Clipping nails

fostermomm

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I need help. Ive been trying to lip Calamity's nails since I first caught her. But she is such a little brat about it. I have successfully clipped the same one nail about 3 different times. LOL She starts growling and twisting and trying to bite. Any ideas on how to make things easier for her and me. No one else can touch her so I cant get anyone else to help. I just need some clues. She's been scratching my wall up lately and I live in an apartment so thats a major no no.


Skye girl is awesome she just lays there and watches me clip every front nail. She doesnt let me clip the backs and they stay fairly short so Im not to worried about them. The foster kittens I just got them used to it from the time they were tiny and they dont give a care.
 

goldenkitty45

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Try the towel or scruff her on the neck and make her stay still. Be in charge. She's figured out if she struggles or trys to bite, you will let her go. Tell her to cut it out and behave/sit still in a very firm voice.

When she complains, struggles/bites; stop for a few seconds, tell her no, then take charge again and do another nail. YOU decide when to end it. Even if you only do one foot a day, you let her down when you are finished.
 

trouts mom

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I sit on Trout's back, and hold her in place that way..I do not actually put weight on her, just around her with my legs so she can't move.

It works wonders...and make sure they get lots of treats afterwards for being good.
Don't give up!
 

mschauer

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Is she a lap cat? My Toby *hates* nail clipping. Course he hates having anything done to him. I manage to get it done if I can get him settled and happy in my lap, scratch him, pet him, cuddle him, quickly snip 1 nail, then more scratching, petting, quickly snip another, etc..

Doing the clipping quickly is the key with him. I can't keep hold of his paw for more than a second or two before he starts getting upset. I have one of the small, scissor type clippers that I can hold in the same hand I'm scratching him with and use the other hand to pick a claw to clip. Then I quickly do the snip and am back to scratching him within a second or two. Cats can be so difficult...


Medora
 
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fostermomm

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No Calamity isnt a lap cat shes semi feral.She was on her own most of her life until I got her and her kittens. So she doesnt let me hold her at all. She never willingly lets me pick her up. And she never actually lets me touch her without growling. She rubs on my body and hands but Im not able to reach down and pet her.
 

goldenkitty45

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A friend of mine rescued a litter of kittens from some cruel kids who were trying to set them on fire. I think it was 3-4 in the litter. Everyone was treated the same, but the one female was almost completely ferel but willing to live inside the house.

No one could get near her, pet her, or do anything with her. She would come up to you, rub your legs but the minute she saw your hands she was gone. She never got spayed cause no one could catch her, but she had something wrong inside cause she rarely came into heat. She only got one set of shots in her life and that was when the kittens were first taken to the vet.

Was weird, but she never was sick and she lived into her teens when she died.
 
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fostermomm

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

A friend of mine rescued a litter of kittens from some cruel kids who were trying to set them on fire. I think it was 3-4 in the litter. Everyone was treated the same, but the one female was almost completely ferel but willing to live inside the house.

No one could get near her, pet her, or do anything with her. She would come up to you, rub your legs but the minute she saw your hands she was gone. She never got spayed cause no one could catch her, but she had something wrong inside cause she rarely came into heat. She only got one set of shots in her life and that was when the kittens were first taken to the vet.

Was weird, but she never was sick and she lived into her teens when she died.
I think Calamity isnt all there in the brain sometime she acts like a normal cat and other times I think shes going to kill me in my sleep. I have to keep her away from Ari because Im afraid she might hurt her. The rescue calls her an NQT cat whatever that means.
 
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fostermomm

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Well from your descriptoin NQT (in my opinion) would mean Not Quite There - possible brain damage?
You might be right. I always felt they would think I was stupid for asking what it meant since Ive been fostering for them for almost 2 years! I wish I would have asked in the beginning. LOL
 

enik

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

I sit on Trout's back, and hold her in place that way..I do not actually put weight on her, just around her with my legs so she can't move.

It works wonders...and make sure they get lots of treats afterwards for being good.
Don't give up!
I tried to picture myself sitting on Snowball's back without putting weight on her, but I couldn't even imagine how that would be!!
I think I would not get very far before I would be lying on the floor in great pain! I'm sure my sciatica would quickly come back! I'm still trying to let him know that I'm the Alpha in this procedure and that he has no choice other than letting me clip his nails!
 

mechanicalman

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Originally Posted by Enik

I tried to picture myself sitting on Snowball's back without putting weight on her, but I couldn't even imagine how that would be!!
I think I would not get very far before I would be lying on the floor in great pain! I'm sure my sciatica would quickly come back! I'm still trying to let him know that I'm the Alpha in this procedure and that he has no choice other than letting me clip his nails!
It might not work with all cats, but it works pretty well with mine. She doesn't like it, but it seems less traumatic for her than when I attempted to wrap her in a towel -- that did not go well. Holding her between my legs is effective.
 

anmccleod

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I always wait until my cats are sleeping, it's basically the only time they are still.
 

enik

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Originally Posted by MechanicalMan

It might not work with all cats, but it works pretty well with mine. She doesn't like it, but it seems less traumatic for her than when I attempted to wrap her in a towel -- that did not go well. Holding her between my legs is effective.
I don't think my kitten would like being wrapped in a towel either, but then I haven't tried that yet. I guess I misunderstood your description of how you clip your cat's nails - I was picturing you, I guess, squatting over him/her.

I'll definitely try holding him between my legs to see if that works. Does it also work for the back claws, too? Thanks!
 

enik

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Originally Posted by anmccleod

I always wait until my cats are sleeping, it's basically the only time they are still.
That's what I've been doing! But, he doesn't usually like to sleep on my lap, so it's a little difficult. I just now clipped a few nails before he said that he positively had had enough of my bothering him.
 

mechanicalman

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Originally Posted by Enik

I guess I misunderstood your description of how you clip your cat's nails - I was picturing you, I guess, squatting over him/her.

I'll definitely try holding him between my legs to see if that works. Does it also work for the back claws, too? Thanks!
Someone else wrote that description, but I just clipped my cats nails (and applied Soft Claws) the same way; knelt down with the cat between my legs so she couldn't move. I did also clip her back claws that way, but it wasn't as easy. She fought and scratched my thigh. Clipping the rear claws would have been easier with two people.
 

enik

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Originally Posted by MechanicalMan

Someone else wrote that description, but I just clipped my cats nails (and applied Soft Claws) the same way; knelt down with the cat between my legs so she couldn't move. I did also clip her back claws that way, but it wasn't as easy. She fought and scratched my thigh. Clipping the rear claws would have been easier with two people.
Thanks! I now realize that it was another poster who said he/she sat on her cat's back (but not really). I can picture kneeling down so that he can't move - good idea! Yes, I agree that with two people it must be easier. I'll keep practicing! Neither one of us is going anywhere - unless I go to the emergency room all battered!
 
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