring him over here and I'll do him" - haven't had a cat yet that I could not do
hey Nial - I"m willing to tackle Jack
 

jellybella

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Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

He such a sweet boy, but the nail clipping turns him into writhing fire breathing hairy octopus on steroids.
that's Stan in a nutshell. I have to get him when he's asleep (very asleep). We can't even double-team him. He just turns into a ball of limbs and squeaks and squirms. He's gentle, so he won't try to bite and he only scratches with his back legs (trying to get away really), but lordy does it freak him out.

There's no shame in letting the vet/groomer do it. It's better than damaging your relationship with them. Let those other mean people do it
 
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renovia

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well - guess to the vet he goes. don't want to damage our relationship and he does turn into a wriggling little octopus......
 

kai bengals

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I would say "bring him over here and I'll do him" - haven't had a cat yet that I could not do
hey Nial - I"m willing to tackle Jack
You betcha!
I'll get my video camera.
 

howtoholdacat

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Have you tried waiting until he's in a deep sleep and clipping until he starts to wake then leaving him alone? The element of surprise is a powerful tool!
 

kai bengals

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Originally Posted by howtoholdacat

Have you tried waiting until he's in a deep sleep and clipping until he starts to wake then leaving him alone? The element of surprise is a powerful tool!
Jack sleeps with one eye open at all times. I think he was an old west outlaw in a previous life.
Sounds like Luxor might have been his partner.
 

gingersmom

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Originally Posted by howtoholdacat

Have you tried waiting until he's in a deep sleep and clipping until he starts to wake then leaving him alone? The element of surprise is a powerful tool!
I've TRIED this with Ferris. Problem is, when he was a baby he was so feral he actually slept with his eyes open and on full alert.

Now he gets into a deeper sleep and actually closes his eyes, but as soon as I come near him his eyes SNAP open.

Having permanent scars from some serious bloody slashes this boy has given me is the reminder to me that forcing the nail clipping thing is just not worth it.


We're on HIS terms...until the next vet visit. Hopefully, I can sneak in a clipped nail or two before then.
 

ddcats

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When I feel like it, mommy wraps them in a towel like a mummy, and do one paw at a time. It's a lot of work, so I don't do it too often. Mittens needs her nails cut now.
 

merlynn's mom

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I totally agree with you!


Merlynn, my crazy tabby female, came to me at 8 weeks (she was a stray). From that time, I brushed her teeth and would clip her nails. She got so used to me doing these things (I do them in the bathroom so I can close the door and she can't get away), that as soon as the bathroom door would open, she'd jump on top of the closed toilet seat and wait for her yummy treat at the end of her teeth brushing.

Now, don't even think about clipping this little one's nails.
Woo wee. She goes nuts.

Brushing her teeth, she'll still tolerate, but something about getting her nails clipped sends her through a loop. She'll claw her way up my neck and wriggle around until I just let her go b/c it's too traumatic for me and for her. Who wants that?

So there is a cat's only boarding "resort" (I call it that b/c that's what it is to me
) that I take both of my cats to so I can get their nails clipped. They are sooo sweet there and only charge $5 per cat. It's easier and way less traumatic. And I walk away with happy kitties.

You're not a failure as a meowmy...these kids just know what to do to get their way. So we have to outsmart them to get our way...their nails have to be clipped, so someone else can be the "bad guy."


Good luck!

PS I've taken them to the vet to have their nails clipped while they are there on a regular visit and it's not worth it b/c they charge $10 per cat and don't do any better of a job than the boarding resort.
 

howtoholdacat

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Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

Jack sleeps with one eye open at all times. I think he was an old west outlaw in a previous life.
.
Cat's sleeping with eyes open is new to me. Friday sleeps so soundly I've actually checked to see that he's still living.

There is something to be said for taking an animal out of their element to do unpleasant things. Often vet techs can trim claws, etc. more easily because they're not "Mom" and the animal is too distracted by other things to put up much of a fight. Naturally, this doesn't work with all animals. (Friday I'm looking at you!)
 

katiemae1277

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My Rainbow kitty Simon was like this
and he had claws of steel, i was always covered in scratches, but to try to clip his nails was like shaking hands with Edward Scissorhands, just not a smart move
the vet tech tried once.... and he about bit through to the bone
I just let him keep his claws
 

trixie23

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Im with you...The bf does the nail clipping because I just cant get the kitties to behave for me when I do it! My kitten I tried doing once by myself and cut right next to the quick (she yelped, was fine...no bleeding and continued playing)! After that close call I cant bring myself to do it! My kitten fears my bf and maybe that is why she behaves and just gets it over with! The older cat is to big and fat for me to hold myself... Plus he is a yeller and a squirmer... I feel your pain! I never had much of an issue trimming my dogs nails!
 

rapunzel47

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I used to clip Shasta (RB). Started out doing her every couple of weeks, and had something akin to Nial's '...octopus on steriods', and the whole world knew that she was being tortured and murdered in the grossest possible fashion. Naturally this made me procrastinate, until her claws started catching in stuff -- and lo and behold, it took only one clipping at that stage for her to realize that clipping fixed something SHE didn't like. Thereafter, if I waited for the claws to catch, she cooperated with only the merest token of protest, and everyone was happy.

Gryph and Nibs came to us declawed so it wasn't an issue with them. The current crew manage to keep theirs at a manageable length for the most part, so I haven't tampered with our relationship.
They do go out, though, so that helps.
 
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